MACE does not work when using wireguard with android app

NdgyjE8

I am using the android apk downloaded on privateinternetacces.com.

When I choose WireGuard, and MACE is on, the ads are not blocked and still show up in the android browser.

As soon as switch to use openVPN, MACE is working fine, and ads disappear in the browser.

Please fix it. Please.
Thanks

PIATravis

I am also using our APK file and MACE works while using WireGuard.  The best way to ensure if MACE is working is to visit here while connected - analytics.google.com/

MACE operates as a DNS blacklist.  PIA does not inspect or modify your traffic in any way, so if ads end up using IP addresses directly or hostnames that are shared with actual content, we can't block them.  MACE works by blocking known ad servers.  As long as the Google analytics site does not load, then MACE is functioning correctly.

One thing to note, you need to be using our DNS address for MACE to work.  If you have made any alterations, please switch back to our DNS.

If that does not resolve the issue, or you were already using our DNS, then please follow the steps on this guide to fully uninstall our program - https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/helpdesk/guides/android/uninstall-4/android-uninstalling-and-reinstalling-the-pia-app

After uninstalling, restart your phone and then follow the steps on this guide to install our APK - https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/helpdesk/guides/android/install-3/android-installing-the-pia-apk-file

Be sure to download a new installer.If you continue to see this behavior, please open a ticket with our Helpdesk - https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/helpdesk/new-ticket

If you submit a ticket, put, "ATTN:SMR" as the subject and let us know here or send me a DM.

sneazzy95

I think you should try to delete it and to reinstall it from the beginning.

ShowBox Tutuapp Mobdro

NdgyjE8

analytics.google.com is in fact inacessible but in app ads are visible, say for example in fing (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.overlook.android.fing)

NdgyjE8

It seems to happen after a reconnection after the device has been off or out of coverage or switching from to LTE to wifi.

Not100% sure.

The apps are able to query DNS before the VPN is up ?

PIAMarc

If the Google Analytics site is not loading, then MACE is working as intended.  As Travis mentioned, MACE operates as a DNS blacklist. If an ad is using an IP address directly or a hostname that is shared with actual content, it may get around MACE.  I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

If the VPN was active when you lost coverage or switched networks, then it should reconnect before anything else can communicate.  You can use the Always-on VPN feature in Android to ensure that your device will not reconnect when the VPN connection is lost.  Please note, not every device has the Always-on VPN option.  You can enable Always-on VPN by going to Settings>Connections>More Connection Settings>VPN.  Here, you will see a list of any VPN you have installed, click on the gear icon next to PIA VPN and enable Always-on VPN and Block connections without VPN.  This will set it so your device will not connect to the internet unless the VPN is active.

NdgyjE8

So trying to pinpoint the problem, I have discovered that the problem is there after changing a setting in  PIA app.

Say, I change from OpenVPN to Wireguard, then after that change even if I stop and restart the VPN, the ads are there.
To see them go away, and MACE to work, I have:
1. Stop the VPN form within pia app
2. kill/stop the PIA app
3. Restart the app
4. Restart the VPN if it has not automatically started.

Also the automatic start of the VPN when launching the app seems to interfere when the VPN is already running

PIAMarc

When you see this behavior, is analytics.google.com loading?  I tried for some time to reproduce this issue.  The only time I saw something like it was when I did not close my web browser before re-testing the analytics site.  Sometimes, that site would load after I changed protocols, but if I closed the browser, then reopened and tested that site again, it was always blocked.  For me, it seems that it was related to my cache.

If analytics.google.com is not being blocked for you even after quitting the browser and re-opening it, please follow the guide Travis sent to uninstall the app, for your convenience, here is that link again - https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/helpdesk/guides/android/uninstall-4/android-uninstalling-and-reinstalling-the-pia-app

When you reinstall, please do so from a new copy of the APK file.

If you see analytics.google.com continue to load after reinstalling, then I recommend you open a ticket with our Helpdesk so we can investigate further.  Here is the link for our Helpdesk again - https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/helpdesk/new-ticket

I was not able to get the app to act as you described when using the 1-click connect option.  If you continue to see that behavior after reinstalling, please also put the details of that issue in the support ticket.

NdgyjE8

I am sorry to insist but this is still there.

I didn't have that problem before the update to the current version (meaning the previous version was ok).

So this mainly happends when I let to sleep my device (be it running android 7 or 8.1). On both, on wake-up, I can access analytics.google.com and ads are all other my apps or in browser.

I have to restart pia vpn for analytics.google.com to become inaccessible (on android 7)
But even after that, this is not enough for that to work fine on android 8.1, I still don't know how to make it work, aka that ads are blocked.
Even killing PIA VPN, and restarting is not enough... I don't know

using openvpn on both, and disabled access to local network.

I repeat, I did not had that problem before...

PIAMarc

I am very sorry to hear that you are still seeing this behavior.  Please follow the steps Travis sent to submit a ticket to our Helpdesk.  In your ticket, please include the specifics of your device(s) and the steps you have taken to troubleshoot.  We look forward to hearing from you.