Mullvad retires OpenVPN support on desktop, pushing all users to WireGuard

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OpenVPN gets the axe as Mullvad pushes users into a WireGuard-only era
 
Mullvad has officially removed OpenVPN support from its desktop apps with the release of version 2025.14 – a big step in its long-planned shift toward a WireGuard-only future.

With this change, users can no longer select OpenVPN inside the Mullvad VPN app, and anyone who still relies on the older protocol will need to stay on version 2025.13 for now.

OpenVPN servers aren’t disappearing just yet. However, Mullvad says they’ll be fully shut down in January 2026. This gives desktop users, routers, and external VPN clients a short time before the protocol stops working altogether.

The update finalizes a transition Mullvad first announced last year, closing the door on OpenVPN after more than a decade.

What’s changing in the Mullvad desktop app

With the new 2025.14 update, the OpenVPN protocol option has been entirely removed from Mullvad’s desktop settings. Anyone who previously selected the OpenVPN option will now be migrated automatically to WireGuard, with no action required in the majority of cases.

However, some users may run into issues during the transition. If you were connected to an OpenVPN-only server, or if you built a custom location list that contained only OpenVPN endpoints, your connection may suddenly fail until you manually choose a new location. OpenVPN servers also no longer appear in custom lists.

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