PingGuard

A free, open-source gaming-focused network control app for Android. Uses Android's VpnService to manage per-app internet access — no root, no external servers, no data collection.

Features

• Gaming Mode — One-tap toggle to restrict internet to only your selected apps (games + voice chat). Everything else gets blocked.
• TCP Blocker Overlay — Floating button that drops all TCP traffic while forwarding UDP. Perfect for reducing lag by killing background HTTP connections during gameplay.
• Per-App Control — Select which apps are allowed internet access when Gaming Mode is active.
• Auto Game Detection — Automatically enables Gaming Mode when a selected game is launched (uses UsageStatsManager).
• No Root Required — Uses Android's built-in VpnService API.
• No External Server — All filtering happens locally on your device. Zero data leaves your phone.

How It Works

Gaming Mode (Normal)

• Creates a local VPN tunnel with no upstream connection (dead-end)
• Selected apps bypass the tunnel via addDisallowedApplication() → full internet
• All other apps route through the dead tunnel → blocked

TCP Block Mode (Overlay)

• All apps route through the VPN tunnel
• A packet filter reads the TUN file descriptor:
  • TCP packets (protocol 6) → dropped silently
  • UDP packets (protocol 17) → forwarded via protected DatagramChannels
• Games keep working (most use UDP), background web traffic dies

Tech Stack

• Kotlin + Jetpack Compose (Material 3)
• MVVM + Clean Architecture
• Hilt for dependency injection
• DataStore for persistence
• Coroutines + Flow for reactive state
• Navigation Compose with type-safe routes
• Android 10+ (API 29)

Building

git clone https://github.com/user/PingGuard.git
cd PingGuard
./gradlew assembleDebug

Install the APK from app/build/outputs/apk/debug/.

For a release build with R8 minification:

./gradlew assembleRelease

Project Structure

com.ping.guard/
├── domain/          # Models (AppInfo, VpnState) + repository interfaces
├── data/            # DataStore persistence + repository implementations
├── service/         # VpnService, TcpBlocker, OverlayService, VpnManager, UsageMonitor
├── di/              # Hilt modules
└── ui/
    ├── home/        # Main screen with Gaming Mode toggle + overlay control
    ├── apps/        # App selection with search + checkboxes
    ├── settings/    # Auto-start, auto-detect toggles
    ├── navigation/  # Type-safe Compose navigation
    └── theme/       # Material 3 theming

Permissions

Permission	Why
FOREGROUND_SERVICE	Run VPN as foreground service
BIND_VPN_SERVICE	Required for VPN
SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW	Floating TCP blocker button
QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES	List installed apps for selection
PACKAGE_USAGE_STATS	Auto-detect foreground games
POST_NOTIFICATIONS	VPN active notification

License

MIT — see LICENSE