VPN Connection Detector

The most accurate VPN detection package for Flutter — with native iOS & Android implementations that detect both system-configured VPNs and third-party VPN apps like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, ProtonVPN, and more.

Why This Package?

Most VPN detection solutions only check for system-configured VPNs, missing the majority of users who use third-party VPN apps. This package uses platform-native APIs to detect VPNs with ~95% accuracy:

🔍 Detects third-party VPN apps (NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, ProtonVPN, etc.)
🔍 Detects system-configured VPNs (IKEv2, IPSec, WireGuard profiles)
🔍 Detects corporate VPNs (Cisco AnyConnect, OpenVPN, etc.)
⚡ Real-time monitoring with stream-based updates
🎯 No false positives from system network interfaces

Features

✅ Native iOS detection using NEVPNManager and NWPathMonitor
✅ Native Android detection using NetworkCapabilities.TRANSPORT_VPN
✅ Dart fallback for desktop platforms (macOS, Windows, Linux)
✅ Real-time streaming of VPN connection status changes
✅ One-time checks via static method
✅ Detailed VPN info including interface name and protocol
✅ Singleton pattern for efficient resource management

Platform Support

Platform	Native	Accuracy	Notes
iOS	✅	~95%	Uses NEVPNManager & NWPathMonitor
Android	✅	~95%	Uses NetworkCapabilities API
macOS	❌	~70-80%	Dart fallback (interface name matching)
Windows	❌	~70-80%	Dart fallback
Linux	❌	~70-80%	Dart fallback

Getting Started

Installation

Add vpn_connection_detector to your pubspec.yaml:

dependencies:
  vpn_connection_detector: ^2.0.1

Android Setup

Add the following permission to your AndroidManifest.xml:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />

iOS Setup

No additional setup required. The plugin uses system frameworks that are available by default.

Usage

Import the package

import 'package:vpn_connection_detector/vpn_connection_detector.dart';

One-time VPN Check

// Check if VPN is currently active
bool isVpnConnected = await VpnConnectionDetector.isVpnActive();

if (isVpnConnected) {
  print('VPN is connected');
} else {
  print('VPN is not connected');
}

Real-time VPN Status Stream

final vpnDetector = VpnConnectionDetector();

// Listen to VPN status changes
vpnDetector.vpnConnectionStream.listen((state) {
  switch (state) {
    case VpnConnectionState.connected:
      print('VPN connected');
      break;
    case VpnConnectionState.disconnected:
      print('VPN disconnected');
      break;
  }
});

// Don't forget to dispose when done
vpnDetector.dispose();

Get Detailed VPN Information

final info = await VpnConnectionDetector.getVpnInfo();

if (info != null && info.isConnected) {
  print('VPN Connected');
  print('Interface: ${info.interfaceName}');  // e.g., 'utun3', 'tun0'
  print('Protocol: ${info.vpnProtocol}');     // e.g., 'WireGuard', 'IKEv2'
}

Access Current Cached State

final vpnDetector = VpnConnectionDetector();

// Get the last known state (may be null if not yet determined)
final currentState = vpnDetector.currentState;
print('Current state: ${currentState?.name ?? "unknown"}');

API Reference