Android

mins needs Android 7.0 or newer. Releases ship as APK files for arm64-v8a, armeabi-v7a and x86_64 plus a universal APK; if one build will not install, try the universal one.

On Android the tunnel always uses the system VPN interface. There is no Connection mode choice, and Proxy only does not exist on this platform. The tunnel runs in its own process (:tunnel) as a foreground service, so it keeps running when you close the app window.

VPN permission

The first connection shows a system dialog that asks to allow mins to set up a VPN connection. Confirm it. A refusal gives VPN permission was not granted.

Android allows only one active VPN. If you start another VPN app, the system revokes mins’s permission; the next Connect asks again.

The status notification and notifications permission

While the tunnel runs, mins shows an ongoing notification (“Connected” or the current speed) with a Disconnect action.

mins declares the notification permission, and on Android 13 and newer the system decides when to ask for it. If you refused, or never saw the question, and you do not see this notification (or the “VPN permission required” notification after a reboot), allow notifications for mins in the system settings (system Settings → Apps → mins → Notifications; the exact path depends on the vendor). The VPN works without them, but you lose the quick Disconnect button and the boot notification.

Always-on VPN and lockdown

Settings → Connection → Always-on VPN & lockdown opens the system VPN settings. The row’s summary shows what Android currently reports, for example “Always-on off, lockdown off”.

mins supports Android’s always-on VPN. The system starts the tunnel by itself, using the last configuration that connected successfully. If there is none you get Import and connect to a server in mins first. Connect once by hand first.
While the system’s always-on VPN is on, mins’s own Start at boot does nothing, because the system already starts the VPN.
The system option “block connections without VPN” (lockdown) is an Android feature. While it is on, other apps have no network whenever the VPN is not connected. If you lose the network after a failed connection and lockdown is on, reconnect or turn lockdown off in those system settings.

Kill switch

Settings → Connection → Kill switch is separate from Android’s lockdown. When the connection fails, mins keeps the VPN interface open so traffic stays blocked, and the notification reads “Traffic blocked — reconnect or disconnect”.

To restore the network, press Disconnect in the notification. That closes the interface. In this state the big button in the app reads Connect and tries to connect again instead.
Or connect to a working server.
Turn Kill switch off if you do not want this behaviour.

If the app says Engine stop failed; disconnect in Android VPN settings, open the system VPN settings (via Always-on VPN & lockdown) and disconnect mins there, or force-stop the app.

Quick Settings tile

Add the tile with Settings → Connection → Add Quick Settings tile. On Android 13 and newer the system asks you to confirm. On older versions the app answers “Add mins using the Quick Settings editor”: open the Quick Settings panel, edit it, and drag the mins tile in.
A tap on the tile disconnects if the tunnel is running. Otherwise it starts the last configuration that connected.
If the tile opens the app instead of connecting, the VPN permission is missing or no configuration has connected yet. Connect once from inside the app; after that the tile works without opening it.
The tile shows its state from the last published tunnel state. If it looks stale, open the app.

Home-screen widgets work the same way: they start the configurations the app has built. A widget that says “Connect to a server in mins first” has nothing saved yet. A failed rebuild keeps the old entry and shows “Could not update widgets” in the app.

Start at boot

Settings → Connection → Start at boot starts the tunnel after the phone restarts. It works only when all of these hold:

the option is on (a subscription can control it; then the row is read-only);
mins still has VPN permission. If not, a “VPN permission required” notification appears; tap it, then Connect;
there is a saved last configuration;
Android’s own always-on VPN is off (otherwise the system does the starting).

mins starts after the first unlock following a reboot, because the saved configuration lives in storage that is unlocked only then.

Split tunneling

Settings → Network → Split tunneling → Application policy has Off, Only selected and All except selected. mins itself is always kept out of the tunnel, so subscription updates and geo file downloads use the normal network. Therefore:

Only selected with no apps ticked fails with Choose at least one application;
ticking mins itself fails with mins cannot tunnel its own subscription requests.

Camera and QR codes

Scan QR needs the camera permission, which Android asks for when you use it. If you deny it, use QR from image or Paste from clipboard instead.

The connection drops in the background (general advice)

mins runs a foreground VPN service, which Android normally keeps alive. Some vendors (Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, Samsung and others) still stop background apps aggressively. If the VPN drops with the screen off or after a while:

Set the battery mode for mins to “No restrictions” or “Unrestricted”.
Allow autostart and background activity for mins where the vendor has such a switch.
Pin or lock mins in the recent-apps list so “clean memory” does not close it.
Switch off data-saver for mins.

mins reconnects by itself about a second and a half after the active network changes, for example from Wi-Fi to mobile data, so a short blip while switching networks is normal.

Other messages

Tunnel start refused: the installed copy is not the official signed build; reinstall from the download page.
Android refused to establish VPN; grant VPN permission: permission was withdrawn; see VPN permission was not granted.
For anything else, see Connection failed.