Mullvad help center

App under Windows says: failed to apply firewall rules...? #

This mostly happens with third party security and firewall software that blocks WFP from working correctly. The error will often show up in the daemon.log as : [talpid_core::winnet][ERROR] Initiate WFP transaction: The call timed out while waiting to acquire the transaction lock.

App says “too many simultaneous connections” when only using 1? #

This can happen if the Mullvad VPN app can't find the TAP adapter. Solution: close and, re-install the latest Mullvad VPN App. Wait 5 mins (for the connection count to clear) and then try to connect, and see if this solves the issue.

Why can’t I use the internet after closing the Mullvad app on Windows? #

Go into the "Network & Internet settings" > "Change adapter settings" and then right-click the network adapter you use to connect to the internet and select "Properties" then double-click on "Internet Protocol version 4" and set it to "Obtain DNS server address automatically" Please make sure that you are running 2020.2 or later of our Mullvad VPN app.

How do I turn on DNS leak protection in the app? #

DNS leak protection is always on. There is no option to disable it.

How do I force the Mullvad VPN app to use TCP protocol? #

If you are using the Mullvad desktop app, go to the Mullvad app settings by clicking on the gear icon in the top right corner of the app. Then select OpenVPN in the advanced settings and then go to "OpenVPN Settings" and click on TCP. If you are using a mobile phone or tablet then you can use the OpenVPN app instead, see "Other VPN software" in the Mullvad help center menu to the left.

While using the Mullvad VPN app, I can't access local shares, printers or services. What do I do? #

Open the Mullvad app settings, then click on Preferences and turn on "Local network sharing". In some cases you have to use the IP address to connect instead of the hostname. If the device is on a different subnet (IP address range) then add a static route to that in the operating system. In Android this will not work if you have enabled "Block connections without VPN" in the Android network settings.

Which country will the IP address that I get be located in? #

The Mullvad app allows you to choose. Check out our full list of VPN servers and locations.

How do I tunnel IPv6 traffic in the app? #

You can enable IPv6 communication in the Advanced settings menu.

Running Mullvad in a virtual machine drops the connection quite often. How do I fix that? #

Please make sure that your guest VM is using static IP addresses.

Can I use Mullvad without the GUI? #

Yes, by using the Mullvad command line interface. We also provide OpenVPN and WireGuard configuration files for any device that supports them.

Do you support my OS or device? #

We support Windows 10 and newer, macOS High Sierra (10.15) and newer, and Linux distributions such as Debian 10+, Ubuntu 20.04+, and the two latest Fedora releases. We also provide OpenVPN and WireGuard configuration files for any device that supports them.

I get Fatal error during driver installation. Failed to identify newly added TAP adapter. #

Please make sure that you do not have any antivirus or third party firewalls that might be blocking / restricting access for installing the TAP Adapter correctly.

How do I change the app's language? #

The language is automatically determined based on your computer's language settings. You can set the environment variable MULLVAD_LOCALE to the language you wish to use of the ones we have available:

If using Linux : MULLVAD_LOCALE=en-US ./mullvad-vpn

If using Windows you set it in: System -> Advanced system settings -> Environment Variables -> and then add a System variable called MULLVAD_LOCALE with the value of en-US for English.

If using macOS from a terminal: MULLVAD_LOCALE=en-US /Applications/Mullvad\ VPN.app/Contents/MacOS/Mullvad\ VPN

Keep in mind that you will need to restart the Mullvad VPN app for it to take effect.

Why do I get a TAP driver installation issue on Windows ? #

The error message "Fatal error during driver installation : failed to create virtual adapter: error 2" or "Fatal error during driver installation. Failed to identify newly added TAP adapter." when installing the Mullvad VPN app. This is commonly caused by firewall / internet security software, for instance Comodo, please disable them and then try installing the app again.

Why do I get a lot of connection drops after starting to download or stream content on Windows? #

This is an issue with the Windows TAP drivers, and it is seen more often when using torrents, what you can do is install the older TAP driver version 9.9.2_3 and see if that resolves the issue for you, remember to reconnect after installing it.

How do I multihop with the app? #

Activate Bridge mode to route your traffic through two servers.

Is Shadowsocks available in the app? #

Yes. By using Bridge mode you will be using the Shadowsocks proxy.

How can I circumvent censorship or get around a restrictive firewall? #

Activate Bridge mode in the app. This will make use of the Shadowsocks proxy.

Where can I find my app's local log files? #

Here's how to find openvpn.log, openvpn.old.log, daemon.log, and daemon.old.log.

Via the app
You can easily access them via the app by opening Settings > Report a Problem > View app logs.

Via your computer
Windows: C:\ProgramData\Mullvad VPN
macOS: /var/log/mullvad-vpn/
Linux: /var/log/mullvad-vpn/

Downloading the Mullvad app is slow. What can I do? #

Read about our alternative download option.

Installing Mullvad VPN app fails, what do I do ? #

If you get the error: "Fatal error during driver installation: Failed to enumerate network adapters: SetupDiOpenDevRegKey Failed" Then uninstall the TAP adapter from the system, reboot and then start the Mullvad VPN installation again.

I get the error: "Failed to create virtual adapter: error 0" when installing what to do? #

* Open regedit * Edit Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DeviceInstall\Parameters * Change DeviceInstallDisabled to 0 * Install the Mullvad VPN app * Change the value back to 1

Unable to connect under Windows 7, and Daemon.log shows Failed to determine alias of TAP adapter #

Stand Alone security updates KB4474419 and KB4490628 were released to introduce SHA-2 code sign support. Make sure you install them

What license does the Mullvad VPN app have? #

Our app is free software and all the source code is GPL-3 licensed. Read more on our open source page. However, the iOS app when distributed on the Apple App Store is licensed under the Apple App Store EULA and not GPL-3.

Using Mullvad on macOS, the app says "BLOCKING INTERNET: Unable to set system DNS server". #

This can happen when something other than Mullvad is actively updating the DNS. Try to turn Wi-Fi Calling off in the FaceTime app settings and restart the Mac. Uninstall or disable other DNS, networking and ads/website blocking apps.

I can not install Mullvad in macOS Ventura. The installation program says: "The installation failed" #

Move the Mullvad installation program to the Downloads folder, and then start it again.

I am using macOS 13 Ventura and Mullvad says "Connecting to Mullvad system service". #

Open the System Settings app and go to General > Login items. Under "Allow in the Background" you should find Amagicom. Make sure that is enabled. If it doesn't help then open the Terminal app and run this command: sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/net.mullvad.daemon.plist If it asks for a password then use your Mac login password.

I am trying to update the Mullvad app but it says "Failed to uninstall a previous version". #

Restart the computer and then install the Mullvad app again. If it doesn't help then try to temporarily uninstall your anti-virus program first, and then re-install it after having installed the Mullvad app again.

I updated the Mullvad app, when I try to connect it says "Unable to start tunnel connection." #

Try to restart the computer. If it doesn't help then reinstall the Mullvad app.

Mullvad app says that I have too many devices. How can I find which device has which device name? #

You can find the device name in the Mullvad app settings > Account. On iOS you can currently only see the WireGuard key. You can find the device name for the WireGuard key if you log in to our website here: https://mullvad.net/account/#/devices

Can I exclude Windows Store apps with Split tunneling? #

No this is not possible. Check if the app has a normal Windows installer or if you can use it in a web browser instead.

In the macOS System Settings there is a mullvad-exclusion user group. What does it do, can I delete #

Do not delete it. The mullvad-exclusion group is required for coming features. If you delete it then the Mullvad service daemon won't be able to start and you can't use the Mullvad app.