Surfshark says it has rolled out a fix for Windows login issues, iOS users asked to reach out for support

Surfshark appears to have resolved the widespread Windows login problems that hit users earlier today, with the VPN provider pushing out an update after several hours of disruption.

The issues started surfacing a few hours ago when user reports began spiking on DownDetector and social media platforms. Windows users found themselves locked out of their accounts, with many describing cryptic error messages about background services that needed restarting.

Here’s how one described their experience on Reddit:

I have done everything I physically can to try and get it to work. I’ve reset my computer, I’ve reinstalled Surfshark, I’ve used mobile data to try and log in, I’ve WAITED, I’ve checked my router.. quite literally everything on their help site I have done and it still refuses to let me log into my account.

Another user added:

Got the message about the background service not running. Restarted PC. No joy. Reinstalled Windows Surfshark application, no joy. Reset password, no joy.

When I checked Reddit’s r/surfshark forum, I found dozens of similar complaints, with users reporting that reinstalling the app made things worse rather than better. Many got stuck in loops where the login page kept saying “wrong email/password” even after multiple password resets.

The problem seemed specific to Windows users, as Android users largely reported normal functionality throughout the outage. However, some iOS users did mention connection issues as the day went on.

What made the situation particularly frustrating was that the app wasn’t being upfront about server-side problems. Instead of displaying a maintenance message, it kept throwing authentication errors that sent users down troubleshooting rabbit holes.

Surfshark acknowledged the issue on X around midday, saying that “We’re aware that some Windows users are experiencing login issues. Our team has identified the cause and is actively working on a fix.”

Then, under an hour ago, the company confirmed that version 6.1.1 had been released to address the Windows bugs. Users began reporting successful connections after updating, though some needed to restart their PCs to complete the process.

For iOS users facing similar problems, Surfshark took a different approach. Rather than rolling out a universal fix, they’re directing affected iPhone and iPad users to contact support directly.

If you’re still having trouble, make sure you’re running the latest version of the Surfshark app. A simple restart might also help if the update doesn’t immediately resolve things. And if you’ve found another workaround that’s been effective, feel free to share it with other users who might be struggling with the same issue.

We stand out from the tech-media crowd because we break news stories; we mainly bring you stuff that you won’t find anywhere in the mainstream tech media. Our stories have been picked up by some of the world’s most popular websites and media outlets—more info is available here.