Why you need to set up before you travel
This is the most important article in our Help Center. Read it before your trip.
Once you arrive in a country with heavy internet censorship, many things you take for granted become difficult or impossible:
- App stores may block VPN apps or remove them entirely from your region
- Download links on our website may be unreachable because the domain is filtered
- Your subscription link may fail to load because the API endpoint is blocked
- Our Help Center may be inaccessible, so you cannot read these guides
- Google and other search engines may be blocked, so you cannot look up solutions
If your VPN app is already installed, configured, and working before you land, none of this matters. The app will keep working even on restricted networks because our obfuscation protocols disguise the traffic.
Set up everything while you still have unrestricted internet. Do it now, not when you arrive.
Step-by-step pre-trip checklist
Step 1: Create your account
- Visit sericavpn.com and click Get started
- Choose a plan (Traveler, Nomad, or Pro)
- Complete the payment
- Check your email for the confirmation
Do this at home. Account creation requires access to our website, which may be blocked in your destination.
Step 2: Copy your subscription link
- Log in to your dashboard
- Go to the Subscription section
- Click Copy subscription link
- Paste it somewhere safe: a notes app, an encrypted memo, or even email it to yourself
Why: Your subscription link is how your VPN app downloads server configurations. If our API is blocked at your destination, you will not be able to get a fresh link. Having it saved means you can re-import it if needed.
Step 3: Download the app on every device
Install Happ (our recommended client) on every device you plan to use:
| Device | Download |
|---|---|
| Windows laptop | happ.su/download |
| Mac | Mac App Store |
| iPhone / iPad | App Store |
| Android phone | Google Play Store |
| Linux | happ.su/download (.deb, .rpm, .pkg.tar.zst) |
Also download v2RayTun as a backup client on each device:
| Device | Download |
|---|---|
| Windows | v2raytun.com |
| Mac | Mac App Store |
| iPhone / iPad | App Store |
| Android | Google Play Store |
Why two apps? If one app has an issue, stops working, or gets removed from the app store, you have a backup ready to go. Both support the same protocols and your same subscription link.
Step 4: Import your subscription and connect
On each device:
- Open Happ
- Go to Settings > Subscription
- Click Add from URL
- Paste your subscription link
- Click Add, then Update
- Pick a server and click Connect
- Verify it works: visit whatismyipaddress.com and confirm your IP has changed
Repeat on every device. Do not skip the verification step.
Step 5: Enable auto-connect
So the VPN reconnects automatically if your network drops or changes:
In Happ:
- Go to Settings
- Turn on Auto-connect
- Turn on Connect on demand (iOS) or Always-on VPN (Android)
On Android specifically:
- Go to phone Settings > Network & Internet > VPN
- Tap the gear icon next to Happ
- Enable Always-on VPN
- Enable Block connections without VPN
On iOS:
- Go to phone Settings > General > VPN & Device Management
- Make sure Happ’s VPN profile is present
Step 6: Test with multiple protocols
On your home network, try switching between transport protocols so you know how to do it if one stops working:
- In Happ, go to Settings > Connection
- Try xHttp first (best for most networks)
- Connect and verify it works
- Then try gRPC (best for heavily filtered networks)
- Connect and verify it works
You do not need to keep switching. Just make sure you know where the setting is and that each protocol works with your subscription.
Step 7: Save offline resources
Before you travel, save these things offline (screenshots, notes app, or a secure file):
- Your subscription link (from Step 2)
- Download links for Happ and v2RayTun (from Step 3)
- Our support email: support@sericavpn.com
- Your dashboard URL: dashboard.sericavpn.com
- Your account email and password (store securely)
If our website is blocked, you will still have everything you need.
Step 8: Save the APK files (Android)
If you use Android, download the Happ and v2RayTun APK files directly to your phone or laptop:
- Happ APK: GitHub releases
- v2RayTun: v2raytun.com
Keep the APK files in your phone storage or a cloud drive (Google Drive, Dropbox). If the app gets removed from the Play Store while you are traveling, you can reinstall directly from the APK.
Step 9: Check battery and background settings
On mobile devices, the OS may kill VPN apps to save battery. Fix this before you travel:
Android:
- Go to Settings > Apps > Happ > Battery
- Set to Unrestricted or Don’t optimize
- Repeat for v2RayTun
- On Xiaomi: also check Settings > Apps > Manage apps > Happ > Battery saver > “No restrictions”
- On Samsung: also check Settings > Apps > Happ > Battery > “Unrestricted”
iOS:
- Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh
- Make sure it is enabled for Happ
- Disable Low Power Mode while using the VPN (it can disconnect VPN sessions)
Step 10: Do a final test
Before you leave, do a complete dry run:
- Disconnect from Wi-Fi and switch to mobile data only
- Make sure the VPN auto-connects
- Browse a few websites and apps
- Switch back to Wi-Fi
- Make sure the VPN reconnects
- Try switching to a different server region
- Try switching to a different protocol (xHttp, gRPC, WebSocket)
If everything works smoothly, you are ready.
What to do if something goes wrong while traveling
”The VPN stopped working”
- Switch to a different server region (try Singapore, London, or New York)
- Switch the transport protocol (try gRPC instead of xHttp, or vice versa)
- Disconnect and reconnect
- If Happ is not working, open v2RayTun and import your subscription link there
”I need to reinstall the app”
- Use the APK files you saved in Step 8 (Android)
- On iOS, the App Store may still work if you previously downloaded the app (check your Purchase History)
- If the App Store is blocked, try the TestFlight links:
”My subscription link is not loading”
- Try updating while connected to mobile data instead of Wi-Fi (different network, different DNS)
- Change your DNS to 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare) or 8.8.8.8 (Google) before updating
- If still blocked, try connecting to a working VPN server first, then update the subscription
- As a last resort, email support@sericavpn.com from any working email and we can send you a manual configuration
”Everything is blocked and nothing works”
Email support@sericavpn.com with:
- Your account email
- What device and app you are using
- What error you are seeing
- What country you are in
We can provide alternative subscription URLs, manual configuration files, or other workarounds that are not publicly listed.
Quick checklist before you fly
- Account created and subscription active
- Subscription link copied and saved offline
- Happ installed on all devices
- v2RayTun installed as backup on all devices
- Subscription imported and servers loaded on all devices
- Successfully connected on all devices
- Auto-connect enabled on all devices
- Battery optimization disabled for VPN apps
- Tested with at least 2 different protocols
- APK files saved (Android)
- Download links, support email, and account info saved offline
- Final test on mobile data: VPN connects and browsing works
Do all of this before you land. Once you are on the ground in a restricted region, fixing problems is 10x harder.