Frequently asked questions

Blakcat sets up an encrypted connection between your device and our own servers. Your traffic is encrypted before it leaves the device, so whoever runs the network you're on, and anyone else on the same Wi-Fi, can't see what you visit.

With smart routing on, local sites connect directly with no detour, and only the rest goes through the encrypted tunnel — speed and privacy together.

Yes. We will always offer free servers: create a free account and you're in. There are no ads in the app.

The free plan has no data cap and no time limit; only the speed is limited. It's enough for browsing, messaging and standard-quality video, while 4K video and large downloads will be slow. A free account works on 1 device at a time and uses the free servers only.

If you watch a lot of HD video or need several devices at once, upgrade to a paid plan.

Paid servers cover countries and regions across Asia (Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and more), North America, Europe and Oceania; the Locations page in the app shows the current list. Free, Plus and Premium each have their own tab there.

If the country you need isn't listed, tell us in the app — we add locations based on demand.

In most countries and regions, using encryption to protect your privacy is legal, though some places restrict it. Please use Blakcat in line with the laws where you are.

1. Devices at a time: 4 on Plus, 10 on Premium;
2. Servers: Plus gets every Plus server; Premium gets every Plus and Premium server, plus 10+ residential IP locations;
3. Premium also includes 1 Dedicated Server or 1 Dedicated Residential IP (one or the other, you choose the country, while places last);
4. Neither has speed caps with fair use, and both route calls, video and games over the low-latency path.

Plus is plenty for video and AI tools. Premium is for when you need a fixed or residential IP, for example for cross-border e-commerce or running social media accounts. See the plans on the home page for prices.

There's no speed cap with fair use. Real-world speed depends mostly on the distance between you and the server and on the route at the time, far more than on whether your home line is 500 Mbps or 1 Gbps. Nearby servers have lower latency and are steadier; Premium's residential IP servers are slower than the regular ones.

If a device is left downloading large amounts for long stretches, it is slowed down so everyone else's connection keeps working; normal browsing, video and AI use are not affected. If you have a specific need for heavy data use, contact support and we'll work out a solution with you.

Premium members choose one:

1. Dedicated Server: used by your account alone, with its own bandwidth — fast, low-latency and steady; good for video, games, calls and large downloads. Its IP belongs to a data center, which a few sites with strict risk checks can tell;
2. Dedicated Residential IP: you go out through a local home-broadband IP, which suits running social media accounts or cross-border e-commerce where a clean IP matters. It's slower than a dedicated server and not meant for heavy downloading.

To request one: on the Locations page, open the Premium tab, find Dedicated, choose the type and country, and tap Request. It's usually ready within 24 hours.

The subscription page in the app shows what's available to you. Currently:

• bank cards (credit and debit);
• USDT (BEP20 and TRC20);
• Alipay, for prices in Chinese yuan.

Your plan is activated automatically once the payment goes through, usually within seconds.

1. Send on the network you chose for the order: USDT (BEP20) only on BNB Smart Chain, to an address starting with 0x; USDT (TRC20) only on Tron, to an address starting with T. A transfer on any other network won't arrive;
2. The amount received must equal the amount shown on the page, so add the transfer fee on top;
3. The address is yours only while the order's countdown runs. If it runs out, place a new order and don't send anything more to the old address.

If you've sent a payment and it hasn't arrived, contact support in the app with the transaction hash (TxID).

No. Every payment is one-off; renew by hand when your plan ends. Renewing the same plan adds the time after your current end date, so nothing you've paid for is lost.

You don't have to wait for it to run out. Switching mid-plan converts the time you have left: 1 day of Plus becomes 0.5 days of Premium, and 1 day of Premium becomes 2 days of Plus. The subscription page shows the converted days before you pay.

Your invite code is under Account → Share in the app. A new user who enters it when signing up (it's optional) gets an extra third of the time on their first purchase of any plan — buy 3 months, get 1 more — added automatically once the payment goes through.

1 on Free, 4 on Plus and 10 on Premium, all signed in to the same account on any platform.

To move to a new device when you've hit the limit, sign out on the old one. If you no longer have it (lost, reset or reinstalled), remove it from another signed-in device under Account → Security → Devices, or sign in at blakcat.app in a browser and remove it under Devices.

On the app's sign-in screen, tap Forgot password?, enter the email you signed up with, then enter the code we email you and set a new password. After a reset, every device needs to sign in again with the new password.

In the app, go to Account → Security → Delete Account and confirm with your current password. The account stops working right away and is permanently deleted after 30 days; this can't be undone once submitted.

Pick your platform on the download page, install, sign in, choose a server and tap connect. That's it.

Windows and Android are direct downloads; on iOS, Blakcat currently installs through TestFlight; macOS is coming soon.

You don't need a redeem code or a different App Store region:

1. Install Apple's TestFlight app from the App Store;
2. In your iPhone's browser, open the download page at blakcat.app and tap the iOS download;
3. TestFlight opens: tap Accept, then Install.

If you open TestFlight directly and it asks for a redeem code, skip it and use the link on the download page instead (step 2). iOS 16 or later is required.

• iPhone: updates come through TestFlight, not inside the app. TestFlight notifies you of a new version; open it, find Blakcat and tap Update. You can turn on automatic updates there too;
• Android: when the app offers a new version, tap Update now, then Install now once it has downloaded;
• Windows: new versions download in the background; when the app says the new version is ready, tap Install now.

If you see no prompt or the update fails, download the latest version from the download page and install it over the old one. Your account and plan stay as they are.

The Mac version is on its way and will appear on the download page when it's ready. TVs, TV boxes, routers and browser extensions aren't supported yet.

At the bottom of the download page, “Don't see your platform?” lets you vote; we build the most-requested platforms first.

Smart routing decides how each connection should go: local sites and services connect directly, and only traffic to other regions goes through the encrypted tunnel. Local video and apps stay fast, and services abroad work without switching anything by hand.

Choose which region connects directly under Account → Settings → Smart Routing → Direct region. To send all traffic through Blakcat, turn off Enable smart routing.

Sites in other regions are protected by Blakcat's encryption either way. The difference is the traffic that connects directly (sites in your chosen direct region, and BitTorrent-style downloads):

• With smart routing on, that traffic skips Blakcat. It's fast, but the site sees your real IP;
• With smart routing off, everything goes through Blakcat and your local network can't see which sites you visit, but local sites get slower and a few may limit what they show to visitors from abroad.

At home, leaving it on is usually best; on public Wi-Fi in airports or cafés, you can turn it off.

Yes, with Custom Rules: go to Account → Settings → Custom Rules, tap Add rule, enter the site's domain (example.com also covers all its subdomains) and pick how it connects:

1. Through Blakcat: always through Blakcat, with the usual security filtering (blocking malicious sites and ads);
2. Through Blakcat, unfiltered: through Blakcat but without the security filtering, for a legitimate site that gets blocked by mistake;
3. Direct: skips Blakcat and uses your own connection. It isn't protected by Blakcat, and the site sees your real IP;
4. Block: the site won't open while Blakcat is connected.

Rules take priority over smart routing, you can have up to 100, and they're saved on that device only. Custom Rules are for Plus and Premium members and need version 1.1.6 or later, on Android, iPhone and Windows.

Latency comes down mostly to physical distance, so the region closest to you is usually the fastest and steadiest. If you're not sure, test a few nearby servers (for example at speed.cloudflare.com) and keep the one with the lowest latency.

Pick a server in a specific region when you need content that's only available there.

Yes. Once connected, YouTube, Netflix, Disney+ and other major streaming services work as usual, showing the content of the server's region.

For smooth HD playback, we recommend Plus or above.

Sign in to your Google account in YouTube and play it again — in the app or on the web, on the free plan too. Android phones need Google Play services.

1. Try another server: some AI services don't support Hong Kong and a few other regions, so pick one in Japan, the US or similar;
2. On iPhone, turn off Connectivity Assist under Settings → Wi-Fi (on older iOS it's Wi-Fi Assist, under Cellular). Otherwise some connections bypass the VPN and the site still sees your local network;
3. Members can add a Custom Rule setting the site to Through Blakcat.

No VPN can guarantee a sign-up will go through. Platforms weigh many signals and the IP is only one of them; some services also check your phone's region, time zone or SIM card, so a new IP alone may not be enough.

1. The IPs on shared servers are used by many people at once. Signing in to and using existing accounts works fine, but new sign-ups are more likely to trigger verification or risk checks;
2. Premium's Dedicated Residential IP goes out through a local home-broadband line and does much better for sign-ups, though it still can't be guaranteed;
3. For running social media accounts or cross-border e-commerce, always sign in from the same Dedicated Residential IP and avoid switching regions often.

Yes. On paid servers, game traffic goes over the low-latency path. But we're not a dedicated gaming accelerator: for competitive games and others where latency matters most, we recommend a dedicated gaming accelerator from another provider.

Drops caused by switching networks (Wi-Fi to mobile data and back, weak signal), a server problem, or the device sleeping and waking are all handled by Blakcat itself — no setting needed. If a server has trouble, Blakcat moves to a healthy server in the same region.

These settings cover a different case: the phone's system freezing or closing Blakcat entirely in the background.

1. iPhone, Keep connected: after the system closes Blakcat (including after a restart), it starts it again automatically;
2. Android, Keep running in background: stops the system from freezing or closing Blakcat in the background;
3. Android, Always-on VPN: if Blakcat does get closed, the system brings it back, and it connects automatically after the phone starts up.

If your phone often disconnects and only reconnects once you open the app, turn on the settings for your phone.

With it on, if iOS closes Blakcat in the background (when memory runs low, for example, or after the phone restarts), the system reconnects automatically without you opening the app. If you want your phone to stay on the VPN at all times, turn it on.

1. In Blakcat, go to Account → Settings and turn on Keep connected (it's off by default);
2. If you're connected at the time, it takes effect right away; if not, from your next connection;
3. If you tap Disconnect yourself, it won't reconnect until you connect again by hand.

If you find the VPN keeps dropping and reconnecting over and over, turn this option off and let support know.

If you haven't opened the app for a long time, the automatic start may not be able to sign in. Your phone stays online in that case, just not through Blakcat; open the app and tap connect.

Turn on both; they do different jobs:

1. Keep running in background: to save battery, many phones freeze apps in the background once the screen locks or you switch apps, and a frozen Blakcat means a dropped connection. Under Account → Settings → Keep running in background, follow the prompt to exempt Blakcat from battery optimization; the effect on battery is small. Some brands have their own background manager that needs the same permission. On Xiaomi, leave the battery setting at its default and don't choose No restrictions;
2. Always-on VPN: if the system ever closes Blakcat, it reconnects automatically, and it connects on its own after the phone starts up. Under Account → Settings → Always-on VPN, tap Open system settings and turn on Always-on VPN for Blakcat.

We don't recommend Block connections without VPN in the same system screen: during the few seconds Blakcat takes to reconnect, your phone would have no internet at all.

On a phone, swiping Blakcat away from recent apps leaves the VPN connected; to disconnect, open the app and tap disconnect.

On Windows, turn on Launch at login and Connect on launch under Account → Settings to connect automatically at startup. With Keep running when closed on, closing the window doesn't disconnect either.

All traffic uses the same grade of encryption as online banking, and every server is set up and maintained by us — no resold third-party capacity.

We don't log the sites you visit, your DNS queries or your traffic content, and we never sell any data.

We don't log the sites you visit, the apps you use, your DNS queries or what you send, and our logs don't keep your IP address or connection times.

We keep what the account needs (email, devices, plan, orders), your support conversations, and when each device was in use (not what it did). Technical records for troubleshooting connections are tied only to the account and device and are deleted after 3 days. A diagnostic log is uploaded only when you tap Report problem, tap Send log in the support chat, or agree in a support chat; site names and IP addresses are removed before upload, and it's deleted after 48 hours.

See the privacy policy for details.

The path from your device to our server is encrypted: other people on the same Wi-Fi, whoever runs the Wi-Fi or your broadband, and your mobile carrier can only see that you're connected to Blakcat, not what you're doing. Public Wi-Fi is where this matters most.

The sites you visit still know what you do on them, and with smart routing on, sites in your direct region don't go through Blakcat and aren't covered.

Not in normal use: once connected, DNS lookups go through the encrypted connection too. With smart routing on, sites in your direct region don't go through Blakcat at all, which is expected.

To check, connect and open dnsleaktest.com: if none of the listed DNS servers belong to your local provider, nothing is leaking. On iPhone, turn off Connectivity Assist (Wi-Fi Assist on older iOS), which can send some connections around the VPN.

1. Make sure the app is up to date (download page);
2. Try another server;
3. Switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data and try again;
4. Quit any other VPN, accelerator or proxy app on the phone or computer;
5. When the system asks for VPN permission on connect, choose Allow.

If it still fails, tap Report problem next to the error and we'll look into it.

Usually the system has frozen Blakcat in the background, or another VPN has pushed it out (Android runs only one VPN at a time):

1. Search for “VPN” in system settings and turn off Always-on for any other VPN; don't let other VPN or accelerator apps start in the background;
2. In Blakcat, turn on Keep running in background and Always-on VPN under Account → Settings (see Reconnecting and background settings above);
3. Lock Blakcat in your recent apps; if you use a game space or game mode, add Blakcat to its allow list;
4. Open Blakcat and connect again.

1. Update to the latest version in TestFlight; newer versions fix the VPN being closed by the system when some apps make lots of connections at once;
2. In Blakcat, turn on Keep connected under Account → Settings, so it reconnects after the system closes it;
3. If it still drops, tap + → Send log in the support chat and tell us roughly when it happens.

Usually the VPN configuration saved on the phone has gone stale:

1. Open Settings → General → VPN & Device Management → VPN, tap the ⓘ next to Blakcat and choose Delete VPN;
2. Swipe Blakcat away and open it again;
3. Tap connect and allow the VPN configuration when iOS asks;
4. If it still won't connect, restart the phone or reinstall the app.

1. Fully quit any other VPN, accelerator or proxy software, especially anything running in TUN (virtual adapter) mode;
2. Restart the computer, then open Blakcat and connect;
3. Download the latest version from the download page and install it over the old one;
4. Try another network, such as your phone's hotspot;
5. If it still fails, tap Report problem next to the error, or contact support in the app.

Windows failed to create Blakcat's virtual network adapter, usually because of a conflict with another VPN's or accelerator's adapter:

1. Quit or uninstall other VPNs, accelerators and network tools;
2. Download the latest version from the download page, install it over the old one, and restart the computer;
3. If it still happens, contact support in the app and we'll walk you through clearing the conflicting adapter.

In the app, go to Account → Support → Chat with us and describe the problem; your app version and connection status are attached automatically.

Tap the + to the left of the message box:

• Send picture: send a screenshot straight to support;
• Send log: send the app's connection log so we can track the problem down (especially useful when nothing shows an error but it still doesn't work).

Pictures and logs are kept for 48 hours only. Both need version 1.1.7 or later.