v2rayNG Android Setup: VPN Permission, Battery Optimization & Per-App Proxy

Subscription URLs and node links are different

A subscription URL is an address that v2rayNG requests to retrieve a list of configurations. It commonly begins with https://, but the prefix alone does not prove that the address is a valid subscription. The response must contain configuration data in a format that the client can parse. A provider’s account page, sign-in page, or purchase page may also use HTTPS but return ordinary web content instead of nodes.

A node share link describes one configuration rather than a group that can be refreshed. Common share-link schemes include vmess://, vless://, and trojan://. Importing such a link can add a node, but it does not automatically create a subscription group or give that individual node a URL to update. Use the subscription-specific address supplied by your service when you want v2rayNG to fetch a list again later.

Subscription URLs can contain account tokens in their path or query parameters. Treat the complete URL like a password: don’t post it in public messages, upload it to unfamiliar conversion websites, or include it in a screenshot. If it is exposed, use the provider’s account controls to replace or reset it, then update the subscription with the new address.

Before adding the URL, check the source and network

Copy the address from the provider’s client setup page or subscription section, not from the browser’s address bar after signing in. Some services display separate URLs for different client formats. If the provider offers a format selector, choose one compatible with v2rayNG and keep any required URL options intact. Do not remove parameters simply because they make the address look unusual; they may identify the account or select the response format.

• Check the full address: Confirm that the beginning and end were copied, and remove accidental spaces or line breaks added by a clipboard or messaging app.
• Check access conditions: Some providers require an account to be active, impose a request limit, or expect the address to be used from a particular network.
• Check the phone’s connection: Open a normal webpage with the current Wi-Fi or mobile connection before trying to update. A subscription request cannot succeed if the device has no usable network access.
• Keep the URL confidential: When asking for help, redact the host path, token, and query values. A screenshot of a URL field can reveal account access even when the server list is hidden.

Adding the address and fetching its contents are separate operations. Saving a URL only records the information in the client. Until an update request succeeds, the group may be empty or may continue to show an older list. Likewise, seeing nodes after an update does not confirm that any node can establish a working connection.

Add a subscription group in v2rayNG

Menu wording and placement can vary between v2rayNG versions and translations. The common route is to open the navigation menu from the main screen and choose Subscription settings or a similarly named subscription-management item. In the subscription list, use the add control, often shown as a plus sign, to create a new entry. Add a short label that helps identify the provider, then paste the complete URL into the address field.

1. Open subscription settings

   On the v2rayNG main screen, open the navigation drawer and select the subscription-management option. If the label differs, look for the screen that lists subscription groups rather than the list of individual server configurations.

2. Create a group

   Tap the add control, commonly a plus icon. Enter a recognizable remark such as the provider name or account label. A useful remark makes it easier to update the correct group if you later add more than one subscription.

3. Paste the full URL

   Tap the URL field and paste the address copied from the provider. Check that the start and end are present and that no space was added. Do not paste a node share link here unless the provider specifically identifies it as a subscription URL.

4. Save the entry

   Confirm or save the group, then return to the subscription list. Check that the new remark appears. If the group is not listed, reopen its settings and make sure you completed the save action rather than leaving the editing screen.

5. Request an update

   Use the subscription screen’s update control or the main menu’s update-subscription action. If the interface offers a choice between updating one group and updating all groups, choose the new group for the first test.

Once the request finishes, return to the main server list and check whether configurations have appeared. Some versions show the group name or a divider above its nodes; others display the imported entries within the main list. If the list remains empty, do not keep creating duplicate groups. First inspect the update result, URL, and network request conditions.

Update the list, then select a node

Use the update action whenever you want to fetch the latest configuration set. A saved group can exist without any imported nodes, and a previously populated group can still show old entries if the latest request failed. After updating, check for a completion message, a changed node count, or an error in the application log. The exact indicator depends on the installed version.

When nodes appear, choose one entry on the main screen and start the connection using the client’s connect control. Android may show a system VPN connection request the first time; check that it names v2rayNG and approve it if you intend to create the local VPN interface. A VPN indicator only confirms that the interface was created. It does not, by itself, prove that the selected server can reach its destination.

• Start with one node: Avoid testing many entries at once. A single selected configuration makes the result easier to interpret.
• Check the connection state: Look at v2rayNG’s status and log messages after connecting. A failed startup, configuration parse error, or connection timeout points to different causes.
• Test actual access: Open a browser and request a known working HTTPS page. If the client reports connected but the page does not load, check the selected node, DNS behavior, and logs rather than repeatedly updating the subscription.
• Separate update from connection: A successful subscription update means the client fetched and parsed configurations; it does not guarantee that every imported server is active, reachable, or valid for your account.

Troubleshoot failed updates and empty lists

When an update fails, identify which stage failed before changing settings. A request may not reach the provider, the provider may reject it, or the response may not contain a configuration format v2rayNG can parse. The message in the client log is more useful than the fact that the list is empty alone. If the log includes a URL, redact its sensitive path and query values before sharing the message.

Use the error wording to choose the next check. A DNS lookup failure suggests that the hostname could not be resolved; a timeout means the request did not finish within the allowed time; an HTTP authorization response such as 401 or 403 indicates that the server rejected the request. These clues do not always identify the complete cause, but they help distinguish a local network issue from an account or URL issue.

• Timeout or connection failure: Confirm internet access, switch between available Wi-Fi and mobile data for comparison, and check whether a restrictive network blocks the provider’s host.
• Authorization or access denied: Verify that the URL belongs to the current account and has not been reset, expired, or copied from an unrelated page.
• Invalid or unrecognized content: Ask the provider for a v2rayNG-compatible subscription format. Do not try to fix an incompatible response by changing settings on every imported node.
• Some entries appear, but others fail: Test one configuration at a time. A list may contain both working and expired nodes, and a successful update does not validate each entry.

Keep subscription groups manageable

If you use more than one group, give each a clear remark and update only the group you are investigating. This avoids confusing entries from different providers and helps identify whether a change came from the latest response or from a different subscription. Before removing a group, check whether you still need its URL or want to preserve a configuration for reference; deleting a group may remove its associated entries from the client’s list.

A provider can change node addresses, ports, protocols, or transport parameters in a later response. For that reason, avoid manually editing imported values unless the provider’s instructions require it. If a node stops working after an update, compare the current entry with the provider’s guidance and check the connection log. Values such as a server address, port, user identifier, transport path, and TLS server name must match the configuration supplied for that node.

• Update the group after the provider says the list has changed or when an existing entry is no longer current.
• Keep an old URL only if it remains valid and the provider allows it; if the URL is reset, replace it rather than repeatedly retrying the old one.
• When switching phones, use the provider’s current subscription address and protect it as an account credential. A copied node list may not include the refresh capability of the original group.
• If the list is unexpectedly empty after a successful update, check whether the provider intentionally returned no available nodes or whether the wrong group was updated.

The practical sequence is straightforward: add the provider’s subscription URL, save the group, request an update, confirm that entries appear, and test one selected node separately. When an update fails, use the log and response clues to check the URL, network, account access, and content format in that order. This prevents an empty list from being mistaken for a VPN-permission problem or a connection failure from being mistaken for a subscription-update failure.