You set up a SOCKS5 proxy and the profile shows the proxy's IP. But your browser has a second way to talk to the internet, and it can mention your real IP right next to the proxy one. That is a WebRTC leak.
A WebRTC leak test shows it in a few seconds. Open the profile that uses the proxy, run the test, and check that no address on the page belongs to your own connection.
This is the sister check to the DNS leak check. Do both once for every new profile.
Key takeaways
- WebRTC is the browser feature behind calls and video. It can report your real IP, even with a proxy set.
- Test inside the profile that uses the proxy, at browserleaks.com/webrtc.
- A clean result shows the proxy's IP, or no public IP at all. It never shows your home or office address.
- Antidetect browsers have a WebRTC setting. Pick the mode that replaces the address with the proxy's, or switch WebRTC off.
- Switching it off can break calls and looks unusual on some sites.
What WebRTC is
WebRTC is a part of the browser that lets a web page start a call, a video chat or a screen share without a plugin. Video meeting sites, support chat widgets and some games use it.
To connect two people directly, the browser has to learn which network addresses it can be reached on. So it asks, and it collects the answers: the address of your device inside your network, and your public IP as the outside world sees it.
A web page can read those answers with a few lines of script. The visitor doesn't have to start a call, and the browser usually shows no permission prompt for this lookup.
Why it can show your real IP
A SOCKS5 proxy in the profile settings covers the normal page traffic. The WebRTC lookup is a different kind of traffic, and the browser can send it on its own, straight from your connection.
The page then gets two public IPs: the proxy's from the normal request, and yours from WebRTC. A Texas residential IP next to your real address in another country is the kind of mismatch that leak tests flag and fraud checks may weigh.
It also works against the point of a proxy for a team or a client. The goal is a steady, matching location for each account. A second address from somewhere else breaks that.
Run a WebRTC leak test
- Open the browser profile that uses the proxy. Don't test in your normal browser, it has no proxy.
- In that profile, open browserleaks.com/webrtc.
- Wait for the page to finish. It lists the addresses your browser reports.
- Compare each public IP with the proxy's IP, which you can see on any IP check page opened in the same profile.
- Repeat after any change to the profile's proxy or WebRTC setting.
What a clean result looks like
- The public IP is the proxy's IP.
- Or the public IP field is empty or says WebRTC is not supported, if you disabled it.
- The local address, if shown, is hidden or a random-looking name. It should not be a normal home network address.
- Your real IP appears nowhere.
If any line shows the address of your own provider, you have a leak.
How to fix it in an antidetect browser
Dolphin Anty, AdsPower, GoLogin, Multilogin, Octo Browser and Incogniton all have a WebRTC setting in the profile. The names differ from browser to browser and change between versions, so look for the same ideas under different labels.
- Replace with the proxy IP. Often called something like "based on IP", "altered", "replace" or "masked". The browser reports the proxy's address instead of yours. This is the usual choice.
- Disabled. WebRTC is turned off, so nothing can leak. Simple, but see the next section.
- Real. The browser reports your own IP. Fine for tests on your own, wrong for a profile on a proxy.
- Manual or custom. You type the address yourself. Rarely needed.
For a profile with a proxy, pick the replace-style mode first, save, restart the profile and run the test again. If the proxy's IP shows up and nothing else, you are done. The AdsPower setup guide shows where the proxy fields sit in a profile; WebRTC is a separate setting in the same profile.
In a plain browser profile, there is often no simple switch for this. Some browsers have an advanced setting to turn WebRTC off, and others need an extension. Whichever you use, run the test after.
Common mistakes
- Testing in the wrong browser window. The test only means something in the profile with the proxy.
- Leaving the mode on "real" without checking what the profile uses.
- Changing the setting and not restarting the profile.
- Disabling WebRTC and then wondering why a video call tool fails.
- Fixing the leak, then forgetting to check a cloned profile. Clones can carry the old setting.
Limits: when disabling is not the answer
Turning WebRTC off removes the leak. It also stops anything that needs it: video meetings, browser calls and some chat widgets won't connect.
It can look odd too. Most normal browsers have WebRTC, so a visitor without it may stand out to some sites. If you need calls, or want the profile to look like an ordinary browser, the replace mode is the better fit.
Real-time apps and UDP
Calls and video usually run over UDP, a kind of traffic many proxies can't carry. Some Elusive proxies support UDP. It is flagged in the catalog and you can filter by it, so real-time apps can run through the proxy. Not every proxy has it, so filter for it if you need it.
For ordinary browsing and account work you don't need UDP. See pricing and the catalog for the filters.
If the site still blocks you
A clean WebRTC test is one of several things to check. If the proxy connects and the site still says no, go through the full list in proxy works, but the site still blocks you.
FAQ
Does a proxy stop WebRTC leaks by itself?
No. The proxy covers normal page traffic. WebRTC can send its own lookup from your connection, so the profile setting matters.
Should I disable WebRTC?
Only if you don't need calls and don't mind a profile without it. Otherwise use the mode that replaces the address with the proxy's IP.
Why does the test show a local address?
That is the device address inside your own network. Good profiles hide it or show a random name. What matters most is that your public IP isn't yours.
Do I need to test every profile?
Test each new profile once, and again after changing the proxy or the WebRTC mode.