Connect Using IKEv2 on Android

This guide shows you how to connect an Android phone or tablet to PremierVPN over IKEv2 using the free strongSwan VPN Client app. It works on any recent Android version.

Want the quickest setup? The PremierVPN app for Android signs in with your portal email and password and needs no manual settings.

Before you start: use your VPN credentials

Manual setups sign in with your VPN username and VPN password. These are separate from the email and password you use for the portal and the PremierVPN apps, and the portal login will not work here.

• Find both on your Dashboard under Your VPN credentials. Click Show to reveal the password.
• To change the VPN password, go to Settings › VPN Password. The new password applies from your next connection.
• Not sure which login is which? See Understanding your VPN credentials.

Install strongSwan

1. Open the Google Play Store.
2. Search for strongSwan VPN Client.
3. Install the app.

Add a VPN profile

1. Open strongSwan VPN Client and tap Add VPN profile.
2. Fill in:
   • Server: a hostname from the table below, for example uk.premiervpn.net
   • VPN Type: IKEv2 EAP (Username/Password)
   • Username: your VPN username
   • Password: your VPN password (or leave it blank to be asked each time)
   • CA certificate: leave Select automatically ticked
3. Optionally, give the profile a name such as PremierVPN UK in the advanced settings.
4. Tap Save.

Connect and disconnect

1. Tap the profile you created.
2. The first time, Android asks you to allow strongSwan to set up a VPN connection. Tap OK.
3. The app shows Connected and a key icon appears in the status bar.

To disconnect, open strongSwan and tap Disconnect, or use the strongSwan notification.

Server hostnames

Create one profile per location you use. You can also copy any hostname from the Servers page in the portal.

Troubleshooting

Authentication failed

• Use your VPN username and VPN password from the Dashboard, not your portal email and password.
• Make sure the VPN type is IKEv2 EAP (Username/Password), not a certificate type.
• If you changed your VPN password, edit the profile and enter the new one.

It won't connect on some networks

IKEv2 uses UDP ports 500 and 4500, which some public Wi-Fi, office and school networks block. Try mobile data, or use Cisco Secure Client (port 443) or the PremierVPN app.

Do I need to install a certificate?

No. Our servers use a publicly trusted certificate, and Select automatically finds it in Android's built-in trust store.

The connection drops when the phone sleeps

Open your phone's Settings › Apps › strongSwan VPN Client › Battery and choose Unrestricted (menu names vary by manufacturer). To keep the VPN on all the time, set strongSwan as your Always-on VPN under Settings › Network & internet › VPN.

Can I use Android's built-in VPN settings instead?

Many phones running Android 11 or later include an IKEv2/IPSec MSCHAPv2 option under Settings › Network & internet › VPN. Use the hostname as both the server address and the IPSec identifier, and your VPN username and password. Options differ between manufacturers, so if it won't connect, use strongSwan.

Still stuck? Open a support ticket and tell us your device, Android version and what you've tried.