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Setup guide

Adding a SOCKS5 proxy on Android

Android's built-in Wi-Fi proxy field does not speak SOCKS5. Getting SOCKS5 working means either an app that creates a local VPN profile, or an app with its own proxy setting.

Quick answer

You need host, port, username and password — and an app, not the Wi-Fi settings.

The proxy field under a Wi-Fi network is HTTP-only, and it is also ignored by many apps. A SOCKS5 client that registers a local VPN profile routes the whole device; Telegram and a few other apps have their own SOCKS5 settings and need no VPN profile at all.

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Route 1: an app that covers the whole device

Install a SOCKS5-capable client that creates a local VPN profile — this is how every such app on Android works, because a VPN profile is the only way to capture traffic from other apps. Add your proxy as an outbound with these four fields:

Type:     SOCKS5
Server:   your gateway host
Port:     your gateway port
Username: your proxy user
Password: your proxy password

Enable the profile and Android shows a key icon. Everything except apps that pin their own connections now leaves through the proxy.

Route 2: per-app SOCKS5, no VPN profile

Telegram has native SOCKS5 support under Settings, Data and Storage, Proxy Settings. Add the same four fields there and only Telegram uses it. This is the quickest way to prove the credentials work before you set up anything system-wide.

What the Wi-Fi proxy field is good for

HTTP proxies only, on that Wi-Fi network only, and only for apps that respect the system proxy. It never applies to mobile data. If your provider gives you an HTTP endpoint as well — IP2World's residential pool answers both HTTP(S) and SOCKS5 on the same credentials — this route works without installing anything, with those limits.

Testing it

Open any IP checker in a browser and confirm the address changed, then confirm the country is the one you asked for. If the address is unchanged, the app is not capturing traffic; if the connection fails outright, check the port is not blocked on your network before suspecting the credentials.

From a computer on the same network, this settles the credentials question in one line:

curl -x socks5h://USER:PASS@HOST:PORT https://api.ipify.org
FAQ

Android SOCKS5 questions

Can I use SOCKS5 in Android Wi-Fi settings?

No. That field is HTTP-only. SOCKS5 needs a client app, which routes traffic through a local VPN profile.

Does the Wi-Fi proxy apply to mobile data?

No. Manual proxy settings are stored per Wi-Fi network and are ignored on mobile data.

Why do some apps ignore the proxy?

Apps can open their own connections and bypass the system proxy. A client app with a VPN profile captures almost everything; the Wi-Fi field captures much less.

Do I need a rooted phone?

No. Both routes work on a stock device.

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