Charles Proxy Certificate on Android 14: The Complete Guide

Installing the Charles Proxy SSL certificate on Android has become increasingly difficult with each new version. Android 14 introduces even stricter security policies for user-installed certificates.

The Problem with Android 14

Since Android 7.0 (Nougat), apps ignore user-installed certificates by default. You need to add a network_security_config.xml file to your app's source code to trust user certificates.

In Android 14, user certificates are no longer listed in the "Trusted Credentials" user tab in the same way, and installing them requires navigating through deep settings menus.

Method 1: The Official Way (Requires App Code Changes)

1. Create a file res/xml/network_security_config.xml in your Android project.
2. Add the following code:

   <network-security-config>
       <debug-overrides>
           <trust-anchors>
               <certificates src="user" />
               <certificates src="system" />
           </trust-anchors>
       </debug-overrides>
   </network-security-config>

3. Reference this file in your AndroidManifest.xml:

   <application android:networkSecurityConfig="@xml/network_security_config" ... >

4. Rebuild and install your app.

Method 2: The Rooted Way (Not Recommended)

If you have a rooted device, you can move the Charles certificate to the System store using Magisk modules like "Move Certificates". This is risky and not representative of real user devices.

Method 3: The Debuggo Way (Cloud-Based Infrastructure)

While Android's security requirements (the XML file) remain the same for all proxies, Debuggo solves the networking headache. With Charles, you have to reconfigure your phone's proxy settings every time your laptop's IP changes.