V2Ray Beginner Setup Guide

Pick the client that matches your OS: v2rayN for Windows / macOS / Linux desktops, or v2rayNG / v2flyNG for Android (either works — they're nearly identical). You'll find every client on the download page; just grab the version that matches your device's architecture (e.g. x64, arm64).

Desktop downloads are usually portable archives — just unzip to any folder and double-click the main executable, no install wizard needed. Linux users can also double-click the .deb package to install directly. Android downloads are .apk files; if the system blocks the install, enable "Install unknown apps" in your system settings.

Before importing anything, get one of the following from your service provider:

Subscription link (recommended): a URL like https://example.com/api/v1/client/subscribe?token=xxxxxxxx that aggregates multiple nodes and stays automatically in sync as your provider updates — no manual swapping required. This is the most common and hassle-free option.

Single node link / QR code: a share link like vmess://..., vless://..., or trojan://..., or a scannable QR code — typically used when you're relying on just one fixed node. If that's all your provider gives you, you can still import and use it, though you'll need to swap it manually whenever the node changes.

The import process differs slightly between desktop and mobile clients — follow the steps for your device:

Once your nodes are imported, don't just pick one at random — running a batch speed test first will save you a lot of troubleshooting later. On desktop, select all nodes in the list and right-click "Batch Test (real connection test)"; the client will connect to each node in turn and show its latency. On mobile, look for a "Speed Test" button at the top of the list or in the bottom corner — tapping it shows latency for every node too.

After testing, pick the node with the lowest latency that's marked "available" or shown in green. Latency only reflects connection response time, not actual download speed — if latency is low but pages still won't load, the route behind that node is probably unstable, so just switch to another node with slightly higher latency but a healthy status.

Desktop: Under "System Proxy" in v2rayN's top menu, you'll usually find three modes: leave the system proxy unchanged, auto-configure via PAC (smart rule-based routing), or global system proxy (all traffic routed through the proxy). Beginners should start with "Global Proxy" to easily confirm the connection works; once you're comfortable, switch to PAC mode so sites in mainland China connect directly while everything else routes through the proxy — faster and more efficient. After choosing a mode, double-click your selected node in the list to connect; the taskbar icon will change to show the connected status.

Mobile: After selecting a node, tap the round connect button in the bottom-right corner of the main screen. The first time you connect, the system will prompt for VPN permission — tap "OK / Allow" to authorize. Once the icon shows a running state, you're connected.

Once connected, open your browser and visit any IP lookup site to confirm the displayed IP address and location now match your node's region — that means the proxy is working. An even more direct way is to try opening the site you originally wanted to access; if it loads normally, your setup is complete.

If you still can't access anything, double-check every step above (especially whether the subscription updated successfully, the system proxy mode is enabled, the node is available, and your system clock is accurate). You can also check our FAQ for more troubleshooting tips.