Mullvad is about to take away make stronger for OpenVPN in six months – here is why

• Mullvad will take away OpenVPN make stronger from January 15, 2026
• The transfer comes because the VPN supplier seems to be to prioritize WireGuard
• Mullvad has additionally introduced the coming of in-app updates for Windows and Mac

Mullvad, the Sweden-based VPN supplier identified for its sturdy privateness focal point and flat-rate pricing, will quickly be casting off OpenVPN make stronger in want of WireGuard.

The trade will take impact on January 15, 2026, offering current Mullvad subscribers with time to make the transfer prior to OpenVPN servers and make stronger are got rid of.

Already the default protocol for all Mullvad apps, WireGuard is hired through most of the best VPN services on the market.

“We are casting off make stronger for OpenVPN solely on fifteenth January 2026, in six months time. OpenVPN servers will likely be totally got rid of in this date, and make stronger for it inside of our app will disappear,” wrote the supplier in an announcement shared on X.

With Mullvad’s Android and iOS apps already supporting WireGuard solely, the transition best affects desktop customers who will obtain reminders inside of Mullvad’s Windows, Mac, and Linux apps.

Mullvad has reminded subscribers to regulate current OpenVPN configurations to keep away from attainable interruptions to the carrier.

Although the inside track might come as a wonder, Mullvad co-founder Fredrik Strömberg wrote that “WireGuard is the future” as early as 2017.

Why WireGuard?

A VPN protocol is a set of rules and algorithms that dictate how your device encrypts, tunnels, and transports internet traffic through a VPN server.

WireGuard, a newer VPN protocol first launched in 2016, has been adopted by major VPN providers including Surfshark, IPVanish, and Proton VPN. NordLynx, the proprietary protocol of NordVPN, uses a custom implementation of WireGuard.

Mullvad’s decision to drop OpenVPN marks a significant shift, as most VPN providers still offer multiple protocols for flexibility across networks and devices. As Jan Jonsson, Mullvad CEO, told TechRadar’s Chiara Castro in November 2024, less than 7% of Mullvad users are using OpenVPN.

“By moving to a single protocol, we will be able to focus our resources where they can make a difference”, said Mullvad in a November 2024 blog post.

WireGuard has simply 4,000 strains of code, in comparison to greater than 70,000 strains for OpenVPN. Mullvad has praised WireGuard’s easy design, which, apart from making for more straightforward integration of latest options, lets in for quicker speeds. This doesn’t come at the price of safety both, with Mullvad mentioning WireGuard’s “state-of-the-art cryptography.”

Such is its trust in WireGuard, Mullvad made “a sizable donation” in 2017 to make stronger the open-source protocol’s building. To make issues more straightforward for subscribers having a look to make the transfer, Mullvad’s web site supplies guides on the way to use WireGuard.

Keeping up with Mullvad’s updates is now easier than ever

Mullvad’s decision to retire OpenVPN and fully focus on WireGuard isn’t its only recent change. The VPN provider has also announced in-app updates for desktop.

Instead of getting to discuss with Mullvad’s web site to obtain and set up the newest updates, Windows and macOS customers can now view and obtain them at once throughout the app, making it faster and more straightforward than ever to stick up-to-date.

Mullvad states that Linux customers too can get pleasure from computerized updates by way of its Linux app repositories and gives directions to make the method more uncomplicated.

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