Check if your VPN is leaking your real IP address via WebRTC
WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is a browser technology that enables peer-to-peer audio, video, and data transfer without plugins. While it's useful for video calls and screen sharing, it can also leak your real IP address even when you're using a VPN.
When a website uses WebRTC to establish a peer-to-peer connection, it can discover all of your network interfaces — including your VPN tunnel and your real ISP IP address. Even if your regular HTTP requests go through the VPN, WebRTC can bypass the proxy and reveal your true IP.
The test above works by establishing a WebRTC connection and reading the local IP addresses exposed by the browser. If the detected IPs include your real ISP IP (not the VPN IP), you have a WebRTC leak.
DNS Leak — Your DNS queries go through your ISP instead of the VPN, revealing the websites you visit.
IPv6 Leak — If your network supports IPv6 and the VPN doesn't handle it, your IPv6 address can leak.
IP Leak — In rare cases, your actual IP address can leak even without WebRTC, typically due to misconfigured VPN software.
WebRTC is a browser technology for peer-to-peer communication. It can discover all your network interfaces, including your VPN tunnel and your real ISP IP address, bypassing your proxy/VPN.
In Chrome/Edge, go to Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → WebRTC and set to "Don't allow." In Firefox, set media.peerconnection.enabled to false in about:config.
Not automatically. While a VPN routes your regular traffic through an encrypted tunnel, WebRTC operates at a different layer and can expose your real IP unless you explicitly disable it or use a VPN with built-in WebRTC protection.
A WebRTC leak test checks whether your real IP address is being exposed through the Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) protocol, even when you're using a VPN or proxy. WebRTC is a technology that enables peer-to-peer audio, video, and data sharing in web browsers, but it can inadvertently reveal your actual IP address if not properly configured.
When a website uses WebRTC for peer-to-peer connections (like video calls, screen sharing, or WebTorrent), the browser attempts to establish a direct connection between peers. During this process, the browser reveals all available IP addresses — including your local IP and public IP — through the ICE (Interactive Connectivity Establishment) protocol. If you're using a VPN, WebRTC may bypass the VPN tunnel and expose your real IP address to the website.
The primary reason users employ VPNs is to mask their real IP address and browse anonymously. A WebRTC leak defeats this purpose entirely — even if your HTTP traffic goes through the VPN, WebRTC connections can reveal your true location to websites. This is particularly dangerous when accessing geo-restricted content, as websites can detect your real IP and block access. IPIPAI's WebRTC leak test helps you verify whether your VPN is fully protecting your identity.
Many popular websites use WebRTC: Google Meet, Zoom, Discord, Microsoft Teams, WebTorrent sites, peer-to-peer file sharing services, video conferencing platforms, and even some social media features. Every time you visit a site that uses WebRTC, your real IP address could potentially be exposed if your browser or VPN doesn't have WebRTC leak protection enabled.
To prevent WebRTC leaks, you have several options: enable WebRTC blocking in your VPN client (many premium VPNs offer this), install browser extensions that block WebRTC (like WebRTC Block for Chrome or Firefox), disable WebRTC in browser settings (Chrome: chrome://settings/content/peerConnection, Firefox: about:config → media.peerconnection.enabled = false), use Tor Browser which blocks WebRTC by default, or use a browser in private/incognito mode with VPN extensions.
While both WebRTC leaks and DNS leaks expose your real identity, they work differently. A DNS leak occurs when your DNS queries go to your ISP's DNS servers instead of your VPN's DNS, revealing which websites you visit. A WebRTC leak exposes your actual IP address directly. Both types of leaks compromise your anonymity, so it's important to test for both. IPIPAI provides both WebRTC leak test and DNS leak test tools.
Without a VPN, WebRTC should show your public IP address (assigned by your ISP) and your local network IP (192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x). With a properly configured VPN, WebRTC should show only the VPN server's IP address. If you see both the VPN IP and your real IP, you have a WebRTC leak. If you see only your real IP, the VPN is not protecting WebRTC traffic.
Different browsers handle WebRTC differently. Chrome and Edge have aggressive WebRTC that may leak more easily. Firefox has built-in WebRTC IP handling options (about:config → media.peerconnection.ice.default_address_only). Safari has more restrictive WebRTC by default. Tor Browser completely blocks WebRTC. Opera has built-in VPN that handles WebRTC differently. Test each browser separately with IPIPAI's WebRTC leak test.
The best way to test your VPN's WebRTC protection: first disconnect from your VPN and run IPIPAI's WebRTC test — note your real IP. Then connect to your VPN and run the test again. If only the VPN server IP appears, your VPN has WebRTC protection. If both IPs appear, enable WebRTC blocking in your VPN settings or install a browser extension.
A WebRTC leak occurs when your real IP address is exposed through the WebRTC protocol, even when using a VPN or proxy. This can reveal your true location and defeat the anonymity provided by your VPN.
Use IPIPAI's WebRTC leak test. If you see your real ISP IP address in addition to your VPN IP, you have a WebRTC leak. If only the VPN IP appears, your connection is properly protected.
Go to chrome://settings/content/peerConnection and set "Allowed to connect to peer connections using media stream sources" to "Don't allow". Alternatively, use a WebRTC blocking extension from the Chrome Web Store.
WebRTC itself is not dangerous — it enables useful features like video calls. However, it can leak your IP address if you're trying to remain anonymous. For general browsing, WebRTC is safe. For VPN users or those accessing sensitive content, blocking WebRTC is recommended.