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How Every Proxy works

Every Proxy runs proxy servers directly on your Android device.

It allows other devices to forward traffic through your Android device’s active internet connection (Wi-Fi or mobile data).

The app operates entirely in user space.

No root access is required.

High-Level Overview

When enabled, Every Proxy:

  1. Opens listening ports on your Android device.
  2. Accepts inbound connections from client devices.
  3. Performs protocol negotiation (HTTP or SOCKS).
  4. Establishes outbound TCP connections to the requested destination.
    • If the optional Every Proxy Network Bridge is enabled, Every Proxy forwards traffic to the Bridge via localhost, which then establishes the outbound connection. This allows proxy traffic to follow per-app VPN routing rules if needed.
  5. Forwards traffic bidirectionally until the connection closes.

The Android device acts as a TCP relay.

Network Flow

A typical connection looks like this:

Client Device
→ Android Device (Every Proxy)
→ Destination Server
→ Android Device
→ Client Device

The Android device forwards traffic using its currently active network interface.

Supported Proxy Types

Every Proxy supports:

  • HTTP Proxy
  • SOCKS (SOCKS4 and SOCKS5)
  • PAC Server (for automatic configuration)

All proxy types forward TCP traffic only. UDP forwarding is not supported.

The optional Every Proxy Network Bridge also supports both HTTP and SOCKS proxy traffic when enabled.

What Happens During a Connection

HTTP Proxy

  1. Client sends an HTTP request or CONNECT request.
  2. Every Proxy establishes a TCP connection to the target server.
  3. Traffic is forwarded between client and server.

HTTPS traffic remains encrypted end-to-end.

SOCKS Proxy

  1. Client connects to the SOCKS port.
  2. Protocol version is negotiated (SOCKS4 or SOCKS5).
  3. If enabled, username/password authentication is validated (SOCKS5).
  4. Client sends a CONNECT request.
  5. Every Proxy opens a TCP connection to the destination.
  6. Traffic is forwarded in both directions.

Only the TCP CONNECT command is supported.

What Every Proxy Does Not Do

Every Proxy does not:

  • Modify Android system routing
  • Act as a VPN
  • Intercept system-wide traffic
  • Decrypt HTTPS traffic
  • Inspect or alter application data
  • Provide UDP forwarding

It is a user-space proxy server only.

Traffic and Encryption

Every Proxy forwards raw TCP streams.

If the client connects to an HTTPS destination:

  • TLS negotiation occurs directly between the client and the remote server.
  • Every Proxy does not terminate or inspect TLS.
  • Encrypted traffic remains encrypted end-to-end.

Authentication

  • HTTP proxy supports basic authentication (if enabled).
  • SOCKS5 supports username/password authentication.
  • SOCKS4 does not support authentication.

Authentication is handled during protocol negotiation before forwarding begins.

Resource Usage

Every active connection consumes:

  • One inbound socket (client → Android)
  • One outbound socket (Android → destination)

The Android device handles both directions of traffic for the lifetime of the connection.

Performance depends on:

  • Device CPU
  • Available memory
  • Network bandwidth
  • Number of concurrent connections
  • Optional Network Bridge: adds one additional TCP socket per forwarded connection

Typical Use Cases

Every Proxy is commonly used for:

  • Development and testing
  • Routing traffic from laptops through mobile data
  • Proxy-based application testing
  • Temporary network bridging between devices
  • Routing traffic through a per-app VPN using the optional Network Bridge

Summary

Every Proxy turns your Android device into a lightweight TCP proxy server.

It accepts connections from client devices, establishes outbound TCP connections on their behalf, and forwards traffic between them.

It does this without root access, without modifying Android networking, and without inspecting encrypted traffic.

The optional Network Bridge enables proxy chaining on the same device and allows traffic to follow per-app VPN routing rules when required.