Just bought a VPN? First confirm that your plan is active. Then get a compatible app, import your subscription, choose a server, connect, and check that the sites you need work. Completing payment does not automatically connect your device, and seeing servers in the app does not mean every app will use the proxy. Follow the steps below to troubleshoot your account, configuration, and connection separately.
Account and plan: confirm your plan is active
If you’ve already paid, sign in to the account you used for the purchase. If you haven’t set up an account yet, follow the prompts in the user panel to create a username and password. VPNPaper does not require an email address. Keep your login details safe, and make sure you’re not signing in to a different account and mistaking it for a missing plan.
Open the user panel and check your current plan, remaining data, and order status. Once the payment page shows that payment is complete, use the information shown in the panel as the source of truth. If the order is still processing, refresh its status and check the payment record. Don’t place another order just because you can’t see any servers yet.
Monthly subscriptions and data packages have different usage periods: monthly subscription data resets each month on the activation date, while data packages remain available until used and never expire. Check which type you bought before deciding whether the panel is showing the right information. VPNPaper offers a 7-day no-questions-asked refund. Contact support through the panel for details.
Get a VPN app: match it to your device and configuration
Check the instructions for your platform in the panel’s VPN app download section. Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux have different installation steps and permission requirements. Don’t assume a screenshot for another operating system shows the exact same interface. For iOS, follow the requirements shown in the panel.
When choosing an app, make sure it can read the subscription format provided in the panel and supports the protocol used by your configuration. Shadowsocks, VMess, Trojan, VLESS, Hysteria2, and TUIC are different protocols, not interchangeable file extensions. An app supporting a protocol doesn’t mean your subscription includes it. Start with the app and import method recommended in the panel’s guide.
Once installed, open the app normally. On mobile, you may need to allow it to add a system VPN configuration. Desktop apps may ask you to approve a network extension or other permissions; Linux setups may involve a background service and system proxy settings. Grant permissions only as required by the installation source and operating system. Don’t disable system security features to fix an ordinary connection issue.
What to expect: The app opens, you can find the subscription or configuration import option, and no permission prompt keeps blocking network access. If menu names differ, compare them with the quick start guide instead of guessing based on similar-looking icons.
Import your subscription: add the server configuration to the app
A subscription link retrieves your server configuration and usually includes account-related access credentials. It is not a public promotional URL or your account password. Only share the link with a trusted app. Don’t post it in public forums, paste it into online conversion tools, or include it in screenshots; anyone with the link may be able to access the associated configuration.
- Copy the subscription from your panel. Choose the format recommended for your app and copy the entire link. Make sure you don’t miss any trailing parameters or add spaces.
- Add the remote subscription in the app. Choose the option to import from a link or the equivalent, paste the link, and save. If you use the panel’s one-tap import, make sure it opens the app you intend to use.
- Fetch and activate the configuration. Wait for the subscription update to finish, check that servers and rules appear, then set this configuration as the active one.
- Keep the subscription up to date. Refresh it when server configurations change. Don’t treat server addresses in old screenshots as permanent settings.
Being able to open the panel in a browser doesn’t guarantee the app can fetch your subscription. If importing fails, identify whether the link is invalid, the network request failed, or the format couldn’t be parsed. Then check your account status, local network, and app compatibility as appropriate. Don’t keep trying to import a single-server link as if it were a full subscription.
Choose a server and connect: get online first, then adjust split tunneling
Once the server list appears, choose a server in the region required by the service you want to use, then connect in the app. An IEPL dedicated line describes dedicated network resources and a transmission path, not an app protocol. A relayed connection routes traffic through an intermediary server; a direct connection does not use an additional relay entry arranged by the provider. Server labels don’t replace testing access and aren’t a guarantee that a particular platform will work.
For your first connection, keep the rule mode recommended in the guide. Don’t change the protocol, DNS, port, and rules all at once. Rule-based routing uses criteria such as domain names and addresses to decide whether traffic connects directly or goes through the proxy. Global proxy mode generally sends traffic handled by the app through the selected endpoint, but it still depends on which traffic the app captures. It doesn’t necessarily cover all communications on your device.
On desktop, “system proxy” mainly affects apps that follow the operating system’s proxy settings. Capture modes such as TUN can handle more traffic, but require the right permissions and routing. A VPN icon on a mobile device only indicates that a system tunnel has been established. Check websites, your egress IP, and the apps you want to use instead of relying only on whether the button says “Connected.”
If another proxy or VPN is running on your device, turn off any connection you don’t need to avoid routing conflicts. Temporarily switching modes can help isolate a rule issue, but restore suitable everyday settings once you’ve finished testing. Don’t rely on repeatedly switching modes and hoping for the best.
Verify the connection: check your egress IP, access, and DNS separately
Keep the app connected, then open my IP to check your browser’s current egress information and visit the site you actually want to use. In rule mode, an IP-checking site may be set to connect directly. If your egress IP hasn’t changed, first confirm whether that request went through the proxy; don’t assume the entire server connection is down.
DNS translates domain names into IP addresses. If a domain that should be routed through the proxy is still resolved by your local network’s resolver, a DNS leak may occur. Check the app’s DNS settings, your browser’s secure DNS, routing rules, and test results together. A website loading successfully or your egress region changing does not, on its own, prove that DNS is being handled as expected.
Don’t change every setting just because a test page shows an unfamiliar resolver name. First check whether the test request’s route matches the option selected in the app. A browser’s built-in encrypted DNS isn’t a switch that automatically fixes every leak; it may route domain lookups differently from the app’s rules.
- ✅ The current configuration is active, and the selected server is in the expected region.
- ✅ Test a regular website and the service you want to use separately to see whether the issue is limited to a particular app.
- ✅ Confirm proxy routing before checking your egress IP; check DNS handling separately if needed.
- ✅ After disconnecting, confirm that your local network still works so you can rule out a basic network issue.
Streaming and AI services are also subject to third-party region, account, and risk-control rules. A working network route only means the connection path is available; it doesn’t guarantee that a particular account is eligible for access. If you see a regional restriction, don’t assume the app failed to connect.
Common issues: diagnose the problem by its symptoms
Change one setting at a time and keep a note of its original value. The table below starts with the easiest symptoms to identify, so you don’t mistake payment, subscription, and app issues for the same “can’t connect” problem.
| Symptom | What to check first | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Plan not showing after payment | Whether the signed-in account, order, and payment status match | Refresh the panel and contact support with your order details. Don’t place another order. |
| Subscription import error | Link integrity, subscription format, and app compatibility | Copy the link again in a compatible format and distinguish a network error from a parsing error. |
| Servers appear, but none will connect | Remaining data, whether the configuration is active, and system permissions | Update the subscription and retest with another suitable server. |
| Browser works, but apps don’t | Whether the app follows the system proxy and whether a direct-connection rule applies | Check the traffic capture scope in the guide. Restart the app you want to use if needed. |
| Only a specific service is restricted | The target region, account permissions, and the service’s own status | Separate network issues from third-party restrictions; don’t reinstall without checking. |
If all apps are affected, disconnect the VPN and check your basic network connection first. If only one server is affected, try another server for comparison. If changing your local network changes the result, note the difference so support can assess whether your network environment is a factor.
When submitting a support ticket, include your operating system, app name and version, the exact error message, what you were doing, and the steps you’ve already tried. Hide passwords, subscription links, and configuration credentials in screenshots. Don’t upload your full configuration just to make troubleshooting easier.
Everyday use: keep a reproducible configuration
Once you’ve connected successfully, note the app, active configuration, and rule mode you used. If something goes wrong later, restore these verified settings first, then check for changes to the app, your data balance, or the server. VPNPaper has no device limit, but each device still needs to be configured for its operating system. Copying a subscription doesn’t automatically connect a device.
If you use the service often, a monthly subscription may suit your data needs. If you use it occasionally, consider a data package that remains available until used and never expires. Don’t rush to upgrade because of a setup issue. Identify where the bottleneck is first, then decide whether you need a different data allowance.