If you experience issues connecting or staying connected to Private Internet Access (PIA) servers, you may be able to resolve the issue by using a different port when connecting.
For reasons why your connection could be dropping, please read this guide.
Changing Ports in the PIA App
- Open the PIA app.
- Tap the three-line menu (☰) in the top left.
- Tap Settings.
- Next, tap Protocols.
- You can only change ports when using OpenVPN. If you are using WireGuard, tap Protocol Selection, then tap OpenVPN.
- Now, tap Transport and decide which communication protocol to use:
- UDP: Normally delivers faster speeds.
- TCP: Is usually more stable.
Note: In the PIA Android app, UDP and TCP mainly use different ports. UDP can use ports 8080, 853, 123, and 53, while TCP can use ports 80, 443, 853, and 8443.
- To change the port, tap Port and select your desired option.
- When finished, go back to the home screen and connect to PIA to see if the issue is resolved. If it persists, repeat the steps above and try a different port or communication protocol.