VPN Keeps Turning On When I Turn It Off? How to Stop It

If your VPN keeps turning on when you turn it off, it’s almost always doing what a setting told it to. The usual cause is an operating system feature (Always-on VPN on Android, Connect On Demand on iPhone and iPad) or the VPN app’s own auto-connect option, which brings the tunnel back the moment you join a network. Switch off the right one and the VPN will stay off until you turn it on.

Below is how to find the culprit on each platform. Menu names are as of October 2026 and can differ slightly between phone makers and app versions.

Why a VPN reconnects by itself

There are four common causes, and more than one can be active at once:

Some security suites also use a VPN profile for web filtering. Bitdefender, for example, notes that its iOS Web Protection relies on a VPN profile, so you might see “VPN” switch back on even though you never set up a privacy VPN.

Fix it on Android

1. Turn off Always-on VPN

Google’s Android Help page describes the path:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Network & internet, then VPN. If you can’t find it, search Settings for “VPN”.
3. Tap the settings (gear) icon next to the VPN that keeps coming back.
4. Switch off Always-on VPN.

Google’s Android Enterprise documentation explains that Always-on VPN starts the VPN when the device boots and keeps it running while the device or work profile is on. It’s available on Android 7.0 and later.

If Block connections without VPN is also on, your phone won’t send any traffic outside the VPN. That’s why some people find their internet “breaks” when they disconnect. Turning off Always-on VPN removes that block.

Proton VPN’s support page points out that Always-on VPN and this system-level kill switch belong to Android itself, not to the VPN app. Turning things off inside the app won’t help if the system setting is still on.

2. Check the app’s auto-connect setting

Google notes that VPNs set up through a third-party app may not show the Always-on option in the same place. In that case, or if the Always-on switch is already off, the app itself is probably reconnecting. Look for a setting called auto-connect, connect on launch or similar. For example:

• ExpressVPN (Android): its auto-connect guide says auto-connect is off by default, but once on it can connect on new networks, and networks count as “untrusted” by default. The guide has a section on turning auto-connect off.
• NordVPN: the auto-connect article says the setting is under the profile icon on mobile and the cogwheel on desktop. You can limit it to Wi-Fi or mobile networks, and auto-connect won’t run on a network you’ve marked as trusted.

Fix it on iPhone and iPad

1. Turn off Connect On Demand

On iOS, the usual cause is Connect On Demand, a per-profile option that reconnects the VPN by itself. Guides from Bitdefender and VPN providers give the same steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to VPN (on some versions it’s under General > VPN & Device Management).
3. Tap the i button next to the VPN profile.
4. Switch off Connect On Demand.

I couldn’t find an Apple consumer help page with these exact steps. Apple’s deployment documentation does confirm that VPN On Demand is controlled by a set of rules, and that the Connect On Demand toggle shows in Settings.

2. Check the VPN app and other features

If the toggle is already off, or turns itself back on:

1. Open the VPN app and turn off any auto-connect or “connect on untrusted Wi-Fi” option.
2. Check whether another app that uses a VPN profile, such as a security suite’s web filter, is the one reconnecting. Bitdefender points out that iOS can only run one VPN tunnel at a time, so these apps can conflict.
3. Bitdefender also suggests ruling out iCloud Private Relay.
4. If you no longer need the VPN at all, delete its profile in the VPN settings screen or uninstall the app. Bitdefender notes that removing the profile stops reconnections for good.

Resetting network settings is sometimes suggested as a last resort. It clears saved Wi-Fi passwords, so try everything above first.

Fix it on Windows and Mac

On computers, a VPN that keeps reconnecting is usually the app, not the operating system. Two settings are typically involved:

• Auto-connect in the app (NordVPN puts it under the cogwheel on desktop, per its support article).
• Launch at startup, which opens the app when you sign in, after which auto-connect brings the VPN up.

Turn off auto-connect first. If the app still connects every time you sign in, turn off its startup option as well.

Windows’ built-in VPN connections can also have a Connect automatically checkbox under Settings > Network & internet > VPN. I couldn’t confirm the exact wording on a current Microsoft help page, so menu labels may vary. Enterprise VPN specialist Richard Hicks writes that on a managed Windows Always On VPN profile, unchecking that box keeps it off until you check it again. Your IT department may still turn it back on, though.

When it’s a work or school device

If the VPN setting is greyed out or keeps coming back after every change, the device is probably managed:

• Apple’s deployment guide lists an admin option that prevents users from toggling VPN On Demand, which removes the Connect On Demand switch from Settings.
• On Android, an organization can enforce Always-on VPN on a work profile or fully managed device through its management console.

In both cases, the setting belongs to your employer or school. Ask IT instead of trying to remove the profile. Removing management can cut you off from work apps and email, and it may be against policy.

Quick checklist

1. Android: Settings > Network & internet > VPN > gear icon > turn off Always-on VPN.
2. iPhone/iPad: Settings > VPN > “i” next to the profile > turn off Connect On Demand.
3. Any device: open the VPN app and turn off auto-connect. On a computer, also turn off launch at startup.
4. Still happening? Look for a second app that uses a VPN profile, or a work profile you can’t change.

One last point: these features exist to keep you from browsing unprotected by accident. If you mainly want the VPN off at home, a trusted-network option (offered by NordVPN and ExpressVPN, among others) keeps auto-connect for public Wi-Fi and skips it on your own network.