How to Stop a VPN Getting Around Your Porn Blocker on Android
A VPN gets around most Android porn blockers because Android only runs one VPN at a time, and most blockers use that slot. Turn on a free VPN and it takes over the slot, or sends your lookups around Private DNS, and adult sites load again. To stop it, find and remove every VPN on the phone, make VPN apps harder to get, and use a blocker that a new VPN can't get around.
How a VPN Gets Around the Block
There are two kinds of block on Android, and a VPN beats both in a different way:
- Private DNS. A VPN sends your traffic, address lookups included, through its own servers. The lookups never reach your family filter.
- Blocker apps. Many stop filtering the moment another VPN starts.
Either way, the filter is still switched on in Settings. It just isn't seeing your traffic any more, which is why this is easy to miss.
Step 1: Find Every VPN on the Phone
- Look at the status bar. A small key icon means a VPN is running.
- Open Settings and search for VPN. This lists the VPNs on the phone.
- Delete any browser you don't use.
Step 2: Remove the Ones You Don't Need
Uninstall any VPN app that isn't your blocker. Long press it, tap Uninstall, and confirm. In the VPN settings page, tap any profile you didn't add and choose Forget or Delete. Delete the browsers with a VPN built in.
Step 3: Make VPN Apps Harder to Get
- Use a DNS filter that blocks VPN sites.
family-filter-dns.cleanbrowsing.orgblocks many VPN and proxy websites. It can't block the Play Store, but it makes VPNs harder to find in the browser. See our Private DNS guide. - On a child's phone, use Family Link. A parent approves every app before it installs, so a VPN needs the parent's yes.
Why the Free Steps Don't Hold on Your Own Phone
On your own phone, a free VPN is one search away in the Play Store. Android has no setting that stops an adult installing a VPN. The free steps make it slower, but they can't stop it.
QuitPorn: A VPN Doesn't Get Around It
With QuitPorn, you choose a lock from 1 day up to 365 days, and it can't be ended early. Our support team can't end it either. It installs from Google Play and works on Samsung, Pixel, Xiaomi, Tecno, Infinix, OnePlus and other Android phones.
During a lock:
- A VPN doesn't get around it, and neither does a new browser.
- Nobody can switch it off. It can't be deleted until the lock ends.
- It ends on the date you chose, by itself.
- There is no passcode. On Android there is nothing to guess, write down or ask for.
One account covers up to 5 devices: Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows and Mac. Plans are $15 a month, $78 for six months, or $120 a year. If you haven't started a lock yet, you can get a refund within 7 days. See the plans.
Free Steps vs QuitPorn
| Free steps |  QuitPorn | |
|---|---|---|
| Stops a new VPN getting around it | No | Yes |
| Stops a browser VPN getting around it | No | Yes |
| Can be switched off | Yes, in Settings | No, until the lock ends |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my porn blocker stop working when I use a VPN?
Android allows one VPN at a time, and most blockers use that slot. A new VPN pushes the blocker out. Private DNS is skipped too, because the VPN sends your lookups through its own servers.
Can I block VPN apps on Android?
On a child's phone, yes, with Family Link. On your own phone, Android has no setting for it. A family DNS such as CleanBrowsing Family blocks many VPN websites, but not the Play Store.
How do I know if a VPN is on?
Look for a key icon in the status bar, and check Settings for a VPN page. Browser VPNs may only show inside the browser's own settings.
Does QuitPorn stop VPNs?
Yes. During a lock, a VPN doesn't get around QuitPorn, and the lock can't be switched off or ended early.
Read next: why your Android porn blocker keeps failing, or our guide to a porn blocker you can't uninstall.
This is general information, not medical advice. For help with your own situation, talk to a doctor or therapist.
