The full documentation covers everything in detail. These are the questions that come up most.
Android may report no internet access because NetCage’s local tunnel has no remote network path. On Android 10 and newer, NetCage also declares that the tunnel has no underlying network. For the apps you cage, that is the intended boundary. If the cage is shown as down or revoked, check NetCage’s own state.
No. Android allows one active VPN at a time, so connecting another one replaces NetCage and its cages stop applying until you switch back. NetCage reports the revoked state and does not retry against the VPN you chose.
No. The supported engine uses Android’s VPN slot on Android 8.0 and newer. The optional root engine is experimental, off by default and unverified on rooted hardware.
Caging stops new internet connections; it does not erase content the app already cached. Local playback can also continue, and a link handed to a browser outside a caged Android UID uses that browser’s network route.
It can when Auto-start on boot is enabled, the master cage is on, and a saved rule or schedule is active. Android’s Always-on VPN setting is a separate way to start the service; phone-maker background controls can still interfere.
No. NetCage refuses a whole app’s network route. It does not filter ads, trackers, domains, websites, DNS answers or content inside an app you leave online.
NetCage routes only apps in caged Android UIDs through its tunnel, and it refuses supported connection attempts instead of encrypting or forwarding them to a server. The active service and app retries still use some resources, so battery use varies by phone and app. NetCage does not promise zero battery cost.
No account is needed for the firewall, local profiles, schedules, day passes, widget, tile, export, import or Cage Pack import and reporting. Google sign-in adds backup and restore, in-app support replies, cloud storage for custom icons and Cage Pack publishing.
The public documentation covers first setup, VPN consent, profiles, schedules, widgets, reboot recovery and the limits described here.