ExpressVPN Not Connecting – 7 Step Troubleshooting Guide Nov 2023

By Sebastian Riley Leave a Comment

So sometimes, out of nowhere, your ExpressVPN app might fail to connect. If that is the case the best alternative of it is Surfshark VPN which is budget-friendly as well. No matter how many times you disconnect and reconnect, you still come across the “Unable to Connect” error message. Don’t worry though, today’s knowledge base is perfect for you. I’m going to share with you seven (7) easy troubleshooting steps for ExpressVPN not connecting to get this VPN back up and running.

7 Easy troubleshooting steps

Now, as you go along the troubleshooting steps below one by one, make sure to stop and check to see if your issue is resolved. This way, you’ll save a bunch of time and effort. Trust me! And remember, if you get stuck, you can always try the ExpressVPN live chat option for help.

  1. Make sure your internet connection is working properly
  2. Get the latest version of ExpressVPN
  3. Try switching to some other ExpressVPN server location
  4. Turn off your antivirus, firewall, or any other anti-spyware application
  5. Try switching to some other VPN protocol
  6. Send ExpressVPN your diagnostic information file
  7. Fix the issues found in the diagnostic file (only for experts)

1. Make sure your internet connection is working properly

To test if your internet connection is working properly, disconnect from the ExpressVPN app and check if you can access any website. If you can access the internet just fine without connecting to ExpressVPN, you can skip to the next troubleshooting step.

But, if in case you’re unable to access the internet even without connecting to ExpressVPN, you will need to fix your internet connection. If you’re on Windows, you can check out this guide to restore your Windows internet connection.

2. Get the latest version of ExpressVPN

This step is rather easy. You can simply download the latest version of ExpressVPN and it should hopefully fix your issue. To download the latest version of ExpressVPN, follow these simple steps:

  1. Close the ExpressVPN app if it’s already running.
  2. Uninstall the ExpressVPN application like you would do any other app.
  3. Now the reinstall and set up the latest ExpressVPN app.

If you need help setting up ExpressVPN on your device, you can check out the quick setup guides below:

3. Try switching to some other ExpressVPN server location

If you can access the internet perfectly while disconnected from ExpressVPN but cannot connect to any of the ExpressVPN server locations, you can try connecting to a different server location. This guide on the best server locations should come in handy. If you don’t know how to connect or switch servers, check out these guides for different operating systems:

4. Turn off your antivirus, firewall, or any other anti-spyware application

So if you don’t know, firewalls, antivirus, and anti-spyware programs can block your VPN connection. To test if that is the case for you, disable these programs, and see if that helps you can connect to ExpressVPN. If this helps, and you are able to connect to ExpressVPN successfully, do one of these fixes:

Tweak around with settings

If you are tech-savvy and know how to configure your firewall or antivirus programs, then you can configure it properly to allow ExpressVPN. Depending on what program you have installed on your computer, you will have to refer to one of its guides. Typically, you will have to do the following:

    • Switch your security level from High to Medium
    • Set an exception for ExpressVPN or for the UDP ports 1194-1204

Uninstall and reinstall apps

If the above-mentioned steps didn’t work, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling your firewall, antivirus, anti-spyware or any other program that might be blocking ExpressVPN.

    1. Uninstall the ExpressVPN app on your device.
    2. Get rid of the program that you suspect of blocking the ExpressVPN connection.
    3. Reinstall the ExpressVPN app once again.
    4. Reinstall the program that you installed in step #2.

5. Try switching to some other VPN protocol

Sometimes, simply switching to a different protocol can help significantly. Although ExpressVPN recommends using the Automatic protocol, however, if you’re experiencing connectivity issues, you can try connecting to other protocols like the ones listed below:

  • TCP OpenVPN
  • UDP Open VPN
  • IKEv2
  • L2TP/IPSec

If you don’t know how to change protocols on the ExpressVPN app, you can refer to the quick guides below for different operating systems:

6. Send ExpressVPN your diagnostic information file

If none of the troubleshooting steps we’ve looked over so far worked for you, the best option you have is to run a diagnostic and send over the information file to the ExpressVPN support team to get the best possible solution. Here’s how you can access diagnostic information:

For Android and iOS

  1. First Tap on Options or hamburger icon (≡) and access Help & Support.
  2. Next, Tap Email us or Contact Support whichever one you prefer.
  3. Now in the provided text field, type in the issue you’re facing with ExpressVPN.
  4. Finally, Tap Send or Submit and wait to get a response back from ExpressVPN via email.

For Windows and Mac

  1. Simply click on the hamburger icon (≡) then Help & Support and then Diagnostic Information.
  2. Click on Contact Support and type in the issue you’re facing with ExpressVPN.
  3. Tick the box that reads “Include details about recent connection errors or Include diagnostic information”.
  4. Finally, wait to get a response back from ExpressVPN via email.

7. Fix the issues found in the diagnostic file (only for experts)

This step is not for everyone. If you’re not tech-savvy, I would advise you to contact and rely on the ExpressVPN support team. However, if you’re an expert and are willing to go in-depth and fix the issues yourself, then you can check out this guide.

Other ExpressVPN Guides

Check out our other guides on ExpressVPN

Bonus – Cannot connect ExpressVPN on the router

If you’ve installed ExpressVPN on your router and are having trouble either with your router or with ExpressVPN, the option for you is to contact ExpressVPN live chat support or you can switch to other reliable and pocket-friendly VPN services like Surfshark or NordVPN.

About Sebastian Riley

Sebastian Riley is a cyberlibertarian activist and an internet freedom fighter who strongly believes in an unsegregated and uncensored internet. With a cybersecurity degree, Sebastian is a professional bug hunter and a freelance opensource penetration tester.