Most VPN companies tell you their apps are fast and secure. Proton is doing something rarer: admitting its current codebase has hit a wall. That kind of honesty is worth paying attention to, especially when the fix involves a ground-up rebuild of how its apps actually move your data.
Proton announced the rollout of a new client-side VPN protocol codebase, now available in beta across Windows, Android, iOS, iPadOS, and its Linux GUI app. They’re calling it Proton Protocols, and it replaces the existing VPN core that has, by the company’s own admission, started to limit what the apps can do.
What a VPN protocol actually does
Before getting into what’s new, it helps to understand what’s changing. A VPN protocol is the set of rules that controls how your device connects to a VPN server, how your traffic gets encrypted, and how that connection stays alive when you switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data or briefly lose signal.
In practical terms, a weak protocol means dropped connections, slower speeds, and in repressive environments, easier detection by network censors. So when Proton says it’s replacing its protocol codebase, this isn’t a cosmetic update. It touches the core of what a VPN actually does for you.
What’s new and why it matters for privacy
The new codebase comes with several concrete changes. On Linux, users finally get support for Stealth, Proton’s censorship-resistant protocol that was previously unavailable on that platform. That’s significant for activists, journalists, and anyone using Proton VPN in countries that actively block VPN traffic.
The update also includes improved kill switch support on iOS and iPadOS. A kill switch cuts your internet connection if the VPN drops, preventing your real IP address from being exposed. Better kill switch implementation directly means better privacy protection in real failure scenarios.
The other major item on the roadmap is post-quantum encryption. Proton lists this as planned, not live, but building it into the foundation now makes sense. Nation-state actors are already harvesting encrypted traffic today with the intent to decrypt it once quantum computers are capable enough. Getting ahead of that threat requires infrastructure that can support new cryptographic methods without another complete rebuild later.
Key features in the new codebase
- Faster and more stable connections across all supported platforms
- Stealth protocol support on Linux, bringing censorship resistance to that platform for the first time
- Advanced kill switch support on iOS and iPadOS
- Faster feature shipping across Windows, Android, iOS, iPadOS, and Linux
- Groundwork for post-quantum encryption (planned)
The beta and what comes next
Right now, Proton Protocols is available in the beta version of the app. To try it, you select “Proton Protocols” in the beta app settings. Proton is asking users to report problems through Reddit, X, or its community forum at protonmail.uservoice.com.
That’s a reasonable approach. Beta testing a core protocol codebase on a privacy tool requires users who understand the stakes. But it also puts trust back on Proton. A no-logs policy and a rebuilt protocol core are only meaningful if the implementation holds up. The company has a decent track record on independent audits, which gives some credibility here, but users should watch for those audits to extend to the new codebase once it leaves beta.
The bigger picture is this: VPNs are not standing still, and neither are the threats they defend against. Censorship systems are more sophisticated than they were five years ago. Post-quantum computing is no longer a distant theoretical concern. A VPN provider that doesn’t adapt its core infrastructure is one that quietly becomes less useful over time. Proton is at least making the right moves. Whether the execution matches the ambition is what the beta period will show.