A WebRTC leak exposes your real IP address to websites even when you’re connected to a VPN. Use the free test below to find out if your browser is leaking right now — then follow the steps to fix it.
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What Is WebRTC?
WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is a technology built directly into modern browsers — Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, and Opera all include it. It was designed to enable peer-to-peer features like video calls, voice chat, and file sharing without needing a plugin or app.
Unlike regular web traffic that routes through your browser’s HTTP connection, WebRTC establishes direct communication channels between devices. That’s what makes it fast for video calls — and what makes it a serious privacy risk if you use a VPN.
What Is a WebRTC Leak?
A WebRTC leak happens when your browser uses WebRTC’s peer-to-peer connection mechanism to reveal your real IP address — including your local network IP and your public IP — to websites, even if you’re behind a VPN.
When you connect to a VPN, all your traffic is supposed to route through the VPN server. Your real IP should be hidden. But because WebRTC operates at the browser level and bypasses your normal network stack, it can communicate your device’s true IP directly to any site that requests it.
The result: a site can see both your VPN’s IP and your real one — defeating the entire purpose of using a VPN.
This isn’t a bug in any one browser or VPN. It’s a structural behavior of how WebRTC works, and it affects nearly every major browser by default. If you’re unsure whether your VPN is actually protecting you, start with our full VPN leak test — it checks for WebRTC, DNS, IP, and IPv6 leaks simultaneously.
How Does a WebRTC Leak Expose Your IP?
To establish a peer-to-peer connection, WebRTC uses a protocol called ICE (Interactive Connectivity Establishment). As part of this process, it collects what are called ICE candidates — a list of all possible network paths between devices.
This list includes:
- Your local IP address (e.g.,
192.168.1.x) — assigned by your router - Your public IP address — your real IP as seen by the internet
- STUN server responses — a third-party server confirms your public IP to help establish the connection
When a website embeds a small JavaScript request, your browser responds with these ICE candidates — even if you never actually make a video call. The site receives your real public IP before you click anything.
VPNs intercept traffic at the network layer, but this ICE candidate exchange happens inside the browser’s own runtime, outside the scope of what most VPN clients intercept. This is the same structural issue behind DNS leaks — different mechanism, same privacy consequence.
Who Is at Risk?
You are potentially at risk if you:
- Use a VPN for privacy and connect through Chrome, Firefox, or Edge
- Use a browser extension VPN (these are especially vulnerable — more on this below)
- Access geo-restricted content and need your real location hidden
- Work remotely and connect to internal resources over VPN
- Live in a region where your browsing activity could be monitored
Not sure what information your IP already exposes? Check what your IP address reveals about you before testing.
How to Test for a WebRTC Leak
Testing takes under 30 seconds.
Step 1: Note your real IP without VPN
Go to the VPN leak test tool without connecting to your VPN first. Note the public IP address shown — this is your real IP.
Step 2: Connect to your VPN
Enable your VPN client and wait for it to confirm a successful connection.
Step 3: Run the test again
Reload the leak test page and compare the IP addresses shown in the WebRTC section.
What the results mean:
| Result | What it means |
|---|---|
| Only your VPN’s IP is shown | No leak — you’re protected |
| Your real IP appears alongside the VPN IP | Active WebRTC leak |
| A local IP (192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x) appears | Minor local IP exposure — lower risk, still worth fixing |
| No IP shown at all | WebRTC is disabled in your browser |
If your real public IP appears while your VPN is active, your VPN is not protecting you from WebRTC leaks.
How to Fix a WebRTC Leak
There are three approaches, ordered from easiest to most thorough.
Fix 1: Use a VPN That Blocks WebRTC Leaks at the Client Level
The cleanest long-term solution is a VPN client that handles WebRTC internally — intercepting the ICE candidate exchange before it leaves your device. Full desktop VPN clients operate at the OS network driver level and have visibility over all outgoing traffic, including WebRTC’s UDP packets.
Recommended VPNs that handle WebRTC leaks:
- PureVPN — Full desktop client with WebRTC and DNS leak protection built in. Starts at $2.14/month. Our top pick for privacy users. (affiliate link)
- IPVanish — Unlimited simultaneous connections, strong leak protection. Ideal for households or multiple devices. (affiliate link)
- Surfshark — Budget-friendly at $2.19/month with solid leak protection and CleanWeb ad blocking included. (affiliate link)
After switching or installing a full desktop client, re-run the WebRTC leak test to confirm it worked. For a side-by-side comparison of these options, see our best VPN for privacy guide and the full VPN comparison.
Note on VPN browser extensions: If you’re currently using a browser extension VPN (like the ones offered by NordVPN, Surfshark, or similar), this is almost certainly the root cause. Extensions only proxy HTTP/HTTPS traffic — they have no control over WebRTC’s separate peer-to-peer path. Switch to the full desktop application. See our are free VPNs safe? article for more on extension VPN limitations.
Fix 2: Disable WebRTC in Your Browser
If you don’t use browser-based video calls, you can disable WebRTC entirely. This is the most reliable fix.
Firefox
Firefox is the only major browser that natively supports disabling WebRTC through its settings:
- Type
about:configin the address bar and press Enter - Accept the warning if prompted
- Search for
media.peerconnection.enabled - Double-click the entry to toggle it to
false - Restart Firefox, then re-run the leak test
Firefox is also our recommended browser for privacy-conscious users — see Chrome vs Firefox for a full comparison.
Chrome
Chrome has no built-in WebRTC toggle, but you can use a browser extension:
- uBlock Origin — go to Settings > Advanced, then enable Prevent WebRTC from leaking local IP addresses
- WebRTC Leak Prevent — open source, widely audited, single-purpose tool
Disabling WebRTC breaks browser-based video calls (Google Meet, Discord web, Zoom web). If you need those services, use Fix 1 or Fix 3 instead.
Edge
- Go to
edge://flagsin the address bar - Search for
Anonymize local IPs exposed by WebRTC - Set it to Enabled
- Relaunch Edge
Brave
Brave has a native privacy setting for this:
- Go to
brave://settings/privacy - Find WebRTC IP Handling Policy
- Set it to Disable Non-Proxied UDP
Brave is worth considering as a full browser switch — see our Brave vs Chrome comparison for what you gain.
Fix 3: Switch to a Privacy-Focused Browser
Browsers built for privacy handle WebRTC differently by default:
- Brave — routes WebRTC through the VPN tunnel when a VPN is active and restricts IP exposure natively
- Firefox — supports full WebRTC disabling through
about:config(as shown above); see Chrome vs Firefox - Tor Browser — disables WebRTC entirely by default; see what is Tor for a full explainer
Why VPN Browser Extensions Often Fail
VPN browser extensions are popular because they’re fast to install and easy to toggle. But they have a fundamental limitation: they operate as HTTP/HTTPS proxies only.
When WebRTC initiates a peer-to-peer ICE negotiation, it communicates outside the HTTP layer entirely. The extension has no visibility into this exchange. Your real IP is transmitted before the extension can intercept it.
Full desktop VPN clients operate at the network driver level. They intercept all outgoing traffic — including WebRTC’s UDP packets. This is why a desktop VPN is significantly more reliable than a browser extension for preventing WebRTC leaks.
If you’re deciding between VPN options, our VPN vs Proxy guide and VPN vs Tor comparison are good next reads.
WebRTC Leaks vs. DNS Leaks: What’s the Difference?
Both are privacy vulnerabilities that can expose your identity while using a VPN, but they work differently.
| WebRTC Leak | DNS Leak | |
|---|---|---|
| What leaks | Your real IP address | Your DNS queries (sites you visit) |
| How it leaks | Browser’s peer-to-peer ICE mechanism | DNS requests routed outside the VPN tunnel |
| Who can see it | Any website with embedded JavaScript | Your ISP or DNS provider |
| How to test | WebRTC leak test | VPN leak test — DNS tab |
| How to fix | Disable WebRTC or use a full desktop VPN | Change DNS settings or use a VPN with DNS leak protection |
It’s worth testing for both. A VPN can protect you against one and still be vulnerable to the other. Our VPN leak test checks both simultaneously, alongside IPv6 leak detection.
For a deeper dive into DNS privacy risks, read what is a DNS leak and your ISP’s DNS is spying on every site you visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every website test for WebRTC leaks?
No — a website needs to actively include JavaScript that initiates an ICE candidate request to detect your IP this way. Most ordinary websites don’t. However, advertising networks, tracking companies, and sites with video functionality commonly include this code, often without your knowledge.
Can a WebRTC leak happen on mobile?
WebRTC leaks are primarily a desktop browser issue. Mobile browsers have more restricted access to network interfaces, and many mobile VPN clients operate at the OS level. That said, Chrome on Android can still exhibit WebRTC behavior — running the test on mobile is worthwhile.
Will disabling WebRTC break anything?
Yes — browser-based video and voice calls rely on WebRTC: Google Meet, Discord (web), Zoom (web), Jitsi, and similar services. If you use these, use Fix 1 (a full desktop VPN) rather than disabling WebRTC entirely. See our how to use a VPN — beginner’s guide for setup help.
My VPN claims to prevent WebRTC leaks. Should I still test?
Yes. Marketing claims and actual technical behavior don’t always match. The only verification is running the test yourself while connected. If it shows your real IP, your VPN is not handling WebRTC correctly — regardless of what it advertises. See how to check if your VPN is working for a full checklist.
Is a local IP leak (192.168.x.x) dangerous?
Your local IP doesn’t reveal your physical location to external parties — it only exists inside your home network. However, it can fingerprint your device across sessions. It’s a lower-severity issue than a public IP leak, but worth fixing. Read public vs private IP addresses for more context.
Does this WebRTC leak test store my IP address?
No. The test runs entirely in your browser. Your IP is detected client-side and displayed to you — it is not logged or stored.
Does a VPN hide your IP address from WebRTC?
Only if it’s a full desktop client with active WebRTC leak protection. Browser extension VPNs typically do not. Read does a VPN hide your IP address for the full answer.
Summary
WebRTC leaks are a real and widespread privacy gap. They can expose your true IP address even when you believe a VPN is protecting you.
- Fastest fix: Use uBlock Origin in Chrome to restrict WebRTC IP handling
- Most reliable fix: Switch from a browser extension VPN to a full desktop client — PureVPN, IPVanish, or Surfshark all handle this correctly
- Most thorough fix: Disable WebRTC in your browser settings and switch to Brave or Firefox
Always verify with a test after making changes. Run the free WebRTC leak test to confirm your fix worked — it takes 10 seconds.
Related tools: VPN Leak Test · IP Lookup · DNS Checker · Port Scanner
Related guides: What Is a DNS Leak · Does a VPN Hide Your IP · How to Hide Your IP Address · Are Free VPNs Safe? · VPN Kill Switch Explained