How to Prevent WebRTC Leaks
How to prevent WebRTC leaks
A WebRTC leak can expose your real IP address even while a VPN is on. To prevent it, use a VPN that routes your browser traffic — WebRTC included — through its tunnel, then confirm with a leak test. Here's exactly how.
- Stop real-IP leaks
- Works in Chrome
- Test to confirm
The problem
What a WebRTC leak is — in plain terms
Before you fix it, it helps to know what leaks and why. Then you can run a VPN leak test to see your own result.
What a WebRTC leak is
WebRTC is a browser feature for real-time voice and video. To connect peers directly, it can ask your device for its real IP address — and a webpage can read that, sometimes revealing your true IP even while a VPN is running.
Why it slips past a VPN
A VPN reroutes your normal traffic, but WebRTC can gather IP candidates through a separate mechanism. If that isn't handled, a site can see the real IP the VPN was supposed to hide.
Who's actually affected
It mainly matters if you rely on a VPN to keep your real IP private. Full-tunnel setups that route WebRTC through the tunnel are usually fine; the risk shows up with some browser-only or misconfigured setups.
Step by step
Prevent a WebRTC leak in three steps
- 1
Test for a leak first
Run a leak test with your VPN on. If it shows your real IP under the WebRTC section, you have a leak to fix.
- 2
Route WebRTC through the tunnel
Use a browser VPN that keeps your traffic — including WebRTC — inside the encrypted tunnel, so no direct request exposes your real IP.
- 3
Re-test to confirm
Run the leak test again. The WebRTC result should now show the VPN server's IP, not yours. Re-check after browser updates.
The honest bit: Disabling WebRTC entirely will also fix the leak, but it breaks video calls and other real-time features that rely on it. Routing WebRTC through a VPN tunnel keeps those features working while protecting your real IP — and a leak test is the only way to be sure it worked on your setup.
The honest bit
Free because Premium pays the bills — never because we sell your data
The usual catch with a free VPN is that it logs and sells your browsing to make money. Zippa doesn’t. Our free tier is funded by people who upgrade to Premium, and we keep a strict no-logs policy — we don’t record the sites you visit, your real IP, or your DNS queries. There’s simply nothing to sell.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
The questions people actually ask before they install — answered plainly.
Use a VPN that keeps your browser traffic — including WebRTC — inside its tunnel, so the browser can't hand your real IP to a webpage. Then run a leak test with the VPN on to confirm the WebRTC result shows the server's IP, not yours. Re-test after each browser update.
A WebRTC leak is when a webpage uses the browser's built-in real-time communication feature to read your device's real IP address, even while a VPN is active. It happens because WebRTC can gather IP details through a channel separate from your normal, VPN-routed traffic.
Chrome supports WebRTC, so it can expose your real IP if your VPN doesn't route WebRTC through its tunnel. The reliable fix is a VPN that carries all your browser traffic — a leak test with the VPN on tells you for certain whether Chrome is leaking.
Run a VPN leak test while connected. If the WebRTC section shows your real IP address rather than the VPN server's, you have a leak. If it shows the server's IP, WebRTC is being routed safely through the tunnel.
It depends who runs it. Plenty of free VPNs pay their bills by logging and selling browsing data — that's the real catch. Zippa is funded by people who upgrade to Premium, not by your data, and we keep a strict no-logs policy, so there's nothing to record or sell in the first place.
No. Add Zippa to Chrome, pick a location, and start browsing on the free plan — no account or card required to begin. You only create an account if you decide to upgrade to Premium, which starts with a 7-day free trial.
Keep your real IP hidden
Free on 4 countries, no card. Confirm it’s working with a VPN leak test.
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