Mobile proxies: questions
What mobile carrier IPs are good for, how to pick a carrier and a location, and how sessions behave on mobile networks.
Mobile proxies use the same gateway, ports and login keys as residential ones. The differences are the network behind the exit and one key of their own, -car- for the carrier.
What is a mobile proxy?
A proxy whose exit IP belongs to a mobile carrier network. Carriers place many subscribers behind one public address, so a site sees the same kind of IP that ordinary phone users have at that moment.
Mobile exits suit apps and sites built for phones, checking ads on mobile placements, testing your own app on real carrier networks, and managing your own social accounts within each platform's rules.
Mobile or residential: which should I choose?
Mobile when the target is a mobile-first platform or app, or when you need to see what carrier users see. Residential for faster responses and for collecting data at volume. Mobile traffic costs more per GB than residential at every tier; compare them on pricing.
The comparison guide looks at social platforms in more detail.
Can I choose the mobile carrier?
Yes, in the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany so far. Add -car- with a carrier from the dashboard's list, for example LOGIN-cc-gb-car-three. Mobile logins take -car- where residential ones take -isp-, and a carrier outside the list is refused with 407.
Can I choose a city on mobile proxies?
Yes. Country, region and city keys work as on residential: LOGIN-cc-us-st-texas-city-dallas. The values come from the dashboard's lists, and a value outside them is refused with 407 instead of being widened to the whole country.
Location databases do not always agree on where a mobile IP is, so check the exit on the IP checker when the city matters.
Can I choose 4G or 5G?
No. The login has no key for the network type, so each exit uses the carrier connection it has at that moment.
How does rotation work on mobile proxies?
The same way as on residential. Without -sid- every connection gets a new IP. With -sid- and a key, connections share one IP for the -ttl- minutes you set, 1 to 60 (10 when left out): LOGIN-cc-de-sid-abc12345-ttl-20.
A mobile exit can change before the time is up when the device behind it reconnects to the network, and no setting keeps one mobile IP longer than 60 minutes. Keep flows that must not break short, and let your tool retry with the same key.
Why are mobile proxies slower?
Every request crosses a cellular network before it reaches the site, which adds delay compared with a home connection. Raise the timeouts in your tools; 30 seconds is a safe start.
Speed also depends on the signal and the load at the exit. The proxy tester shows the speed and the exit country of each line you paste.
Are mobile IPs shared?
Yes. A carrier puts many subscribers behind one public address, so the exit you use is often shared with ordinary phone users at the same time. A sticky key keeps the IP for your session; it does not make it yours alone.
Can I use mobile proxies on my phone?
Yes, a phone can send its traffic through the gateway like any other device. The iPhone and Android guides show where the proxy setting is and which type to choose.
Is mobile traffic separate from residential traffic?
Yes. Each product has its own traffic and its own login and password, on the Mobile and Residential pages. A mobile login with no mobile traffic left gets 402 even while residential traffic remains. Both are paid from the same balance, and neither expires.
Can I use mobile proxies for social media accounts?
Yes, for your own accounts and for clients' accounts you manage with their access, within each platform's rules. A common setup is one sticky key per account profile with the same country and carrier keys, so each session comes from the same place. Creating fake or bulk-operated accounts is not allowed under our Acceptable Use Policy.