Privacy & security
WebRTC leak test
WebRTC powers video calls in your browser, but it can also reveal your real IP address. Let’s see what it shows.
Asking your browser what WebRTC reveals…
What is a WebRTC leak?
WebRTC lets browsers make video and voice calls directly to each other. To find the best connection, your browser asks a "STUN" server what your public IP address is – and that request can bypass some VPN apps and browser proxy extensions. A website can then see your real IP address, even though your VPN is on.
How to fix a WebRTC leak
- Use a VPN app (not just a browser extension) and turn on its leak protection or kill switch.
- Firefox: set
media.peerconnection.enabledto false inabout:configif you never make browser calls. - Chrome / Edge: use a trusted extension that limits WebRTC, or the VPN provider's own extension.
- Brave: Settings → Privacy → "WebRTC IP handling policy" → Disable non-proxied UDP.
What the different addresses mean
WebRTC can discover several kinds of address. The test lists each one it finds, and they are not all equally sensitive:
- Public IP (from STUN). The address the outside world sees. With a VPN on, this must be the VPN’s address. If it shows your home provider’s IP, that is a real leak.
- Local / private IP such as
192.168.1.23or10.0.0.5. These only work inside your network and cannot be used to find you, but they can help a website tell users on the same network apart. - mDNS name ending in
.local, for example3f2a9c1e-….local. Modern Chrome, Edge and Safari hide your local IP behind a random name like this. This is good – nothing is leaking. - IPv6 address. If your VPN only handles IPv4, WebRTC may reveal your real IPv6 address even though your IPv4 is hidden.
Why WebRTC leaks happen
To set up a video call directly between two browsers, WebRTC asks a STUN server “what address do you see me coming from?” and gathers every network interface on your device. A properly configured VPN routes that STUN request through the tunnel too, so the answer is the VPN’s address. Leaks happen when the VPN uses split tunnelling, only covers IPv4, or is a browser extension proxy that handles web pages but not WebRTC traffic.
Quick checklist
- Run this test with your VPN off and note your public IP.
- Turn the VPN on and run it again. Your original public IP must not appear anywhere.
- If it does, enable the VPN app’s “WebRTC protection” or “block IPv6” option, or follow the browser steps in our guide How to stop WebRTC leaks.
- Repeat in every browser you use – each one has its own WebRTC settings.
WebRTC leak test – frequently asked questions
Will disabling WebRTC break video calls?
Fully disabling it will stop browser-based calls in Google Meet, Discord, Teams on the web and similar services. A softer option is to keep WebRTC on but restrict it to the VPN interface, which most VPN apps and privacy extensions can do.
Does a desktop VPN app protect against WebRTC leaks?
A full-device VPN app usually does, because all traffic – including STUN – goes through the tunnel. Browser-extension “VPNs” are really proxies and are much more likely to leak.
Is it a problem that my local IP is shown?
Not a serious one. A private address like 192.168.1.23 is used by millions of home networks and cannot locate you. Modern browsers hide it with an mDNS name anyway.
Does this test send my IP to anyone?
Your browser contacts public STUN servers run by Cloudflare and Google, which see your public IP just as any website would. The comparison happens in your browser and nothing is stored by us.