Add default instance auto-connect on startup

Adds a settings dropdown to configure which instance should be
automatically connected when the client launches. A companion checkbox
enables triggering MFA prompts during auto-connect for locations that
require it (disabled by default). Selecting "None" (the default)
preserves the existing behaviour of no auto-connect.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: Faerbit

src-tauri/proto

@@ -71,6 +71,10 @@ pub struct AppConfig {
     pub log_level: LevelFilter,
     /// In seconds. How much time after last network activity the connection is automatically dropped.
     pub peer_alive_period: u32,
+    /// Instance ID to automatically connect to on startup. None means no auto-connect.
+    pub default_instance: Option<i64>,
+    /// Whether to also trigger MFA for locations that require it during auto-connect.
+    pub auto_connect_mfa: bool,
 }
 
 // Important: keep in sync with client store default in frontend
@@ -82,6 +86,8 @@ impl Default for AppConfig {
             tray_theme: AppTrayTheme::Color,
             log_level: LevelFilter::Info,
             peer_alive_period: 300,
+            default_instance: None,
+            auto_connect_mfa: false,
         }
     }
 }

src-tauri/src/app_config.rs

@@ -201,6 +201,17 @@ If you are an admin/devops - all your customers (instances) and all their tunnel
                 title: 'Updates',
                 checkboxTitle: 'Check for updates',
               },
+              defaultInstance: {
+                title: 'Default instance',
+                helper:
+                  'The instance that will be automatically connected when the client is launched.',
+                options: {
+                  none: 'None',
+                },
+              },
+              autoConnectMfa: {
+                title: 'Connect MFA locations on startup',
+              },
             },
           },
         },

src/i18n/en/index.ts

@@ -478,6 +478,28 @@ type RootTranslation = {
 								 */
 								checkboxTitle: string
 							}
+							defaultInstance: {
+								/**
+								 * D​e​f​a​u​l​t​ ​i​n​s​t​a​n​c​e
+								 */
+								title: string
+								/**
+								 * T​h​e​ ​i​n​s​t​a​n​c​e​ ​t​h​a​t​ ​w​i​l​l​ ​b​e​ ​a​u​t​o​m​a​t​i​c​a​l​l​y​ ​c​o​n​n​e​c​t​e​d​ ​w​h​e​n​ ​t​h​e​ ​c​l​i​e​n​t​ ​i​s​ ​l​a​u​n​c​h​e​d​.
+								 */
+								helper: string
+								options: {
+									/**
+									 * N​o​n​e
+									 */
+									none: string
+								}
+							}
+							autoConnectMfa: {
+								/**
+								 * C​o​n​n​e​c​t​ ​M​F​A​ ​l​o​c​a​t​i​o​n​s​ ​o​n​ ​s​t​a​r​t​u​p
+								 */
+								title: string
+							}
 						}
 					}
 				}
@@ -2168,6 +2190,28 @@ export type TranslationFunctions = {
 								 */
 								checkboxTitle: () => LocalizedString
 							}
+							defaultInstance: {
+								/**
+								 * Default instance
+								 */
+								title: () => LocalizedString
+								/**
+								 * The instance that will be automatically connected when the client is launched.
+								 */
+								helper: () => LocalizedString
+								options: {
+									/**
+									 * None
+									 */
+									none: () => LocalizedString
+								}
+							}
+							autoConnectMfa: {
+								/**
+								 * Connect MFA locations on startup
+								 */
+								title: () => LocalizedString
+							}
 						}
 					}
 				}

src/i18n/i18n-types.ts

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import './style.scss';
 
 import { useQuery, useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
 import { listen } from '@tauri-apps/api/event';
-import { useEffect } from 'react';
+import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 import { Outlet, useLocation, useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { shallow } from 'zustand/shallow';
 import AutoProvisioningManager from '../../components/AutoProvisioningManager';
@@ -23,10 +23,11 @@ import {
   ClientConnectionType,
   type CommonWireguardFields,
   type DeadConDroppedPayload,
+  LocationMfaType,
   TauriEventKey,
 } from './types';
 
-const { getInstances, getTunnels, getAppConfig } = clientApi;
+const { getInstances, getTunnels, getAppConfig, getLocations, connect } = clientApi;
 
 export const ClientPage = () => {
   const queryClient = useQueryClient();
@@ -40,6 +41,8 @@ export const ClientPage = () => {
     state.listChecked,
     state.setListChecked,
   ]);
+  // Ref (not state) so the flag persists across re-renders without triggering them.
+  const autoConnectAttempted = useRef(false);
   const location = useLocation();
   const toaster = useToaster();
   const openDeadConDroppedModal = useDeadConDroppedModal((s) => s.open);
@@ -221,6 +224,39 @@ export const ClientPage = () => {
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [appConfig]);
 
+  // Auto-connect the configured default instance once on startup.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (autoConnectAttempted.current || !instances || !appConfig) return;
+    const defaultInstanceId = appConfig.default_instance;
+    if (defaultInstanceId === null) return;
+    const instance = instances.find((i) => i.id === defaultInstanceId);
+    if (!instance) return;
+    autoConnectAttempted.current = true;
+    setClientState({
+      selectedInstance: { id: instance.id, type: ClientConnectionType.LOCATION },
+    });
+    getLocations({ instanceId: instance.id })
+      .then((locations) => {
+        for (const loc of locations) {
+          const mfaEnabled =
+            loc.location_mfa_mode === LocationMfaType.INTERNAL ||
+            loc.location_mfa_mode === LocationMfaType.EXTERNAL;
+          // MFA locations must go through the modal flow which collects
+          // credentials before calling connect — calling connect directly
+          // would mark the location active in the DB without a tunnel.
+          if (mfaEnabled) {
+            if (appConfig.auto_connect_mfa) openMFAModal(loc);
+          } else {
+            connect({ locationId: loc.id, connectionType: ClientConnectionType.LOCATION }).catch(
+              () => undefined,
+            );
+          }
+        }
+      })
+      .catch(() => undefined);
+    // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
+  }, [instances, appConfig]);
+
   // navigate to carousel on first app Launch
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!location.pathname.includes(routes.client.carousel) && firstLaunch) {

src/pages/client/ClientPage.tsx

@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ export type AppConfig = {
   tray_theme: TrayIconTheme;
   check_for_updates: boolean;
   peer_alive_period: number;
+  default_instance: number | null;
+  auto_connect_mfa: boolean;
 };
 
 export type ProvisioningConfig = {

src/pages/client/clientAPI/types.ts

@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ const defaultValues: StoreValues = {
     tray_theme: 'color',
     check_for_updates: true,
     peer_alive_period: 300,
+    default_instance: null,
+    auto_connect_mfa: false,
   },
 };
 

src/pages/client/hooks/useClientStore.tsx

@@ -4,10 +4,12 @@ import { zodResolver } from '@hookform/resolvers/zod';
 import { useMutation } from '@tanstack/react-query';
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
 import {
+  type Control,
   type SubmitHandler,
   type UseControllerProps,
   useController,
   useForm,
+  useWatch,
 } from 'react-hook-form';
 import { z } from 'zod';
 import { shallow } from 'zustand/shallow';
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ import {
   type TrayIconTheme,
 } from '../../../../clientAPI/types';
 import { useClientStore } from '../../../../hooks/useClientStore';
+import type { DefguardInstance } from '../../../../types';
 
 type FormFields = AppConfig;
 
@@ -81,6 +84,8 @@ export const GlobalSettingsTab = () => {
             required_error: LL.form.errors.required(),
           })
           .gte(120, LL.form.errors.minValue({ min: 120 })),
+        default_instance: z.number().nullable(),
+        auto_connect_mfa: z.boolean(),
       }),
     [LL.form.errors],
   );
@@ -139,6 +144,16 @@ export const GlobalSettingsTab = () => {
         </header>
         <FormInput controller={{ control, name: 'peer_alive_period' }} type="number" />
       </section>
+      <section>
+        <header>
+          <h2>{localLL.defaultInstance.title()}</h2>
+          <Helper initialPlacement="right">
+            <p>{localLL.defaultInstance.helper()}</p>
+          </Helper>
+        </header>
+        <DefaultInstanceSelect controller={{ control, name: 'default_instance' }} />
+        <AutoConnectMfaOption control={control} controller={{ control, name: 'auto_connect_mfa' }} />
+      </section>
     </form>
   );
 };
@@ -330,3 +345,69 @@ const CheckForUpdatesOption = ({ controller }: FormMemberProps) => {
     />
   );
 };
+
+const AutoConnectMfaOption = ({
+  controller,
+  control,
+}: FormMemberProps & { control: Control<FormFields> }) => {
+  const { LL } = useI18nContext();
+  const localLL = LL.pages.client.pages.settingsPage.tabs.global;
+  const defaultInstance = useWatch({ control, name: 'default_instance' });
+
+  return (
+    <FormCheckBox
+      labelPlacement="right"
+      label={localLL.autoConnectMfa.title()}
+      controller={controller}
+      disabled={defaultInstance === null}
+    />
+  );
+};
+
+const DefaultInstanceSelect = ({ controller }: FormMemberProps) => {
+  const { LL } = useI18nContext();
+  const localLL = LL.pages.client.pages.settingsPage.tabs.global.defaultInstance;
+  const instances = useClientStore((state) => state.instances);
+
+  const options = useMemo((): SelectOption<number | null>[] => {
+    const noneOption: SelectOption<number | null> = {
+      key: -1,
+      label: localLL.options.none(),
+      value: null,
+    };
+    const instanceOptions: SelectOption<number | null>[] = instances.map(
+      (instance: DefguardInstance) => ({
+        key: instance.id,
+        label: instance.name,
+        value: instance.id,
+      }),
+    );
+    return [noneOption, ...instanceOptions];
+  }, [instances, localLL.options]);
+
+  const renderSelected = useCallback(
+    (value: number | null): SelectSelectedValue => {
+      const option = options.find((o) => o.value === value);
+      if (option) {
+        return {
+          key: option.key,
+          displayValue: option.label,
+        };
+      }
+      return {
+        key: -1,
+        displayValue: localLL.options.none(),
+      };
+    },
+    [options, localLL.options],
+  );
+
+  return (
+    <FormSelect
+      sizeVariant={SelectSizeVariant.STANDARD}
+      options={options}
+      renderSelected={renderSelected}
+      controller={controller}
+    />
+  );
+};