To make your Android VPN respond to a Wi-Fi network, create a Tasker profile with the Wi-Fi Connected state, match the network’s SSID, and attach the connect or disconnect action supported by your VPN app. Set the state’s Active option to Any if you mean “connected to this Wi-Fi,” even when the VPN is carrying internet traffic.
How do I automatically turn my VPN on or off when I connect to Wi-Fi?
Tasker can detect a Wi-Fi connection and run a task in response. The Wi-Fi state can match an access point by its SSID—the network name—and optionally by MAC address or IP address. See Tasker’s Wi-Fi Connected state reference for the available match fields.
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- Create a profile: In Tasker, add a profile and choose State, then Net, then Wi-Fi Connected. Enter the SSID of the network that should trigger the rule. Add MAC or IP criteria only if you need to narrow the match.
- Choose the Active setting: Set Active to Any if the rule should match Wi-Fi association regardless of whether Wi-Fi is the active internet route. Choose Yes only if Wi-Fi must be the default route.
- Attach a task: Create or select the task that invokes your VPN client’s connect action. The action and any required fields depend on the client; do not assume one app’s Tasker integration works with another.
- Set what happens when Wi-Fi disconnects: If you want the VPN to turn off when leaving that network, configure the profile’s exit task with the client’s supported disconnect action. If you instead want the VPN to remain on, do not add a disconnect action.
A Wi-Fi connection rule can only control the VPN if the selected client exposes an automation method that Tasker can invoke. OpenVPN Connect is one documented example, not a guarantee of support in every VPN app.
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Tasker’s Active: Yes condition requires Wi-Fi to be the default route for internet traffic. A VPN can make Wi-Fi inactive by taking over the default route, even though the phone remains associated with the Wi-Fi access point. Tasker recommends Active: Any when the intended condition is simply that the device is connected to that Wi-Fi network.
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This distinction matters for a rule such as “connect the VPN on home Wi-Fi.” If the profile only matches Wi-Fi as the active route, activating the VPN may cause the profile condition to stop matching. Use Any for network association; use Yes when the route itself is part of the condition.
How do I make Tasker connect my VPN when I leave home Wi-Fi?
A profile for home Wi-Fi naturally becomes inactive when the phone disconnects from that access point. To connect the VPN after leaving home, configure an exit task that calls the VPN client’s connect action. Conversely, if the goal is to protect traffic only while at home, use a connect action on entry and a disconnect action on exit. Make these choices explicit: an exit event does not inherently mean “disconnect the VPN.”
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Tasker’s state detects the Wi-Fi condition; the VPN app determines which actions and authentication flows are available. Confirm that the client’s integration supports both the desired connect and disconnect operations before building a rule around them.
OpenVPN Connect: a documented Tasker integration
OpenVPN’s official instructions cover Tasker integration for OpenVPN Connect for Android version 3.3.2 and newer. The connect action uses the ID of an imported profile, and the documentation also describes a disconnect action. Follow OpenVPN’s Tasker integration guide for the exact action setup and profile-ID requirements.
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Autonomous connection depends on authorization and credentials. OpenVPN says Tasker can launch a connection without further user input when the profile requires no additional authorization or the user has already saved the connectivity credentials in Connect. Otherwise, the user is prompted to authenticate. An automation rule therefore may work only after you complete a first-run permission or login step.
How to check whether the automation worked
- In Tasker, use the VPN Connected state to detect whether a VPN network is connected. See Tasker’s VPN Connected reference.
- Check Android’s VPN indicator while the connection is active. Google documents the indicator and VPN controls in its Android VPN help.
- Test both entry and exit behavior: connect to the matched SSID, then disconnect from it, and confirm the intended action occurs in each case.
Tasker rules versus Android Always-on VPN
Tasker rules and Android’s Always-on VPN solve different problems. A Tasker profile offers a chosen Wi-Fi trigger and can ask a compatible client to connect or disconnect. Always-on VPN is an Android system setting that manages the VPN service lifecycle; the VPN app still has to connect to its gateway. Android’s developer guidance says Always-on VPN is available from Android 7.0 (API 24). See Android’s VPN developer guide.
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| Approach | What triggers or controls it | Key limitation or trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Tasker Wi-Fi profile | A Wi-Fi state such as a matching SSID triggers a client-specific task. | Requires a VPN client with an automation action and may require saved credentials or user authorization. |
| Android Always-on VPN | Android manages the VPN service lifecycle; the VPN app connects to its gateway. | It is not a per-SSID Tasker rule. The option may not appear when VPN is configured through an app. |
| Block connections without VPN (lockdown) | Android blocks traffic that does not pass through the VPN. | Apps excluded from the VPN may lose network access when non-VPN traffic is blocked. |
Google notes that the Always-on option may not be available for VPNs set up through an app. Settings names and locations vary by Android device, so search Settings for “VPN” if the documented controls do not match your phone. Before enabling lockdown or blocking traffic outside the tunnel, consider what should happen when the VPN cannot connect: Android warns that apps excluded from VPN routing can lose access under that configuration. See Android’s Always-on VPN and lockdown guidance.
Limits that can affect reliability
- Only one active VPN service: Android allows one active VPN service per user or profile. Starting a new service stops the existing one, according to Android’s VpnService documentation. A Tasker action that starts another VPN can therefore replace the current connection.
- First-use authorization: Android’s VPN API checks authorization with
VpnService.prepare(); if approval is needed, the system displays a permission activity. A rule may need user interaction before it can connect. - Background behavior: Android 8.0 (API 26) and newer impose background-service constraints on VPN apps, including supported services transitioning to foreground operation. The VPN client and device’s Android implementation affect whether automation remains reliable in the background.
For Android’s platform details on VPN authorization and background-service requirements, consult the Android VPN developer guide.
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