In short: v2rayNG is a free VPN client for Android that speaks the modern protocols (what VLESS is, VMess and others). The one feature behind every question about it: it is not in Google Play - the app installs only from an APK file on the developer’s official GitHub page. Below: where exactly to get the file, how to install and set it up in a couple of minutes, and how v2rayNG differs from the similarly named v2rayTun and v2rayN, so you do not mix them up.
A quick word on the names, so you do not go wrong from the start: v2rayNG is the Android client. On Windows you want v2rayN (no G), and if you are after an app that covers every system at once, that is v2rayTun. We untangle all three at the end; first, v2rayNG for Android.
Where to download v2rayNG
The main thing about v2rayNG: it is not in Google Play, it was removed from there. That makes “where to download” the key question, and there are two paths.
The simple path (our recommendation). If you take out a Tainet subscription, there is no hunting through GitHub. In the connection menu in your account press “How to connect” - a list of every app opens with direct download links, v2rayNG included. Pick v2rayNG, press “Download”, and you land on the right file with no risk of a fake.
The same place, under “Connect manually”, hands you the subscription link to paste into the app if automatic adding does not work. This is the fastest and safest route, and the links are there the moment you sign up: the first 7 days are free and need no card.
The manual path (if you are installing without our subscription). The only safe source by hand is the developer’s official GitHub page (the 2dust/v2rayNG repository, the Releases section). Any other site offering “v2rayng download” is a risk: all your traffic goes through a VPN client, and a tampered build from a third-party site is dangerous. How to download it properly:
- Open the official 2dust/v2rayNG repository on GitHub on your phone and go to Releases.
- In the latest release find the file list (Assets). You need an APK file - there are usually several, for different processors.
- Which to pick: the file marked universal suits everyone. If you want to be precise, most modern phones take arm64-v8a. You cannot go wrong with universal.
- Download the chosen APK to your phone.
If you really want the detail: the same place carries builds marked fdroid - versions with a different package name, occasionally needed on particular firmwares (some Xiaomi models, where the ordinary build conflicts). An ordinary user does not need them; take the standard universal.
How to install the v2rayNG APK on Android
Since the file did not come from a store, Android will ask for permission to install it - that is standard protection, not an error:
- Open the downloaded APK file, from the download notification or a file manager.
- The system will warn that installing from this source is switched off. Tap “Settings” in that window and turn on “Allow installs from this source” for the browser or file manager you are opening the file from.
- Go back and confirm the install.
- Done - v2rayNG is in your app list.
One consequence of not being in Google Play: the app does not update itself. When a new version appears you download it from GitHub the same way and install it over the old one - settings and the subscription survive. It is worth checking for updates every couple of months on that same Releases page. And if you connected through Tainet, there is nothing to hunt for either: open the “How to connect” menu, press the link next to v2rayNG and get the fresh version in one click.
This is the same path as for any app outside Google Play - it is how VPN clients go onto Huawei tablets without Google services, for instance; how to install a VPN on a Huawei tablet will help if you are setting one up there too.
How to set up v2rayNG: the subscription in a couple of minutes
After installing you need a subscription - a link from a VPN service that the app connects to servers with. v2rayNG provides no servers of its own; it is only a client. What that link is, and why a key, a config and a subscription all mean the same thing, is covered in the piece on what a VPN key is.
- Take out a subscription. With Tainet that is in the Telegram bot or your account, the first 7 days free and no card - you get the subscription link.
- In v2rayNG press ”+” (the plus at the top) and choose “Import from clipboard” if you copied the link, or “Import from QR code”.
- In the menu (three dots) choose “Update subscription” - the app pulls the server list.
- Pick a server from the list and press the round connect button at the bottom.
With Tainet the subscription link goes in even more simply: the connection menu in your account carries direct links and a QR code, so the subscription imports in a couple of seconds with no copying by hand.
When v2rayNG will not work
Why v2rayNG will not work usually comes down to one of three things:
- The subscription did not refresh - go to the menu and choose “Update subscription”; the server list should appear.
- The link was not pasted in full - copying from a messenger cuts the tail off; copy it again.
- The server is overloaded - pick another one from the list.
If no server comes up at all, the cause is the subscription or the network rather than the app: the full diagnosis is in the breakdown of why a VPN stops working.
v2rayNG, v2rayTun and v2rayN: do not mix them up
Three apps with similar names - here is how they differ:
| App | What it is for | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|
| v2rayNG | The Android client (this article) | An APK from GitHub (2dust/v2rayNG) |
| v2rayTun | A client for every system (Android, iOS, Windows, Mac) | App Store, Google Play, the site - setting up v2rayTun |
| v2rayN | The Windows client (no “G”) | A file from the same author’s GitHub |
If you are unsure which client to take for your devices at all, the roundup of VPN clients for every platform sorts it out. All of them, by the way, accept the same subscription link - the choice of client ties you to nothing. A path much like v2rayNG’s, through GitHub, is Hiddify: where to download it and how to set it up and NekoBox and installing it from GitHub, both Android clients.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I download v2rayNG if it is not in Google Play?
Only from the developer’s official GitHub (2dust/v2rayNG, the Releases section), as an APK file. Third-party sites are dangerous: all your traffic goes through the client.
Which v2rayNG APK should I take?
The universal one suits everyone. For modern phones arm64-v8a is more precise, but universal will not let you down.
How is v2rayNG different from v2rayTun?
v2rayNG is Android only and installs from a GitHub APK. v2rayTun covers every system and is in the app stores. Both accept the same subscription link.
Do I need a paid subscription for v2rayNG?
The app itself is free. You need a subscription from a VPN service, and it can be tested free: with Tainet that is 7 days without a card.
v2rayNG will not connect - what should I do?
Update the subscription in the menu, check the link was pasted in full, switch servers. If that does not help, use the diagnosis linked above.
In summary
In short: v2rayNG is a free Android client that is not in Google Play, so it goes on as an APK from the official GitHub. After installing you need a subscription.
With Tainet the subscription is one for every device and imports into the app in a couple of seconds: take one out in the Telegram bot or in your account, the first 7 days free and no card, then from $0.10 a day. Questions go to support, where real people answer.
