Mullvad VPN rolls out QUIC obfuscation for Android and iOS

After bringing its QUIC obfuscation protocol to WireGuard on desktop platforms on September 9, Mullvad VPN has now also made it available on its iOS and Android apps.

It’s worth noting that Mullvad will automatically switch to QUIC after several failed connection attempts, but you can configure your mobile VPN app to always use QUIC by going to your device’s Settings → VPN Settings → Wireguard obfuscation → QUIC.

How does QUIC work?

QUIC works by masking your VPN traffic as regular internet traffic, making it virtually impossible for sophisticated censorship systems and firewalls to find out that you’re using a VPN.

The feature was developed for highly censored regions such as China, Russia, and Turkey, which often throttle or block VPN connections.

Under the hood, QUIC is a VPN protocol built on UDP, originally developed by Google as a replacement for TCP in HTTP/2. What makes it so ideal for obfuscation is its resistance to packet loss and built-in multiplexing, meaning it can carry multiple data streams simultaneously.

Mullvad uses the MASQUE standard to tunnel its WireGuard UDP traffic through an HTTP/3 connection, making VPN traffic far more difficult to detect or block.

Now, QUIC can also recover from packet loss faster than TCP – while also minimizing latency. This makes it an ideal sidekick that improves performance on unstable mobile networks, especially in regions that experience buggy or unreliable networks.

Mullvad joins NordVPN and Proton VPN in the fight against censorship

An increasing number of the best VPNs are now starting to put in the extra yards to fight censorship and restrictions. Mullvad’s latest update is, in fact, similar to NordVPN’s NordWhisper and Proton VPN’s Stealth Protocol.

All these features serve the same purpose – fight censorship by making VPN traffic undetectable by masking it as HTTP. To the uninitiated, HTTP isn’t blocked by most censorship authorities, since it would make a large chunk of the internet inaccessible. Mullvad’s QUIC (and other similar protocols) takes advantage of this to slip past existing restrictions.

All in all, QUIC is yet another step forward by Mullvad in its mission to maintain its position as one of the most private VPNs. It already boasts a strict no-logs policy and a unique DAITA (Defense Against AI-guided Traffic Analysis) feature, plus it’ one of the few providers to accept payments in cash.