{"article":{"id":46565580686619,"url":"https://piavpnsupport.zendesk.com/api/v2/help_center/en-us/articles/46565580686619.json","html_url":"https://helpdesk.privateinternetaccess.com/hc/en-us/articles/46565580686619-Troubleshooting-High-Ping-Latency","author_id":18738476706459,"comments_disabled":true,"draft":false,"promoted":false,"position":0,"vote_sum":0,"vote_count":0,"section_id":46863324869787,"created_at":"2026-02-12T04:48:10Z","updated_at":"2026-08-03T17:13:14Z","name":"Troubleshooting High Ping/Latency","title":"Troubleshooting High Ping/Latency","source_locale":"en-us","locale":"en-us","outdated":false,"outdated_locales":[],"edited_at":"2026-07-06T16:26:24Z","user_segment_id":null,"permission_group_id":47853597986715,"content_tag_ids":[],"label_names":[],"body":"

High ping or latency usually happens when data packets take too long to travel across the VPN connection, often due to packet loss or unstable connections.

If you experience connection issues with PIA VPN, you have a few troubleshooting options:

Read on to learn how to manage these settings on your device. Try the fixes one by one and check if your latency improves before moving to the next option.

Jump To...

 

Switch PIA VPN Servers

Follow these steps to find and switch to a faster location.

On Windows/macOS/Linux

  1. Click VPN Server on the main dashboard. You’ll see a list of available options organized by latency in milliseconds (ms). 
\"PIA
  1. Select one of the servers closest to your location with a lower ms number.
\"PIA
  1. Click the power button to connect.
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On Android/iOS

You must be disconnected from the VPN before proceeding. The app can’t update server latency figures while the VPN is running. Next:

    \n
  1. Tap Selected VPN Location on the main dashboard.
    2. \n
  2. Find and select a lower-latency server from the list. You’ll be connected automatically.
    3. \n

Change the VPN Protocol

WireGuard is usually a better option for gaming and streaming. It has a lighter codebase to reduce CPU processing delays. It also uses the UDP protocol by default, which prioritizes packet speed.

On Windows/macOS/Linux

  1. Click the menu icon (⋮) and open Settings.\n
\"Main
  1. Go to the Protocols tab and select WireGuard.\n

\"PIA

On Android/iOS

Follow these steps if your app isn’t using WireGuard by default:

    \n
  1. Tap the menu button (☰) in the top left corner.
    2. \n
  2. Go to Settings > Protocols.\n
    3. \n
  3. Tap Protocol Selection and choose WireGuard.\n
    4. \n

Enable Small Packet Sizes

Sometimes, larger packets may split mid-transit or need to be resent, which can slow down your connection. Here’s how to use smaller packets.

On Windows/macOS/Linux

  1. Go to Settings > Protocols and open the dropdown menu under MTU.\n

\"PIA

  1. Click Small Packets.\n

\"How
 

On Android/iOS

You can find this setting under the same Settings > Protocols tab, below Protocol Selection.

Tap Use Small Packets to enable it. The toggle should turn green.

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