MarsProxiesUsing an Android proxy is always a good idea. It makes the internet a more private and safer place than usual while giving you access to worldwide content. However, this is only true if you pick the right proxy server and set it up correctly.
So, let’s go over one thing at a time, starting with the reasons to use a proxy server on your Android device.
Why Use a Proxy on Your Android Device?
You could be a casual internet user, a social media manager, a gamer, or a web-scraping professional, among others, to take advantage of Android proxies. In fact, anyone looking for a more private and freer online experience on their Android device can benefit from reliable proxies.
An Android proxy is a regular proxy server compatible with Android devices. It masks your online identity, letting you hide behind its own IP address. Accessing websites and platforms through a proxy IP address brings many advantages for all private and business mobile users.
Here are just a few of them.
Enhanced Privacy and Security
A proxy server gives your mobile device a new IP address from a location of your choice. This makes you a new mobile user on the internet, helping you visit websites and perform tasks anonymously.
By keeping your online identity hidden when accessing the internet, the proxy server takes your privacy and security to a new level.
Accessing Geo-restricted Content
When choosing a proxy server, you can also pick the proxy IP location. This way, you can trick websites and services into thinking you’re trying to reach them from another part of the world. This is really useful when trying to bypass geo-blocking.
The desired website or platform will see your request is coming from a supported location, so it’ll grant you access regardless of your real location.
Improving Browsing Speed and Performance
Proxy servers can cache frequently requested resources and reduce the loading time of web pages. This way, they deliver the web content you requested much faster, not having to retrieve it from the original source.
They can improve the download speeds, overall browsing speed, and performance.
Protection against Tracking and Data Collection
By not being able to see your IP address when browsing the web, websites can’t track your activities. This way, Android proxies help you surf the net through your smartphone without being monitored or bombarded with annoying targeted ads.
At the same time, they shield your personal data, making it harder for malicious actors to steal it.
How to Choose the Right Proxy for Your Android Device?
As soon as you search for Android proxies, you’ll see a bunch of free and paid options available online. Although a free Android proxy may sound tempting, it’s best to avoid it. Most free proxies are shared with too many users simultaneously, making them extremely slow and unreliable for even the most basic tasks.
But what’s even more important is that these proxy servers can be used to track your online behavior. The people behind them can then sell this data to ad companies or agencies. What’s more, they usually lack basic security measures like SOCKS5 support and dual authentication, increasing the risk of unauthorized access and data loss.
Therefore, it’s best to use premium, trusted providers like MarsProxies. Their proxies are ethical, fast, and reliable, yet very affordable. Whether you need global residential proxies or dedicated datacenter proxies, they’ve got your back.
These proxies are high-performing and easy to use, making them ideal for anyone. You can expect a versatile proxy catalog and advanced features like HTTP/HTTPS and SOCKS5 support, unlimited bandwidth and sessions, 999.99% uptime, and non-expiring residential traffic.
Here are a few factors to consider when choosing an Android proxy service for you:
- Premium options with affordable prices
- A global and ethical proxy pool
- Support for HTTP/HTTPS and SOCKS5 protocols
- High speeds and uptime
- Responsive customer support
How to Set Up a Proxy on Android
None of the above matters if you don’t know how to configure proxy settings correctly. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to set up an Android proxy for both a WiFi network and a mobile network. We’ve used MarsProxies residential proxies in both cases.
How to Configure Android Proxy Settings for a WiFi Network
Follow the steps to configure the Android proxy setting on your device.
Step 1: Open Settings (1) on your Android device.
Step 2: Find your WiFi settings (2).
Step 3: Tap the Settings icon (3) next to the WiFi network you’re connected to.
Step 4: Scroll down in your WiFi settings to find the Proxy option (4).
Step 5: Click it and select Manual (5).
Step 6: Copy your proxy credentials from the dashboard. These are your proxy IP address (6) and port (7).
Step 7: Paste your proxy IP address in the Proxy host name (8) field, and the port number in the Proxy port (9) field.
Step 8: When you try to open a website, the proxy server will ask you to enter your username and password to sign in. Once you fill in the fields (10), hit the Sign in (11) button in the bottom right corner.
Step 9: You’re now ready to start using your proxy.
To turn off proxy settings on your device, just select the “None” option instead of “Manual” as shown in step 4.
How to Configure Android Proxy Settings for a Mobile Network
Here are the steps to follow to start using your mobile network through an Android proxy server.
Step 1: Open your Settings (1).
Step 2: Open Connections (2), find Mobile networks (3), and tap it.
Step 3: Select Access Point Names (4) and tap it.
Step 4: Choose the APN you’re using (5) and tap it.
Step 5: Enter the proxy credentials found in your proxy dashboard in the Proxy, Port, Username, and Password (6) fields.
Step 6: Save (7) the changes, turn on and off your mobile data, and your proxy server is ready to go.
Note: We’re using a Samsung device for both proxy configurations, but Android proxy settings may vary slightly depending on your specific device.
How to Set Up a Proxy Using Third-Party Apps?
**Another way to set up a proxy is to use third-party Android apps. **While these apps make the proxy configuration easier and quicker, using them means relying on external software that may have access to your network traffic and data.
So, if you decide to use one, make sure it’s reliable and trusted. We’ll use SocksDroid to explain how to use it to set up your proxy. Download SocksDroid on your device and launch the app.
Step 1: To start, get your proxy credentials (1) from your proxy provider. Make sure you use SOCKS proxies.
Step 2: Fill the Server IP (2) and Server Port (3) fields, check the box next to Username & Password Authentication (4) and enter your username and fill the Username (5) and Password (6) fields.
Step 3: Tap the toggle (7) in the top right corner to turn SocksDroid on.
Step 4: You’ll be asked for confirmation, tap OK (8) to proceed.
Step 5: While SocksDroid is active, you’ll see a VPN icon (9) in your phone’s status bar.
That’s it, you can now browse the web through the proxy!
Troubleshooting Common Issues
If you’re not sure your proxy is configured correctly, use IPInfo or another online IP checker to verify it works as intended. If the connection fails, you may see the ERR TUNNEL CONNECTION FAILED error.
In that case, try turning your proxy on and off or check your authentication credentials to see if you’ve entered the correct ones.
Final Words
Setting up a proxy on Android can sound too challenging, especially for beginners or non tech-savvy users. However, the process is quite simple if you have the right instructions in front of you.
So follow the steps in our guide, use reliable proxies, and start taking advantage of everything they offer.
