Android is an open-source operating system designed for mobile devices by Google. It is among the most widely used mobile operating systems, and chances are you use an Android smartphone as well. Android supports lots of applications, all available for download via the Google Play Store. Furthermore, many innovations and apps are being developed. Android is well-known for creating user-friendly interfaces. It was also one of the first operating systems to integrate smoothly with Google services. Android is highly customizable and offers control over every aspect, ranging from looks to functionality.
However, Android’s open-source nature also has its disadvantages. The code is publicly accessible and can be targeted by certain malware. Since Android is available on thousands of devices, it’s difficult for manufacturers to push out security patches. This puts your device at risk. Due to these reasons, it is a good idea to set up a proxy server for your device when browsing the internet.
Before starting - obtain proxies
We must first obtain some proxies before we start the process. Webshare provides 10 free proxies to anyone who creates an account with them. You don't even have to provide your credit card information. All you have to do is go to the Webshare website and sign up for an account. Once this is done, you will get the details of your free proxies. We’ll need these later on in the article.
How to set up a single proxy on Android?
Follow the steps given below to set up a proxy server on your Android device.
1. Access Wi-Fi Settings
First, go into your settings. Remember that your interface can be different from ours because of the different skins used by device manufacturers. But fear not, the setup is similar on Android devices. Tap on the Wi-Fi tab and connect to the Wi-Fi network where you want to use the proxy. Once you have connected, tap on the Wi-Fi name. For some other phone models tap on the settings icon next to the Wi-Fi name.
2. Configure Proxy settings
Now, you have to scroll down until you see the “Advanced Settings” option. Here, you will see the proxy drop-down. When you click on it, there will be three options, None, Manual and Auto-config.
Select the manual option. Once you select manual, you will be asked to fill in the proxy host name and the proxy port of your proxy server. Obtain the details from the proxy list in Webshare. You have 10 free proxies to select from. Select a proxy based on the country and the city. Finally, fill out the form using the details of the selected proxy. Webshare has made it easy for us to copy this information as it only requires you to click on it.
Eg: Name: proxy1, IP: 49.123.241.122, Port:4220
On some devices, you will get another option to bypass proxies for one or more websites of your choice. This option allows you to connect directly to the internet without passing through the proxy server when visiting these websites. You may use this feature when accessing trusted sites where using a proxy might cause performance issues or unnecessary complexity.
3. Authenticate proxy
In the proxy list page in Webshare, in your proxy dashboard, you can change the authentication method you want to use. The two options are “Username/Password” and “IP Authentication”. When using the Username/Password option, you will have to enter the username and the password of your proxy into your browser to continue searching the web.
Eg: Username:username, password:password
By selecting IP Authentication, you have the option to include the IP address of your Android device, which will then be granted whitelisted access. After adding it, there is no need to input your username and password in the browser for browsing.
4. Start browsing
Once you have completed the above steps, all you have to do is go to your default web browser on your device. This is because the proxy server only works on the default web browser. You can now browse the internet safely to your heart's content. Your concerns regarding data loss and malware or virus infection have now been resolved.
If you want to check whether data is being routed through a proxy server, you can visit a site like IPinfo which will show you your IP details. If it shows the proxy’s IP details, you have successfully connected to the proxy server. If it shows your computer’s IP, then there has been a problem. If so, redo the steps in the article to make sure that you have entered the correct IP details.
Conclusion
We have now come to the end of our guide on configuring proxies on Android. If you have read the entire article, you now have the knowledge to configure a proxy server for your Android device and browse securely and efficiently.
We will leave you with one more free advice. Sign up for an account on Webshare without a credit card and get access to 10 free proxies for free. Obtaining these proxies will definitely be worth your time. Therefore, make the right choice and don’t miss out on this great opportunity.
