Using the WireGuard Protocol with PIA – Private Internet Access Support

Private Internet Access (PIA) apps offer built-in support for the lightweight WireGuard protocol.

Note: To learn more about the WireGuard protocol, read our in-depth guide.

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Which PIA Apps Offer a WireGuard Option?
How to Switch to WireGuard in the PIA Apps
How to Configure WireGuard in the PIA apps

Which PIA Apps Offer a WireGuard Option?

You can use WireGuard with the PIA apps on the following platforms:

Windows (11 and 10)
Mac (macOS 10.15+)
Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+, Mint 19+, Arch, Debian)
Android mobile devices (7.0+)
iOS (12.1+)
Android TV
Fire TV

Note: PIA does not support manual WireGuard configuration on routers. To use PIA on a router, you need to manually set up an OpenVPN connection. Refer to our router setup tutorials for more information.

How to Switch to WireGuard in the PIA Apps

To use the WireGuard protocol in the PIA apps, follow these steps:

On mobile and desktop: Navigate to Settings > Protocols.
On Android TV and Fire TV: Settings > General Settings > Protocols.

For more detailed instructions, refer to the following guides:

Note: If you switch to WireGuard while connected to a VPN server, you will have to reconnect to the VPN to apply the changes.

How to Configure WireGuard in the PIA Apps

Depending on which platform you use, you will have access to different WireGuard-related settings.

Connection Timeout

Available on: Windows, Mac, Linux

Choose how long the PIA app attempts to establish a WireGuard connection before reporting that the connection failed. You can select 30 seconds, 1 minute, or 2 minutes.

Use Small Packets

Available on: Android, iOS, Android TV, Fire TV

Reduces the size of packets sent through the WireGuard tunnel. This can help prevent connection problems on mobile networks or networks whose routers cannot reliably handle larger packets.

MTU