DropoVPN 0.4.2 — Windows updates fixed

This release fixes in-app updates on Windows.

• Windows updates now install. In 0.4.0 and 0.4.1, choosing Restart to update on Windows quit DropoVPN without installing the update or reopening the app: Windows never started the hidden helper that runs the installer. The helper now starts reliably, asks for administrator permission, installs the update silently, and reopens DropoVPN. CI now tests this on Windows for every build.
• Clearer results. On Windows, each step of an update is recorded, and the outcome appears in Activity after DropoVPN reopens. If an update isn't installed, for example because the administrator prompt was declined, Windows now shows its own advice instead of macOS instructions.

Windows users on 0.4.0 or 0.4.1: download this version below and install it once; the update step built into those versions can't start on Windows. From 0.4.2 on, updates install from inside the app. On a Mac, DropoVPN 0.4.0 and 0.4.1 update to this version in the app as usual.

Opening DropoVPN on a Mac the first time: this preview isn't notarized by Apple, so macOS says it could not verify the app. Choose Done, open System Settings → Privacy & Security, and choose Open Anyway next to DropoVPN. On Windows, SmartScreen may ask you to choose More info → Run anyway.

Download the .dmg (or .zip) for Apple Silicon Macs, or the .exe for Windows x64. The runtime source archive is for developers and is not needed to install the app.

Validation: native macOS and Windows CI passed the application tests and Electron smoke tests. On Windows, CI installed DropoVPN, ran its in-app update install step with this release's installer, and confirmed that DropoVPN quit, reinstalled with administrator rights and reopened. The Mac app's signature was verified, and the release checksums are signed for in-app updates.

Preview limitations: DropoVPN installers are not signed with a developer certificate, and the Mac app is not notarized. The mesh carries TCP only. There is no VPN kill switch. Intel Mac and Windows ARM installers are not included.

Download website · Setup and source documentation

DropoVPN 0.4.1 — a steadier mesh

Windows users: the in-app update install in this version doesn't start on Windows. Download 0.4.2 and install it once; updates work from inside the app after that. Macs are unaffected.

The device mesh now rides out brief network drops.

• Reconnecting instead of offline: when another device's connection drops for a moment, for example when its Wi-Fi blips, its network changes or its VPN reconnects, it shows as Reconnecting for up to 30 seconds. Its addresses on your localhost stay open, and new connections wait for it to come back instead of failing.
• Faster recovery: after sleep or a network change, DropoVPN replaces connections that went quiet right away instead of waiting for them to time out.
• Leaving is still immediate: a device that quits, leaves the mesh or turns the mesh off tells the others, so they show it as offline at once.
• Clearer diagnostics: the Activity log now says why the relay connection was lost, and the relay records how each device's connection ended.

Updating: from 0.4.0, DropoVPN offers this update in the app. From earlier versions, download it below once. For the smoothest mesh, update every device.

Opening DropoVPN on a Mac the first time: this preview isn't notarized by Apple, so macOS says it could not verify the app. Choose Done, open System Settings → Privacy & Security, and choose Open Anyway next to DropoVPN. On Windows, SmartScreen may ask you to choose More info → Run anyway.

Download the .dmg (or .zip) for Apple Silicon Macs, or the .exe for Windows x64. The runtime source archive is for developers and is not needed to install the app.

Validation: native macOS and Windows CI passed the application tests, including devices dropping and returning, leaving on purpose, and waking from sleep, and the Electron smoke tests. The Mac app's signature was verified in CI, and the release checksums are signed for in-app updates.

Preview limitations: DropoVPN installers are not signed with a developer certificate, and the Mac app is not notarized. The mesh carries TCP only. There is no VPN kill switch. Intel Mac and Windows ARM installers are not included.

Download website · Setup and source documentation

DropoVPN 0.4.0 — updates from inside the app

Windows users: the in-app update install in this version doesn't start on Windows. Download 0.4.2 and install it once; updates work from inside the app after that. Macs are unaffected.

DropoVPN now keeps itself up to date.

• Automatic update checks: a few seconds after it starts and every six hours, DropoVPN checks for a new release and shows a banner when one is available. Turn this off, or check now, under Settings → Updates.
• You stay in control: nothing downloads until you choose Download update, and nothing installs until you choose Restart to update. If your VPN is connected, DropoVPN asks first, because the tunnel disconnects while it restarts.
• Signed updates only: each release's checksums are signed with the DropoVPN release key, and the app verifies that signature and the download's checksum before installing. On macOS it also checks the new app's identity and code signature.
• Installs for you: on macOS, DropoVPN replaces itself and reopens. If it runs from its disk image or macOS doesn't allow the swap, Finder shows the new version to drag into Applications. On Windows, the installer asks for administrator permission and reopens DropoVPN.

Installing 0.4.0: earlier versions don't include the updater, so download and install this one by hand. Future versions arrive in the app.

Opening DropoVPN on a Mac the first time: this preview isn't notarized by Apple, so macOS says it could not verify the app. Choose Done, open System Settings → Privacy & Security, and choose Open Anyway next to DropoVPN. On Windows, SmartScreen may ask you to choose More info → Run anyway.

Download the .dmg (or .zip) for Apple Silicon Macs, or the .exe for Windows x64. The runtime source archive is for developers and is not needed to install the app.

Validation: native macOS and Windows CI passed the application tests and Electron smoke tests, and verified the Mac app's signature. A packaged 0.4.0 app was updated end to end to a signed 0.4.1 test build through its own interface: offered automatically, downloaded, verified, swapped in place and reopened. Windows CI verified a clean installation of the complete DropoVPN installer.

Preview limitations: DropoVPN installers are not signed with a developer certificate, and the Mac app is not notarized. The mesh carries TCP only. There is no VPN kill switch. Intel Mac and Windows ARM installers are not included.

Download website · Setup and source documentation

DropoVPN 0.3.1 — Mac download fix

This release fixes the macOS download. In 0.3.0 the Mac app was missing a complete code signature, so macOS reported a downloaded copy as damaged and would not open it. The app is now signed as a whole, and CI verifies the signature before every release. The Windows installer and all features are unchanged from 0.3.0: a device mesh, public URLs, and the shared DropoVPN relay.

Opening DropoVPN on a Mac the first time: this preview isn't notarized by Apple, so macOS says it could not verify the app. Choose Done, open System Settings → Privacy & Security, and choose Open Anyway next to DropoVPN. You only need to do this once.

On Windows: SmartScreen may show "Windows protected your PC". Choose More info → Run anyway.

Download the .dmg (or .zip) for Apple Silicon Macs, or the .exe for Windows x64. The runtime source archive is for developers and is not needed to install the app.

Validation: native macOS and Windows CI passed the application tests and Electron smoke tests, including a two-device mesh through a local relay and a public URL. The Mac app's signature was verified in CI and checked against Gatekeeper with a quarantined download. Windows CI verified a clean installation of the complete DropoVPN installer.

Preview limitations: DropoVPN installers are unsigned by a developer certificate, and the Mac app is not notarized. Anyone with a mesh invite is a full member; to remove a device, create a new mesh. The mesh carries TCP only. There is no VPN kill switch. Intel Mac and Windows ARM installers are not included.

Download website · Setup and source documentation

DropoVPN 0.3.0 — device mesh and public URLs

Mac users: macOS reports this release's Mac download as damaged because the app's code signature is incomplete. Download 0.3.1 instead; the Windows installer here is unaffected.

DropoVPN now links your own devices into an end-to-end encrypted mesh and can turn a local web app into a public URL.

• Device mesh: share an address such as localhost:3000, localhost:5173 or http://192.168.1.20:8080 from one device, and open it on your other devices on their own localhost. Development servers that listen only on loopback or check the Host header work unchanged. Any TCP service works, including web apps, WebSockets, APIs and databases.
• Connects anywhere: devices on the same Wi-Fi, LAN or OpenVPN network find each other and connect directly. Elsewhere they meet through the DropoVPN relay at dropovpn.samuelnimoh.com, then switch to a direct path when one becomes available. You can run your own relay or turn relaying off.
• Private by design: each mesh has its own 32-byte key, shared through an invite. Sessions use ephemeral X25519 keys mixed with that key, HKDF-SHA256 and AES-256-GCM, so relays pass traffic along without being able to read it. The mesh key is stored with macOS Keychain or Windows DPAPI and never reaches the app's window.
• Public URLs: create a link anyone can open through Cloudflare quick tunnels (cloudflared, no account), your signed-in ngrok agent, or your own relay's domain. Stop it with one click; public URLs end when you quit.
• Self-hosted relay: relay/server.mjs is a single dependency-free Node.js file with a Dockerfile and Fly.io configuration, and can serve public URLs on your own domain.

Download the .dmg (or .zip) for Apple Silicon Macs, or the .exe for Windows x64. The runtime source archive is for developers and is not needed to install the app.

Validation: native macOS and Windows CI passed the application tests, including real mesh devices, a real relay and local network discovery over loopback, and the Electron smoke tests, including a two-device mesh through a local relay and a public URL. The shared relay was verified end to end over the internet. Windows CI verified a clean installation of the complete DropoVPN installer.

Preview limitations: DropoVPN installers are unsigned, and the Mac app is not notarized. OS security warnings may appear. Your operating system may ask to allow incoming connections the first time the mesh starts. Anyone with a mesh invite is a full member; to remove a device, create a new mesh. The mesh carries TCP only. There is no VPN kill switch. Intel Mac and Windows ARM installers are not included.

Download website · Setup and source documentation

DropoVPN 0.2.0 — OpenVPN included

DropoVPN now includes the OpenVPN runtime, so users install the application once and import their existing .ovpn profile.

• macOS 13+ / Apple Silicon: the app contains OpenVPN 2.7.8 and its libraries. No Homebrew or separate OpenVPN installation is required.
• Windows x64: one installer sets up DropoVPN, the official OpenVPN engine, and the signed TAP-Windows6 network driver. Administrator permission is required; restart if setup requests it. Existing compatible OpenVPN installations are reused.
• Automatic reconnection and encrypted password remembering continue to work with imported profiles. Fixed a Windows management-command sequencing issue that could prevent authentication.
• The release includes third-party notices, corresponding runtime sources/build recipes, and SHA-256 checksums.

Download the .dmg (or .zip) for Apple Silicon Macs, or the .exe for Windows x64. The runtime source archive is for developers and is not needed to install the app.

Validation: native macOS and Windows CI passed the application tests and Electron smoke tests. The bundled Mac engine passed its management handshake tests. Windows CI verified the upstream MSI signature/checksum and a clean installation of the complete DropoVPN installer, including engine startup and network-driver registration.

Preview limitations: DropoVPN installers are unsigned, and the Mac app is not notarized. OS security warnings may appear. Starting a VPN tunnel still requires administrator permission. End-to-end VPN routing, DNS, and reconnection need validation with your own server. There is no kill switch. Intel Mac and Windows ARM installers are not included.

On Windows, uninstalling DropoVPN leaves the shared OpenVPN engine/driver installed. Remove OpenVPN separately through Windows Installed Apps only if no other VPN client needs it. On macOS, the bundled engine is removed with the app.

Download website · Setup and source documentation

DropoVPN 0.1.1 — public preview

DropoVPN 0.1.1 is the first public preview of an Electron OpenVPN client for macOS and Windows.

• Import existing .ovpn profiles, including embedded or adjacent certificates.
• Automatically reconnect after network interruptions and sleep.
• Optionally remember per-profile passwords with OS-backed encryption.
• Manage multiple profiles, connection activity, and menu bar/system tray behavior.
• Support legacy AES-CBC exports while preserving explicit cipher policies.

Download and install

• Apple Silicon Mac: download the ARM64 DMG (or ZIP), then copy DropoVPN to Applications.
• Windows Intel/AMD: download and run the x64 EXE installer.
• Install OpenVPN Community 2.6+ separately. On macOS use Homebrew: brew install openvpn. On Windows include the OpenVPN network driver. OpenVPN Connect is a different product and does not supply this engine.
• Import your own profile, connect, and optionally choose Remember me. Administrator approval is needed to start a tunnel.

Preview limitations

These builds are unsigned and the macOS build is not notarized; the operating system may display security warnings. The macOS app has been launched and tested locally. The Windows installer was cross-built and still requires Windows runtime/elevation testing. Live server routing, DNS, and reconnection require testing with your VPN.

There is no kill switch; reconnection does not block other traffic. OTP/SSO, proxy authentication, hardware tokens, TAP, and connection blocks are not supported. This release includes Apple Silicon macOS and x64 Windows builds only.

The source passes 24 tests, including a real loopback OpenVPN management handshake, plus a native Electron smoke test. SHA256SUMS.txt contains checksums for all three binary files. No private VPN profiles, credentials, or certificates are bundled.

Application source: MIT license. OpenVPN is installed and licensed separately.