- Mullvad removes OpenVPN support from its desktop apps
- Full shutdown of OpenVPN planned for January 15, 2026
- Mullvad claims this change will improve performance and security
Mullvad has officially removed OpenVPN support from its desktop apps with the release of version 2025.14 – an important step in its long-planned transition to a WireGuard-only future.
With this change, users can no longer select OpenVPN in the Mullvad VPN app, and anyone still relying on the old protocol will have to stay on version 2025.13 for the time being.
OpenVPN servers aren’t going away yet. However, Mullvad says they will be completely shut down in January 2026. This gives desktop users, routers, and external VPN clients some time before the protocol stops working completely.
The update finalizes a transition first announced by Mullvad last year, closing the door on OpenVPN after more than a decade.
What’s changing in the Mullvad desktop app
With the new update 2025.14, the The OpenVPN protocol option has been completely removed from Mullvad’s desktop settings. Anyone who previously selected the OpenVPN option will now be automatically migrated to WireGuard, with no action required in the majority of cases.
However, some users may experience issues during the transition. If you were connected to an OpenVPN-only server or if you created a custom location list containing only OpenVPN endpoints, your connection may suddenly fail until you manually choose a new location. OpenVPN servers also no longer appear in custom lists.
Our latest desktop version, 2025.14, removes support for OpenVPN entirely. If you rely on OpenVPN, you should stay on 2025.13 until OpenVPN servers shut down in January 2026. Learn more here: https://t.co/qxXLay0IeXDecember 10, 2025
The change goes beyond the desktop app. External VPN clients, scripts, and routers configured with Mullvad’s OpenVPN profiles will stop working once the remaining OpenVPN servers are shut down on January 15. Mullvad also warned that the option to generate new OpenVPN configuration files could be removed even sooner.
For those who rely on OpenVPN-specific tweaks like Mssfix to control packet sizes, Mullvad recommends instead adjusting WireGuard’s MTU settings, found at the bottom of the VPN settings menu.
What’s next for Mullvad VPN?
For most Mullvad users, the switch from OpenVPN to WireGuard should be smooth. The app will migrate everyone automatically, and it’s unlikely anyone on a typical home network will notice, except for improved speeds and a reduced number of protocol options.
However, users working in more restrictive environments may need to manually adjust Mullvad’s anti-censorship settings. Options like UDP-over-TCP or Shadowsocks are designed to mimic OpenVPN behavior and can help restore connectivity where WireGuard’s default settings fail. The greatest impact will be felt by experienced users who may need to make manual adjustments.
Mullvad sees this change as a necessary step towards a cleaner, faster, more censorship-resistant service – a service that has been in the works for a while.
While WireGuard now offers comparable obfuscation features, as well as significantly better security and performance, the retirement of OpenVPN now allows the company to simplify its infrastructure and focus on a single modern protocol.
By early 2026, Mullvad will be fully equipped with Wireguard, completing the transition the company has been preparing for since 2017.
