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This guide will show you how to use an HTTPS Proxy with Lightway on the ExpressVPN apps for iOS and Android.

With an HTTPS Proxy, you can route Lightway traffic through a hop of your choice before reaching the VPN server. This adds an extra layer of protection in addition to Lightway’s data encryption.

Note: Lightway Proxy only works when you are connected to the Lightway – TCP protocol. While Lightway Proxy is on, you are unable to switch to other protocols. You will need to turn Light Proxy off in order to use other protocols.

To set up your HTTPS Lightway Proxy:

  1. Open the ExpressVPN app for iOS or Android.
  2. On the VPN tab, tap Protocol.
  3. Under Lightway – TCP, tap Proxy Settings.
  4. Toggle Manual Proxy on.
  5. Fill in your proxy server information, then tap Apply Configuration.

Select Lightway encryption

When using Lightway – TCP, you can also choose which encryption cipher the protocol uses. There are three options:

  • Automatic (recommended): ExpressVPN selects the best cipher for your device automatically. This is the best choice for most users.
  • AES: AES-256 is the industry-standard encryption cipher and benefits from hardware acceleration on most modern processors, making it extremely fast on newer devices. However, it can be slower on older or lower-cost devices that lack this hardware support.
  • ChaCha20: Designed to perform consistently well without hardware acceleration, making it a better choice for older or lower-powered devices. If you are experiencing slow speeds on an older device, switching to ChaCha20 may help.

Lightway NAT heartbeats

When enabled, this setting sends periodic signals to keep the VPN tunnel active during periods of inactivity. This can help some apps and email clients deliver push notifications faster when the device has been idle. Note that enabling this setting will increase battery consumption.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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