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Proxy rejected the username and password

You might be here because: “proxy rejected the username and password” · “auth failed on my proxy” · “wrong password but I copied it from the provider” · “proxy says credentials rejected when launching” · “login to proxy not working” · “proxy password wrong” · “invalid proxy credentials” · “proxy login failed”

Short answer

The proxy answered, then refused the username or password Driftstack sent. The app shows “The proxy rejected the username and password. Re-enter them and try again.”. The address is fine — only the credentials need fixing.

Check first

  • Are you signed in to the desktop app, and is the app up to date? An old build can be refused for saves and launches — see ‘Please update Driftstack to keep editing’ (old desktop build refused).
  • Is the proxy saved and tested? Open Proxies, find the row, press Test (SOCKS5) or Check VPN (OpenVPN/WireGuard) and read the result.
  • If the app shows it is offline, reconnect and try again — proxy changes and tests need a connection.
  • Is a proxy actually chosen for the profile you are launching? Open the profile’s Edit and look at the Proxy picker.

Likely causes and fixes

  1. A typo or a stale password. Open the proxy in Proxies → Edit. The Password field is shown in plain text on purpose so you can check it against your provider’s dashboard. A saved password is never shown back — the field reads “Stored — leave blank to keep” — so re-type it fully and save.
  2. Username-only or no-auth proxy. Some SOCKS5 servers take no password; username and password are optional. Make sure you did not add a password the proxy does not expect.
  3. IP-allowlist proxy. If your provider authorises by your IP instead of a password, it will refuse Driftstack’s servers. Ask for username/password credentials. See IP-allowlist proxies do not work.
  4. VPN with stored credentials. For OpenVPN, a session ending with “Proxy rejected the credentials” means the endpoint refused the stored username/password. Changing a VPN password means pasting the full config again — see To change a VPN password.

If it still fails

Press Talk to a person in this chat (or open Help) and include: the proxy label, the exact message, and confirmation that you re-typed the password and re-tested. Never send the password itself. Support cannot read your stored password — it is encrypted and write-only.