Product questions
What CellRoute does—and what it deliberately does not do
These answers describe the product’s actual network boundary. They are also the source used for the FAQ structured data on this page.
Is CellRoute a VPN?
No. CellRoute is a local SOCKS5 and HTTP proxy. It does not use Android VpnService, create a virtual network interface, change the system route table or transparently capture device traffic.
Does CellRoute route all traffic from my client device?
No. Only TCP traffic from applications that follow the manually configured SOCKS5 or HTTP proxy is sent through CellRoute. Applications that ignore the proxy, plus UDP, QUIC and other bypass traffic, continue using the client’s own network.
Does CellRoute require Root?
No. It does not require Root, ADB, Shizuku, Magisk, hidden Android APIs or VpnService.
Does it automatically enable the Android hotspot?
No. You must turn the hotspot on or off in Android system settings. CellRoute can provide a shortcut to those settings but does not control hotspot state.
Can it work when my phone and client use the same Wi-Fi?
Yes, when the Wi-Fi allows clients to reach one another and the phone can keep cellular data available. Configure the client to use the phone’s Wi-Fi LAN address and CellRoute port.
Can it work with an Android hotspot?
It can on compatible devices. Connect the client to the phone hotspot and use the hotspot gateway address as the proxy address. Some OEM or carrier implementations prevent hotspot clients from reaching local phone ports.
Why can’t my hotspot client connect to the proxy?
Check the displayed address and port, listener status, authentication and client network. The device may isolate hotspot clients from phone-local services; CellRoute cannot override that OEM policy.
Does CellRoute support UDP or QUIC?
No. CellRoute forwards TCP only. UDP and QUIC are not supported, so a browser or app may need to disable or bypass QUIC to use a TCP proxy path.
Does it decrypt HTTPS traffic?
No. HTTPS uses the CONNECT method to create a TCP tunnel. TLS remains end-to-end between the client application and destination.
Does it install a CA certificate?
No. CellRoute neither generates nor installs a certificate authority and does not perform HTTPS interception.
Does SOCKS5 support UDP ASSOCIATE?
No. SOCKS5 CONNECT is supported; UDP ASSOCIATE is not.
What happens when the cellular network changes?
CellRoute stops accepting new connections if the required cellular Network is unavailable and can accept new connections when it returns. Existing TCP connections may close.
Will existing connections migrate to the new mobile network?
No seamless migration is promised. A TCP connection is bound to the Network used to create it; clients should reconnect after a network loss or switch.
Which client applications are supported?
Any application with compatible SOCKS5 CONNECT or HTTP/HTTPS proxy support may work. Actual behavior depends on how that application handles proxy settings, DNS, IPv4, IPv6 and TCP.
Why does an application ignore the configured proxy?
Some apps ignore operating-system proxy settings, use their own networking stack, prefer QUIC, or connect over UDP. Configure the app directly when it offers proxy settings.
Does CellRoute hide my identity?
No anonymity guarantee is made. Destinations can see the phone carrier’s exit IP, and applications may reveal identifying data through accounts, cookies, browser fingerprints or content.
Can I expose CellRoute to the public internet?
You should not. Keep it on a trusted local network, use authentication and avoid router port forwarding. It is not designed as a public open proxy.
How are proxy credentials protected?
Passwords are non-empty, generated strongly by default and stored on the device using Android Keystore-backed AES/GCM encryption. Credential comparisons are constant-time and failed authentication is rate-limited.
What information is stored in logs?
Optional local diagnostic logs contain redacted operational events, network changes and limited connection metadata. Targets and identifiers are masked; passwords, bodies, cookies, authentication headers, TLS plaintext and purchase tokens are excluded.
Does CellRoute collect browsing content?
CellRoute necessarily relays bytes that the user sends to the local proxy, but it does not record request bodies, cookies, Authorization, Proxy-Authorization or TLS plaintext.
How does Premium work?
Premium is a Google Play digital product. The current entitlement is the one-time, non-consumable premium_lifetime product. The localized price is shown by Google Play; this website does not state a fixed price.
How do I restore a Premium purchase?
Use Restore purchases in the app while signed into the purchasing Google account. Pending, refunded or revoked purchases follow Google Play status and the production entitlement-verification process.
Are there advertisements?
No. Neither the free edition nor Premium includes ads.
Who pays for the mobile data?
The phone’s SIM and carrier plan provide the cellular data. The user is responsible for carrier charges, quotas, roaming and tethering or hotspot terms.
Why might IPv6 behave differently?
IPv6 availability depends on the phone’s cellular Network, DNS answers, destination reachability and client proxy implementation. A device may have IPv4-only, IPv6-only or dual-stack conditions.
Why is the reported hotspot isolation status Unknown?
The phone cannot reliably prove client-to-phone reachability by itself. Until a real hotspot client attempts a connection, reporting a pass would be misleading, so the status remains Unknown.