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Opening the app, seeing a VPN icon, and loading a web page on your phone are three different outcomes. On first use, check installation, the subscription, and connectivity separately. Focus on battery and background permissions only when connectivity already works and fails after the screen locks, rather than redoing every setting for a problem at one stage.
arm64-v8a and universal: choosing an Android package
Download the current *.apk from the Releases page of the official FlClash repository, chen08209/FlClash. Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux builds share the same page; *.exe, *.dmg, and *.deb are not Android packages.
Common architecture labels for Android builds are:
- arm64-v8a: commonly used by recent 64-bit Android phones.
- universal: a larger package. If you are unsure of the architecture, choose this official build or use a device information tool to check the ABI.
Before downloading, check the Android version under Settings → About phone and read the Release notes. Asset names can change between versions, so a full filename from an older guide is not a permanent selection rule.
Files renamed on third-party file-sharing sites cannot be matched to the official release notes, so they are not suitable for determining whether FlClash itself has a problem.
Installing an APK and starting a VPN require separate permissions
After the APK opens, Android asks separately for installation-source permission and VPN connection permission. You can revoke the first after use; grant the second only when FlClash actually starts its service.
Installation process
Allow installation from this source
When Android blocks the APK, temporarily grant installation permission only to the browser or file manager you are using.
Finish installation and open it once
Confirm that the FlClash home screen opens, then revoke the “Install unknown apps” permission.
After installation, import the subscription
The next section covers subscription import. Start FlClash after activating the configuration and grant VPN permission when Android asks. You do not need to start the service yet.
A subscription name does not mean the profile is active
Paste the complete HTTPS address on the Profiles or subscriptions screen and save it. A name in the list means only that the client stored the link. The remote content has downloaded and parsed under the current core only after a manual update shows an update time, policy groups, and nodes.
Next, make this Profile current and pin one node in the primary selection group. For the first test, do not also enable overrides, automatic switching, and custom DNS. If the browser fails, you can then inspect the domain, rule, and outbound route directly on the connections screen.
One complete import
Save the link
Give the subscription a local name that identifies its source without exposing the token in the URL.
Update manually
Record the HTTP status, update time, and first parsing error.
Set it as the current Profile
Before returning to the home screen, confirm that the current configuration name changed.
Pin a node and start
Accept the Android VPN request, then open one direct-access site and one target site.
APK installation failures, subscription update errors, and connection loss after startup
If it still does not work at this point, inspect the first explicit on-screen error. The step where it appears tells you whether to return to the installer, subscription, or connection settings instead of trying every toggle again.
There was a problem parsing the package / This app is incompatible with your device
Recheck the Android version, ABI, and whether the APK downloaded completely; do not change the subscription or DNS.
App not installed
Determine whether the old version came from a different signing source. Back up its configuration before deciding whether to uninstall the conflicting version; do not overwrite it directly.
Update reports 401 / 403
The link credential is invalid or access is denied; return to the provider panel and obtain the address again.
Invalid YAML / unsupported type
The content downloaded, but its format or proxy type is not accepted by the current Mihomo version.
Nodes exist, but every App loses connectivity after startup
Stop the FlClash service first to restore networking, then inspect the selected node, DNS, and first connection error.
The browser works, but one App does not
Look for requests from that App on the connections screen. If none appear, check that the FlClash VPN is still running and whether per-app settings exclude it from the VPN. If records exist, inspect the rules, node, and error instead.
When the connection drops after locking the screen, does the VPN icon disappear too?
Lock the phone for five to ten minutes, then inspect the foreground notification and system VPN icon. If both disappear and connectivity returns immediately after reopening FlClash, the system likely suspended the background process; the subscription did not coincidentally fail while the screen was locked.
Menu labels vary by system version and vendor skin. Common paths include “App info → Battery” or “Battery → App battery management.” Set FlClash to unrestricted and allow background activity and background data. Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, and other systems may also provide separate autostart or background-launch restrictions. Enable only settings that actually exist; do not copy every step from another brand.
Symptom and setting to inspect
| Symptom | Check first |
|---|---|
| VPN icon disappears after the screen locks | Battery optimization, background activity, and autostart |
| VPN icon remains, but web pages time out | Node, DNS, rules, and connection logs |
| Connection does not recover after switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data | Android VPN reconnection and always-on VPN settings |
| FlClash closes automatically when another VPN starts | Android can maintain only one system VPN at a time |
Checking connections after rebooting, locking the screen, and stopping the service
Restart the phone once and check that the Profile, VPN permission, and background settings are retained and still work after startup.
Checks after restarting and locking the screen
- Open FlClash; the current Profile and policy-group selection still exist
- After starting the service, the system VPN icon appears and the connections screen shows the test domain
- The foreground notification remains after ten minutes with the screen locked, and reopening a web page does not require restarting the app
- You can disconnect manually from the system VPN screen, and normal networking returns immediately after closing FlClash