Joining public WiFi while on Mozilla VPN

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  • Revision id: 223301
  • Created:
  • Creator: Michele Rodaro
  • Comment: Because of {for win/android}, reading the article on Mac desktop, the "VPN is off" link redirects me to the Android article. Added list with links to desktop/android/ios specific articles. Feel free to approve or reject ;)
  • Reviewed: Yes
  • Reviewed:
  • Reviewed by: Fabi.L
  • Is approved? Yes
  • Is current revision? No
  • Ready for localization: No
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When you connect to public WiFi (like at an airport or cafe) you will usually see a web page asking you to agree to certain terms and conditions. This web page is called a captive portal.

Sometimes, the captive portal doesn’t appear when Mozilla VPN is on. Turning the VPN off while you connect to WiFi, then turning VPN on when you’ve connected should work in this case. You’ll see a notification to turn the VPN off when you’re attempting to connect to WiFi. Click on the notification to turn the VPN off. After you’ve completed the captive portal and connected to WiFi, you’ll see a notification reminding you to turn the VPN back on. Just click on the notification to turn VPN back on.

If you don’t see any notifications, just follow these steps:

Before connecting to WiFi - Turn VPN off

  1. Open Mozilla VPN and tap the switch to turn it off. When the switch turns grey, the VPN is off.
  2. Complete the captive portal.
  3. Connect to WiFi.

Depending on your device, see these articles for more information:

After connecting to WiFi - Turn VPN on

Once you’ve successfully connected to WiFi, turn Mozilla VPN on to protect your connection.

  1. Open Mozilla VPN and tap the switch to turn it on (it will turn green when it’s on.)
  2. Browse the Web or connect to apps knowing your connection is protected.