# Bitwarden app won't connect to my VW instance **URL:** \ **Category:** Help\ **Created:** [May 19, 2025, 10:26am UTC](https://vaultwarden.discourse.group/t/bitwarden-app-wont-connect-to-my-vw-instance/4648 "2025-05-19T10:26:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GrosJambon33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@GrosJambon33](https://vaultwarden.discourse.group/u/GrosJambon33)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 10:26am UTC](https://vaultwarden.discourse.group/t/bitwarden-app-wont-connect-to-my-vw-instance/4648/1 "2025-05-19T10:26:11Z")
Hello guys, I’ve installed the Vaultwarden container on my Debian 12.1 home server. The web app is working flawlessly. But i’m facing trouble configuring the Bitwarden app on my android device. I’m connected to my home server through a Wireguard tunnel (other services such as Nextcloud, Jellyfin and so work fine). But i can’t login to my Vaultwarden account on the BW app. In the login page i choose “self hosted”, then i put in the server URL field the URL and port of my instance. In “personnalised environment” all fields are empty. I’ve imported the self signed certificate into my phone through Android settings. But when trying to connect then, i got a popup saying, “An error occured. We couldn’t process your request. Try again or contact us” So i really don’t know where the error comes from. I’m on latest BW app version. and on Android 15. Thanks in advance for your help, GrosJambon ---
**Author:** ![GrosJambon33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@GrosJambon33](https://vaultwarden.discourse.group/u/GrosJambon33)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 10:03pm UTC](https://vaultwarden.discourse.group/t/bitwarden-app-wont-connect-to-my-vw-instance/4648/2 "2025-05-23T22:03:25Z")
Any help on this issue ? Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![jisqyv](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/vaultwarden.discourse.group/jisqyv/32/1513_2.png) [@jisqyv](https://vaultwarden.discourse.group/u/jisqyv)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 1:25am UTC](https://vaultwarden.discourse.group/t/bitwarden-app-wont-connect-to-my-vw-instance/4648/3 "2025-05-25T01:25:53Z")
Can you obtain a public certificate, say from Let’s Encrypt and try that? I’m guessing (though it is an educated guess) that the Android App is not happy with the self-signed certificate. -Jeff ---
**Author:** ![GrosJambon33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@GrosJambon33](https://vaultwarden.discourse.group/u/GrosJambon33)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 1:17pm UTC](https://vaultwarden.discourse.group/t/bitwarden-app-wont-connect-to-my-vw-instance/4648/4 "2025-05-25T13:17:31Z")
thanks for your answer, Do i need to open specific port on my router in order to use a public certificate ? if, yes i won’t be able to do so, i don’t want to open any port on my router (except the wireguard port). Is there any official statement saying that the Android app is not happy with self-signed certificate ? ---
**Author:** ![Partridge2562](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Partridge2562](https://vaultwarden.discourse.group/u/Partridge2562)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 5:27pm UTC](https://vaultwarden.discourse.group/t/bitwarden-app-wont-connect-to-my-vw-instance/4648/5 "2025-05-25T17:27:07Z")
Search for [DNS challenge](https://github.com/dani-garcia/vaultwarden/wiki/Running-a-private-vaultwarden-instance-with-Let's-Encrypt-certs) as it works without opening any ports. I used to open a port for a minute or two every 90 days to renew the certificate which isn’t that big of a deal. ---
**Author:** ![jisqyv](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/vaultwarden.discourse.group/jisqyv/32/1513_2.png) [@jisqyv](https://vaultwarden.discourse.group/u/jisqyv)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 11:05pm UTC](https://vaultwarden.discourse.group/t/bitwarden-app-wont-connect-to-my-vw-instance/4648/6 "2025-05-26T23:05:40Z")
I’ve been looking at the Bitwarden Android source, it is open source. I’m pretty sure it won’t trust a simple self-signed certificate. However, you should be able to create your own self-signed Certificate Authority (CA) certificate and then sign your Vaultwarden server certificate with that certificate. You then install your CA certificate on your android device. ---
**Author:** ![GrosJambon33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@GrosJambon33](https://vaultwarden.discourse.group/u/GrosJambon33)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 2:00pm UTC](https://vaultwarden.discourse.group/t/bitwarden-app-wont-connect-to-my-vw-instance/4648/7 "2025-06-16T14:00:14Z")
So i’ve ended up buying a domain and setting up DNS challenge to get Let’s Encrypt certificate. And now i can connect through Bitwarden clients. Problem solved. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Partridge2562](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Partridge2562](https://vaultwarden.discourse.group/u/Partridge2562)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2025, 12:27pm UTC](https://vaultwarden.discourse.group/t/bitwarden-app-wont-connect-to-my-vw-instance/4648/8 "2025-06-23T12:27:15Z")
If someone doesn’t mind a [numeric xyz domain](https://www.reddit.com/r/homelab/comments/vtqg9m/psa_any_xyz_domain_of_the_format_69_digitsxyz_is/) they are very inexpensive and can make things like DNS challenge much easier to setup than those free DDSNS subdomains.