V2Ray Client Quick Start

The goal of subscription import is to let the client read a set of server configurations maintained by the service provider. After a successful import, the main interface should show selectable server entries—not just a subscription URL. Copy the complete URL first, then open the client and add it. Do not connect immediately; the client still needs to request and parse the subscription.

Add a Subscription in the v2rayN Desktop Client

After opening v2rayN, find “Subscription Groups” or a similarly named subscription-management entry at the top of the window, then open “Subscription Group Settings.” Menu layouts may vary slightly by version, but the entry is usually in the main menu bar. Create a group and enter an easy-to-recognize name, such as “Daily Subscription” or the service name. Paste the copied URL into the subscription URL field and save the settings.

Saving only tells the client to remember the URL. Return to the main interface and select “Update Subscriptions.” If the client offers “Update Current Subscription” and “Update All Subscriptions,” choose the current group for a first setup. When the update finishes, several entries should appear in the server list, commonly showing an alias, address, port, transport protocol, and subscription group. These entries confirm that the client has read the subscription.

If the list is still empty, return to Subscription Group Settings and check that the URL contains no line breaks, spaces, or missing characters. Confirm that you updated the new group. Some versions support keyword filtering; if the status bar reports a successful update but nothing appears, check whether the current filter is hiding the new entries. Once servers appear, leave the window open—the next step is to choose the active configuration here.

Add a Subscription in the v2rayNG Android Client

Open v2rayNG, enter the menu from the top-right corner of the home screen, and find “Subscription Group Settings” or the subscription-management entry. Tap Add, enter a recognizable remark, paste the complete subscription URL into the address field, and save. Return to the subscription page, select the group you added, and update it. You can also return to the main interface and use Update Subscriptions from the menu to fetch the configurations.

After the update, server names should appear in the configuration list on the home screen. Tap an entry to mark it as the current configuration; this does not start the connection yet. If the page shows only the subscription group and no server entries, update it again. If the update request fails, try another network and check that the system date and time are accurate. Subscription requests rely on encrypted connections, and a significantly incorrect system clock can prevent them from completing.

After a successful import, the client has selectable configurations. Whether system traffic passes through it still depends on the traffic interception method and routing rules. Next, choose a basic mode with an easy-to-check result, then refine routing gradually after the connection is verified.

“Proxy mode” and “routing mode” often appear in adjacent menus, but they operate at different layers. Proxy mode determines whether the operating system or an application hands requests to the client; routing mode determines how the client routes those requests afterward. For a first setup, keep these layers separate to make troubleshooting more straightforward.

v2rayN Desktop: Enable the System Proxy First

Find “System Proxy” in the v2rayN main window or system tray menu. Common options include Clear System Proxy, Auto Configure System Proxy, and Set System Proxy. For an initial verification, choose the recommended system-proxy option so browsers and applications that follow the operating system proxy settings send requests to v2rayN. The tray icon or selected menu state will usually change to indicate that the system proxy is enabled.

Next, open “Routing” or “Routing Mode.” For an initial setup, choose a common rule mode such as “Bypass Mainland China,” which uses the client's built-in rules for different destinations. Avoid editing many custom rules immediately: errors in the subscription, active server, or system proxy can produce similar symptoms. Complete one connection with a ready-made mode first to narrow the troubleshooting scope.

Some desktop applications do not read the system proxy, or they have their own proxy settings. Such applications will not automatically change their connection method when v2rayN enables the system proxy. If one application behaves differently from the browser, check whether it is set to direct connection, use the system proxy, or a manual proxy address. To route more traffic through the client, you can explore TUN mode, but it involves permissions, a virtual network adapter, and DNS behavior and is not required for this quick setup. See the TUN section of the system guide for details.

v2rayNG Android: Start with the Default Route

When v2rayNG connects, it asks the system to establish a VpnService tunnel, which routes most application traffic through the client once enabled. For a first setup, keep the common default route or choose a suitable rule mode in the routing settings. Do not enable complex per-app proxying or change DNS, routing, and transport settings all at once; otherwise it will be difficult to identify the cause of a problem.

If only selected applications should use the client, open Per-App Proxy after the basic connection works, enable it, and choose the target applications. Check whether the selected scope is “Proxy only selected apps” or the opposite logic. Reconnect after saving so the new rules apply to the current session. For complete per-app proxy and background-running settings, read v2rayNG Android Usage Essentials.

Once the mode is selected, the system knows which requests can be handed to the client. Next, choose an active server and start the connection. This turns a static subscription configuration into a running session and provides the starting point for reviewing logs and errors.

Before connecting, confirm that the device's current network can access common pages normally. The client needs the existing network to reach the servers in the subscription; switching servers repeatedly will not fix a disconnected Wi-Fi or mobile network. Once the network is available, select a configuration from the list.

How to Connect in the v2rayN Desktop Client

Click the target entry in the v2rayN server list, then press Enter, double-click it, or use “Set as Active Server” from the context menu. The active entry is usually highlighted by color, font, or a status marker, and the bottom of the window may show the current server name. The marker varies by version; the key point is that a specific server is clearly active rather than blank.

If the system proxy was enabled in the previous step, open a browser for testing after setting the active server. Some versions automatically restart the core when a server is selected; others require “Restart Service” from the tray menu. Check the status or log area at the bottom: normal startup shows a local listening port, configuration loading, and service-start messages. Configuration format errors, occupied ports, or core startup failures will appear in the logs.

When the server list is long, there is no need to test every entry at once. Start with a configuration marked as commonly used by the provider or one that matches your network environment, then complete the verification. If it fails, try another entry while keeping the proxy and routing modes unchanged. This helps determine whether the problem is limited to one server or affects the client setup as a whole.

How to Connect in the v2rayNG Android Client

On the v2rayNG home screen, tap a server entry to make it the current configuration, then tap the circular Connect button. On the first connection, Android displays a system authorization prompt to establish a VPN connection. Confirm it; the status bar will show the system connection indicator, and the v2rayNG button and status text will switch to a running state. The system manages this authorization, and canceling it immediately stops the client from handling traffic.

If tapping the button quickly returns to a disconnected state, open Logs from the top-right menu and check the final lines. Common causes include an unreachable server, incomplete configuration fields, an incorrect device clock, or network restrictions. Try another server from the same subscription first. If several entries fail at the same stage, check whether the subscription was just updated, whether the system clock syncs automatically, and whether another VPN connection is running.

When switching between Wi-Fi and mobile networks during a connection, the underlying network changes briefly. v2rayNG may recover automatically, or it may require a manual stop and reconnect. Keep the network unchanged during the first test, then test network switching and background behavior after confirming the configuration works. If the connection often drops when the screen is locked, allow v2rayNG to run in the background according to the device settings. For further troubleshooting, see Background Persistence and Battery Optimization.

The client is now running. Do not rely only on the icon color; check the client status, actual access, and a one-variable comparison. This produces a more reliable conclusion than repeatedly clicking Connect.

Start verification inside the client, then move to the browser or target application. Confirm that the active server name is correct, the service is running, and the latest logs show no persistent obvious errors. If the logs show that the configuration loaded and local listening started, the client has initialized successfully. Next, check whether requests are actually passing through it.

Run a Repeatable Access Test

Open a browser window that was closed beforehand and visit a page that should be handled by the current proxy rules. A new window reduces interference from old connections and cached data. If the page opens reliably, refresh it two or three times and try similar pages to see whether the result is consistent. One successful load is not enough to establish stability; repeated access reveals intermittent server failures and network-switching issues faster.

If the browser on desktop still follows the original route, return to v2rayN and check that the system proxy remains enabled and the browser is set to use it. On Android, if only some applications behave differently, check whether per-app proxying is enabled and whether the target app is included. Do not change the server, routing, DNS, and app scope at the same time. Adjust one variable, reconnect, and repeat the same test to isolate the cause.

Use Logs to Identify the Failing Layer

If the logs show no new requests at all, the target application is probably not handing traffic to the client. Check the system proxy, per-app scope, or the application's own proxy settings first. If requests appear but connections to the destination fail, keep other settings unchanged and try another server from the same subscription. If repeated DNS-related errors appear, check the device network, system time, and DNS settings. The simple question “Are there any requests?” helps separate traffic-interception issues from server problems.

v2rayN may also offer latency testing. Latency results can help identify servers that respond quickly on the current network, but one test cannot represent real-world access quality or replace connection verification. Some servers may not respond to a particular test method while still handling normal traffic; conversely, low latency does not guarantee stability for every destination. Actual use and sustained logs remain the final reference.

Save a Reversible Baseline

After confirming that the connection works, note the active server, routing mode, and traffic-interception method. If you later enable TUN, custom routing, or per-app proxying, add only one setting at a time. Stop and reconnect after each change, then repeat the access test in this section. If a new setting causes problems, you can quickly return to the previously verified baseline.

Subscriptions can change as the provider updates its server configuration, so update them periodically. After an update, if the server names or count change, first confirm that the current active entry still exists, then select a configuration again. When maintaining multiple subscriptions, use clear group remarks and keyword filters to keep the list readable. For a more systematic approach, read Practical Multi-Subscription Group Management.