If you need to set proxy on iPhone or Android, the built-in route is the Wi-Fi proxy setting. Both systems let you point one Wi-Fi network at an HTTP proxy, and most browsers and many apps then send their web traffic through it. This guide walks through the current menus on both platforms, explains how authentication works on each (they differ more than you might expect), and covers the limits you should know before you rely on a phone proxy for real work.
Before you start: what you need
From your proxy provider you need four values: host (an IP address or host name), port, username and password. On Cloudj these are shown for each proxy in the console, and each time you view them the view is logged and you get a notice.
Two facts shape everything below:
- The phone's Wi-Fi proxy setting is an HTTP proxy setting. There is no SOCKS5 field. If your proxy is set to SOCKS5, switch the order to HTTP in the console (where the location supports it) or use an app that speaks SOCKS5. The SOCKS5 vs HTTP proxy guide explains the difference.
- The setting applies only to the Wi-Fi network you configure. Mobile data does not use it, and neither does another Wi-Fi network you join later.
How to set proxy on iPhone (iOS and iPadOS)
The menus have been stable across recent iOS versions.
- Open Settings and tap Wi-Fi.
- Connect to the network you want to use, then tap the (i) icon next to its name.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Configure Proxy under HTTP Proxy.
- Choose Manual.
- Enter the proxy host in Server and the number in Port.
- Turn on Authentication and enter the Username and Password.
- Tap Save in the top-right corner.
iOS stores the credentials and sends them when the proxy asks, so password authentication works smoothly in Safari and in most apps that use the system networking stack. To turn the proxy off, return to the same screen and choose Off.
The Automatic option is for a PAC (proxy auto-config) file URL. Unless your company gave you one, use Manual.
How to set a proxy on Android
Menu names vary by manufacturer and Android version, but the path on recent Pixel and stock-style Android looks like this:
- Open Settings, then Network & internet, then Internet (older versions say Wi-Fi).
- Tap the gear icon next to the connected network.
- Tap the pencil icon (Edit) at the top.
- Expand Advanced options.
- Set Proxy to Manual.
- Enter the Proxy hostname and Proxy port. You can also list hosts to bypass.
- Tap Save.
On Samsung phones the path is usually Settings, Connections, Wi-Fi, the gear next to the network, then View more or Advanced, and Proxy set to Manual.
The authentication gap on Android
Android's manual proxy form has no username or password fields. What happens next depends on the app:
- Chrome normally shows a sign-in prompt when the proxy asks for credentials, so browsing works after you enter them.
- Many other apps cannot show that prompt. They fail silently or report a network error.
If you need apps beyond the browser to work, the reliable fix is to authorize your network's IP instead of a password, which is the next section.
Password or IP whitelist on a phone
Cloudj proxies use username and password by default. You can instead set an IP whitelist of up to 20 addresses; the proxy then accepts connections from those IPs without a password. Note that the whitelist replaces password access, so any other tool that used the password for that proxy will need to come from a whitelisted IP too. The trade-offs are covered in detail in whitelist vs password authentication.
For phones, whitelisting has a catch: the IP the proxy sees is the public IP of the Wi-Fi network, not of the phone.
- At home or in an office, that is your router's public address. Many home ISP connections change this address from time to time, so if the proxy suddenly stops working, check whether your public IP changed and update the whitelist.
- On mobile data, the public IP can change often and is frequently shared with other subscribers through carrier NAT. That makes it a poor whitelist entry, and it is irrelevant anyway because the Wi-Fi proxy setting does not apply to mobile data.
A practical pattern: use password authentication on iPhone, and on Android either rely on Chrome's prompt or whitelist your office or home Wi-Fi IP.
Check that the proxy is working
Open a "what is my IP" page in the phone's browser with the proxy turned off, note the address, then turn it on and reload. You should now see the proxy's IP. If you also want to confirm the proxy from a computer before you touch the phone, the curl testing guide shows how to check the exit IP, timing and common errors in one command.
Common problems and their usual causes:
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| No pages load at all | Wrong host or port, or the proxy is set to SOCKS5 |
| Repeated password prompts | Typo in username or password, or the password was rotated in the console |
| Browser works, an app does not | The app ignores the system proxy or cannot handle authentication |
| Worked yesterday, fails today | Your Wi-Fi public IP changed and is no longer whitelisted |
Which apps actually use the phone proxy
The Wi-Fi proxy setting is a hint that apps can follow, not a tunnel that forces all traffic. Browsers and apps built on the standard system networking libraries generally honor it. Apps that open their own connections, some games, video calling and anything that uses UDP will often bypass it. If you need every app on the phone to go through a different IP, a proxy setting is the wrong tool; read proxy vs VPN to see when a VPN fits better.
For app testing across countries, a browser plus the Wi-Fi proxy is often enough to check localized store pages and web flows. Cloudj proxies are available in Vietnam, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, as dedicated static IPv4 addresses registered to an ISP and assigned to one customer only, or, in the United States and Vietnam, static residential IPs from home-broadband ISPs. The datacenter vs static ISP comparison explains how these IP types differ.
Whatever you use the proxy for on a phone, follow the rules of each platform and app you sign in to.
FAQ
Can I use a SOCKS5 proxy on iPhone without an app?
Not through the Wi-Fi settings, which only accept an HTTP proxy. Use the HTTP protocol for the proxy, or install an app that supports SOCKS5.
Does the Wi-Fi proxy work on mobile data?
No. The setting is stored per Wi-Fi network and does not affect cellular data.
Why does Android not ask for my proxy password?
The Android proxy form has no credential fields. Chrome usually prompts when the proxy requests authentication, but many apps cannot. An IP whitelist of your Wi-Fi's public IP avoids the problem.
Can several phones share one proxy?
Technically yes, but traffic from all of them then appears from one IP. If each phone runs a separate account, a separate dedicated proxy for each is the cleaner setup.
Get proxy details for your phone
Order a proxy in the Cloudj console; it is ready in a few minutes and the host, port, username and password appear on the order. The dedicated proxy overview lists the countries and types, and the pricing page shows live prices.