Set up the NetOz VPN on Android with WireGuard

This guide shows you how to connect an Android phone or tablet, such as a Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel, to your organisation's NetOz managed VPN. Setup takes about a minute with the official WireGuard app and the QR code on your personal setup page.

Before you start

• Find the setup email NetOz sent you on behalf of your organisation. The subject starts with the name of your VPN, followed by "set up" and the device name.
• Check that the link is for this Android device. Each device has its own link. If two devices are set up from the same link, neither will stay connected.
• The quickest way is to open the setup link on a computer or another screen so you can scan the QR code with your phone.

Step 1 Install WireGuard from Google Play

Open the Google Play Store, search for WireGuard and install the free app from WireGuard Development Team. This is the official app linked from wireguard.com/install.

Step 2 Open your setup link on another screen

Open the setup email on a computer or tablet and select the link. Your setup page shows:

• An On a phone section with a QR code.
• An On a computer section with a download button.
• A What you'll be able to reach list of the networks carried by the VPN.

If you see This link is no longer valid, the device or your access has been removed or replaced. Ask your administrator for a new link.

Step 3 Scan the QR code

Open WireGuard on your Android device and tap the + button in the bottom corner. Choose Scan from QR code. Allow camera access if asked, then point the camera at the QR code on your setup page.

WireGuard asks you to give the tunnel a name. Choose something short you will recognise, such as your organisation's name, and tap Create tunnel.

Step 4 Turn the VPN on

Tap the switch next to the new tunnel. The first time, Android shows a Connection request asking whether WireGuard may set up a VPN connection. Tap OK.

A key icon appears in the status bar while the VPN is on. Tap the tunnel name to see details. After a few seconds, a recent Latest handshake time and increasing transfer figures show you are connected to the NetOz VPN server.

Step 5 Check you can reach work systems

Open the internal app, website or file share your organisation uses over the VPN. If it loads, you are all set.

Only one device? Import the file instead

If you can only open the setup email on the Android device itself, you cannot scan a QR code shown on the same screen. Instead:

1. On the setup page, tap the Download button in the On a computer section. The .conf file is saved to your Downloads.
2. In WireGuard, tap + and choose Import from file or archive.
3. Select the downloaded .conf file, then switch the tunnel on as in Step 4.

Delete the downloaded file afterwards. It contains your device's private key.

How the NetOz VPN behaves on Android

Split tunnel. Only traffic to the networks listed under What you'll be able to reach goes through the VPN. Your normal browsing, apps, streaming and calls use your usual Wi-Fi or mobile data, and your public IP address does not change for them. The key icon shows whenever the tunnel is on, even though most traffic is not using it.

Keeping it connected. The configuration sends a small keep-alive every 25 seconds while the tunnel is on, which helps it stay connected as you move between Wi-Fi and mobile data. If your phone's battery optimisation closes WireGuard in the background, open Settings, find WireGuard under Apps and set its battery use to unrestricted.

Always-on VPN is optional. Android lets you mark a VPN as always-on in Settings > Network & internet > VPN. Avoid Block connections without VPN: the NetOz VPN only carries work networks, so that option is not needed and can stop other apps working if the tunnel drops.

DNS stays the same. NetOz configurations do not change your DNS servers. If a company hostname does not load, try the IP address your administrator gave you.

Leave the settings alone. NetOz chooses settings such as the MTU so the tunnel works reliably. Editing the tunnel in WireGuard can stop it working.

When things change

• The setup page says the network changed: your organisation has updated the VPN. Delete the old tunnel in WireGuard, then scan the QR code again from the same link.
• New phone: ask your administrator to add it as a new device so it gets its own link, and to remove the old phone.
• Reinstalled WireGuard: open your original setup link and scan the code again. The link keeps working for as long as the device is active.

Next steps

• Troubleshooting the NetOz WireGuard VPN
• Set up the NetOz VPN on iPhone and iPad
• Set up the NetOz VPN on Windows