Using PacketStream residential proxies on Android

Treat Android’s Wi-Fi proxy setting as a Chrome-only setup. Android has no field for a proxy username and password, so Chrome asks for them. Many other apps ignore the setting or fail.

The setting applies to one Wi-Fi network at a time. Mobile data doesn’t use it.

Before you start

Copy these values from the Proxy Access page in your dashboard:

Leave Protocol on that page set to HTTP Proxy so it shows port 31112. Choosing a Location or Sticky IP adds the matching suffix to the Proxy Password for you.

Traffic sent through the proxy is billed at $1 per GB, so turn the proxy off when you finish.

Configure

On a Pixel phone, these steps follow Google’s Pixel Phone Help, which doesn’t name an Android version:

1. Open Settings > Network & internet > Internet.
2. Tap your Wi-Fi network, then tap Edit.
3. Tap Advanced options.
4. Under Proxy, tap the down arrow and choose Manual.
5. Enter proxy.packetstream.io in Proxy hostname and 31112 in Proxy port.
6. Tap Save.

On Samsung Galaxy and other phones, the menus may be named differently. Open the Wi-Fi network’s settings, find Proxy in its advanced options, choose Manual, and enter the same hostname and port.

Then open Chrome and load a page. Chrome should ask for proxy credentials. Enter your username and password.

To stop using PacketStream, set Proxy back to None and save.

Verify your exit

Open ipinfo.io in Chrome and check the IP and country.

Country targeting and sticky sessions

Keep the username unchanged and add suffixes to the password you enter at Chrome’s prompt.

• Without a session, each new connection can get a different exit, and one page load opens several connections. Use a session for logins and other multi-step browsing.
• Use only letters and digits in the session label. Everything from the first other character is dropped, so my-phone becomes my.
• A session ends after 60 minutes without a new connection. It also fails if the Packeter providing the exit disconnects; choose a new label to continue.
• To get a valid code, choose the country in the Location list on the Proxy Access page; the generated password then carries the right suffix. An unrecognized code is ignored and you can get an exit in any country, so check the country at ipinfo.io after you change it.
• If no exit is available in a recognized country, requests fail instead of using another country.

See rotation and sticky sessions and country targeting for details.

Which apps use it

Android’s proxy screen warns that the proxy is used by the browser but may not be used by other apps.

• Chrome should use the proxy and ask for your username and password.
• Other apps decide for themselves. Many ignore the setting. Apps and in-app browsers that do use it usually can’t answer a password request, so they are likely to fail or connect directly.

Why port 31112

PacketStream recommends its HTTPS endpoint on port 31111, which encrypts the connection to the gateway. Android’s Wi-Fi settings can only describe a plain HTTP proxy. Port 31111 expects an encrypted connection from the first byte, so a proxy setting pointed at it fails.

With port 31112:

• https:// sites stay encrypted end to end.
• Your username, auth key, and the hostnames you visit reach the gateway unencrypted, and so do plain http:// pages.
• Use the setup only on networks you trust. If your auth key may have been exposed, select Reset Proxy Password on the Proxy Access page.

On a computer, the Chrome and Firefox guides use port 31111 and keep that connection encrypted.

Limitations

• Android can’t store proxy credentials. Chrome prompts for them; many other apps can’t.
• The proxy applies to one Wi-Fi network. Mobile data doesn’t use it.
• The proxy carries web traffic over TCP only. Traffic over UDP, such as video calls (WebRTC), may still connect directly. Don’t rely on this setup for anonymity.

Troubleshooting

• Chrome shows no prompt and pages don’t load. Check that the hostname is proxy.packetstream.io and the port is 31112. Port 31111 doesn’t work in this setting.
• The prompt keeps coming back. Check the username and password for typos or extra spaces.
• An app stops working on this Wi-Fi network. Set Proxy back to None. Many apps can’t use a proxy that needs a password.

See proxy troubleshooting for authentication, targeting, and rotation checks.

Related

• iOS and iPadOS
• Chrome
• Endpoints and authentication
• Rotation and sticky sessions