How to Fix IP Leaks
If your true IP address is leaking and your location is visible, your VPN isn’t working correctly. Your device is contacting the default server rather than the intermediary VPN server it is supposed to.
Fixing an IP leak will depend on the type of IP address you’ve been assigned. Generally speaking, the only way to prevent IPv4 leaks is to use a high-quality VPN. By contrast, IPv6 leaks can usually be resolved in your device’s settings.
It’s important to use a VPN with a kill switch, too. This feature will block your traffic if the internet connection suddenly drops, preventing your real IP address from leaking while the VPN service is down.
How to Fix IPv4 Leaks
An IPv4 leak is the easiest VPN leak to fix. Here’s what to do:
- Make sure that your VPN is turned on.
- Ensure your web browser isn’t being split-tunneled by your VPN.
- Open up a new browser window and visit our leak test tool to restart the test.
If your IPv4 address is still leaking then your VPN is simply not working and you should find a better provider. It may sound harsh, but if a VPN cannot protect your IPv4 address then it is essentially useless.
How to fix IPv6 Leaks
Unless a VPN supports or actively blocks IPv6, your personal IPv6 address can be exposed if you’re on an IPv6-enabled network.
The majority of VPNs will have no provisions for IPv6 at all and will therefore always leak IPv6 traffic.
If you have an IPv6 address that is being leaked by your VPN, try these steps:
- Make sure that your VPN is turned on.
- Ensure your web browser isn’t being split-tunneled by your VPN.
- Check your VPN’s settings menu for any options that feature phrasing like ‘IPv6 Leak Protection’ and ensure that it is enabled.
- Open up a new browser window and visit our leak test tool to restart the test.
If your IPv6 address is still leaking you have two choices: either find a new VPN or disable IPv6 on your computer.
To disable IPv6 on a Windows 10 PC:
- Right-click on the Network or WiFi icon in your system tray and click Open Network & Internet settings.
- Select Change adapter options.
- You will be presented with a list of all your computer’s adapters. Find the one that you’re currently using to connect to the internet. Right-click on it, then click Properties.
- The new window will open on the Network tab. Scroll down until you see an option labeled Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6). Uncheck the box next to it, click OK and then restart your computer.
- Once your computer has rebooted, run our leak test again to make sure the issue is resolved.
To disable IPv6 on an Apple macOS device:
Disabling IPv6 on macOS involves using the terminal:
- Browse to Finder > Applications > Utilities Folder > Terminal.
- If you are connected via WiFi enter this:
networksetup -setv6off Wi-Fi
then press Enter. - If you are connected via Ethernet enter this:
networksetup -setv6off Ethernet
then press Enter. - You can then close Terminal and run our leak test again to make sure the issue is resolved.
To disable IPv6 on an Apple iOS or Google Android device:
You cannot disable IPv6 on iPhone or iPad at a system level. You can’t on Android, either, unless your device is rooted or you download a third-party app, which we wouldn’t recommend.
You just have to trust your VPN app to prevent IPv6 leaks. If it is unable to do so, you should consider using one of these safe iPhone VPNs instead.