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WebRTC Leak Test — Is Your Browser Exposing Your Real IP?

Check if WebRTC is exposing your real IP address behind a VPN

Last updated: April 1, 2026

Probing WebRTC connections...

What is a WebRTC leak?

WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is a browser technology used for video calls, voice chat, and peer-to-peer file sharing. To establish direct connections, WebRTC needs to discover your network interfaces — including your real IP address.

Even when using a VPN, WebRTC can bypass the tunnel and reveal your actual public and local IP addresses to any website. This is known as a WebRTC leak. Most VPN browser extensions can disable WebRTC, and some browsers offer settings to prevent this.

How to prevent WebRTC leaks

Firefox

Set media.peerconnection.enabled to false in about:config

Chrome / Edge

Use a WebRTC-blocking extension like WebRTC Leak Prevent

VPN Extension

Most quality VPN browser extensions include WebRTC leak protection

Why WebRTC Leaks Are Dangerous

WebRTC is built into every major browser — Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, and Opera all support it. It powers video calls, voice chat, screen sharing, and peer-to-peer file transfers. To make these real-time connections work, WebRTC must discover all available network interfaces on your device.

The problem is that this discovery process happens at the browser level, completely outside your VPN tunnel. Even if your VPN is active and encrypting all other traffic, a single JavaScript call can instruct your browser to enumerate its network interfaces and reveal both your local and public IP addresses.

This makes WebRTC leaks uniquely dangerous — they require no special access, no plugins, and no user interaction. Any website can silently check for WebRTC leaks and identify your real IP address in milliseconds. Combined with browser fingerprinting, this can permanently de-anonymize VPN users.

The only reliable defenses are browser-level controls: disabling WebRTC entirely (possible in Firefox), using a WebRTC-blocking extension, or choosing a VPN with built-in WebRTC leak protection that intercepts these API calls before they can expose your real IP.

Recommended Browser Extensions

While disabling WebRTC entirely is the most thorough fix, browser extensions offer a practical middle ground — they block WebRTC IP leaks while keeping video calling and other real-time features functional. Here are the best options for each major browser.

Chrome doesn't offer a built-in setting to disable WebRTC, so extensions are your primary defense. WebRTC Leak Prevent is the most popular option — it controls WebRTC's IP handling policy without breaking video calls. uBlock Origin also includes a WebRTC leak prevention toggle under its Privacy settings. If you use a VPN, check whether your provider's Chrome extension includes built-in WebRTC protection — NordVPN and Proton VPN's extensions both offer this.

Firefox is the only major browser that lets you fully disable WebRTC without an extension. Navigate to about:config in the address bar, search for media.peerconnection.enabled, and set it to false. This completely prevents WebRTC IP enumeration. If you need WebRTC for video calls, consider using an extension like uBlock Origin instead, which can selectively block WebRTC leaks while allowing legitimate peer connections to function when you choose.

Brave includes built-in WebRTC leak protection. Go to Settings > Privacy and Security > WebRTC IP handling policy and select "Disable non-proxied UDP." This prevents your real IP from leaking through WebRTC while still allowing WebRTC to function through your VPN or proxy.

Safari restricts WebRTC by default more than other browsers. It does not expose local IP addresses through WebRTC and requires user permission for camera/microphone access. For most users, Safari's default behavior provides adequate WebRTC leak protection without additional configuration.

How to Disable WebRTC

If you don't use browser-based video calling (Google Meet, Zoom web client, Discord in-browser), disabling WebRTC entirely eliminates any possibility of a leak. In Firefox, set media.peerconnection.enabled to false in about:config. In Brave, change the WebRTC policy to disable non-proxied UDP. Chrome and Edge require extensions since they don't expose a native toggle. Be aware that disabling WebRTC will break browser-based real-time communication — you'll need to use native desktop apps instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a WebRTC leak?
A WebRTC leak occurs when your browser reveals your real IP address through the WebRTC API, even while you're connected to a VPN. WebRTC is a built-in browser technology for real-time communication that needs to discover your network interfaces — and this discovery can bypass your VPN tunnel entirely.
Can every website check for WebRTC leaks?
Yes. Any website can use a few lines of JavaScript to create a WebRTC peer connection and enumerate your IP addresses. This happens silently in the background without any notification or permission prompt. That's what makes WebRTC leaks particularly dangerous for privacy.
How do I disable WebRTC in my browser?
In Firefox, type about:config in the address bar and set media.peerconnection.enabled to false. In Chrome and Edge, you'll need a browser extension like WebRTC Leak Prevent or uBlock Origin (which has a WebRTC blocking option). Safari has a developer option to disable ICE candidate restrictions.
Will disabling WebRTC break anything?
Disabling WebRTC will prevent browser-based video calls, voice chat, and screen sharing from working (e.g., Google Meet, Discord in-browser, Zoom web client). If you rely on these services, use a VPN extension with WebRTC leak protection instead of disabling WebRTC entirely.
Does my VPN protect against WebRTC leaks?
Not automatically. Standard VPN apps encrypt your traffic but don't control browser-level APIs. Some VPN browser extensions include WebRTC leak protection that blocks or restricts WebRTC IP discovery. Check your VPN provider's extension settings for a WebRTC leak protection toggle.

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