How to Check If Your VPN Is Working (Quick Tests That Actually Matter)

Key Takeaways

• If your public IP address changes after you connect, your VPN tunnel is working at the most basic level—but you still need leak checks to confirm privacy.
• Run three quick checks to confirm you’re not leaking: DNS leak test, WebRTC leak test, and IPv6 leak test.
• A kill switch matters because many leaks happen during brief disconnects (Wi-Fi changes, sleep/wake, tunnel drops).
• If your VPN is connected but your IP doesn’t change, the cause is usually routing (split tunneling, wrong profile/app) or network constraints—fix the symptom, then re-test.
• For a VPN, you can quickly verify, prioritize modern protocols (e.g., WireGuard), and clear, readable privacy documentation.

When you turn on a VPN, the app often shows a reassuring “Connected” label—but that’s not the same as proof. A VPN can be active while still leaking DNS requests, exposing IP information through WebRTC, or letting traffic escape during brief disconnects. This guide gives you a practical, repeatable way to test whether your VPN is working: first with a 30-second IP check, then with targeted leak tests, and finally with a drop-protection sanity check. You’ll also learn what to do when your VPN seems connected but isn’t actually protecting you.

The 30-Second VPN Check: Status + IP Change

Before you run deeper diagnostics, you want one quick confirmation: your device is actually using a VPN tunnel and your public-facing IP looks different to websites. This is the simplest “is my VPN working?” test, and it immediately catches cases where you’re connected to the app but not routing traffic through it.

1. Check the VPN indicator on your device

Use the most basic signal first—because it’s the fastest way to catch “I forgot to connect” mistakes.

• iPhone/iPad: Look for the VPN label in the status area when the tunnel is active.
• Android: You’ll usually see a key icon (or “VPN”) in the status bar when a VPN is running.
• Windows/macOS: You’ll typically see a VPN status indicator in network settings or the VPN app menu.

If you don’t see a system-level indicator at all, assume nothing is protected yet and move to the next check.

2. Compare your public IP before and after you connect

This is your first true VPN test:

1. Disconnect your VPN.
   
2. Open a reputable “what’s my IP” checker. Note the IP and location.
   
3. Connect your VPN (ideally to a different city/country to make the change obvious).
   
4. Refresh the IP checker and compare results.

If the public IP changes, your VPN is working at a basic level (traffic is leaving from the VPN provider’s exit server instead of your normal ISP path).

3. What an IP change proves (and what it doesn’t)

An IP change proves your connection is being routed through the VPN for at least some traffic. It does not automatically prove you’re safe from leaks. DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 can still reveal information you didn’t intend to share—so don’t stop at the IP check if privacy is the goal. 

Leak Tests That Catch Real VPN Failures

Once your IP changes, you’ve confirmed the tunnel is active. Now you’re testing something more important: whether your identity or browsing metadata can still escape the tunnel in common scenarios. These checks are what people usually mean when they ask “how to test if my VPN is working properly,” because leaks can happen even when the VPN looks connected.

1. DNS leak test (the one most people skip)

DNS is the system that translates domain names (like a website address) into IP addresses. If your DNS requests still go to your ISP (or another non-VPN resolver) while you’re “on VPN,” your browsing can be partially exposed. That’s a DNS leak.

How to run it

• Disconnect VPN → run a DNS leak test(https://browserleaks.com/dns) and note the DNS servers shown.
  
• Connect VPN → run the same test again.

How to interpret results

• If you still see your ISP or local network DNS when connected, treat that as suspicious. Many providers and testing tools explain the concept directly: DNS leaks occur when DNS requests are sent outside the VPN tunnel.

2. WebRTC leak test (browser-based IP exposure)

WebRTC enables real-time browser communications (calls, peer connections). In some setups, it can reveal IP information in ways you didn’t expect. That’s why WebRTC leak tests exist—especially if you use Chrome/Chromium-based browsers or privacy extensions.

How to run it

• With VPN off, run a WebRTC leak test and note what IP information is visible.
  
• With VPN on, repeat the test.

If you see your original IP information when connected, you have a problem worth fixing (either by browser settings, extensions, or switching VPN configurations).

3. IPv6 leak test (the “everything looks fine” trap)

Some VPN setups route IPv4 traffic through the tunnel but allow IPv6 traffic to escape. An IPv6 leak occurs when IPv6 traffic transmits outside the secure tunnel and exposes your real IPv6 address.

How to run it

• Use an IPv6-aware leak testing tool with VPN off, then on.
  
• If your IPv6 address or IPv6 DNS behavior is still tied to your ISP while connected, treat it as a leak risk.

Test Drop Protection: Kill Switch Check

Leaks don’t only happen while everything is stable. They often happen during the messy moments—switching Wi-Fi networks, waking from sleep, brief signal drops, or changing servers. A kill switch is designed to protect you here by blocking traffic if the VPN disconnects unexpectedly, so your device doesn’t silently fall back to the regular internet.

What a kill switch should do (plain language)

If your VPN tunnel drops, your kill switch should temporarily cut off traffic until the VPN reconnects. That prevents your real IP from being exposed during reconnect windows.

One practical note: a VPN (even with a kill switch) doesn’t make you “anonymous.” If you log into accounts, those services still know it’s you. Think of a kill switch as preventing accidental exposure—not erasing identity.

A safe way to sanity-check it

You can validate behavior without complicated tools:

1. Turn on your VPN and confirm your IP has changed.
   
2. Enable the kill switch in your VPN settings (if it’s optional).
   
3. Trigger a short disconnect moment: switch Wi-Fi networks, toggle airplane mode briefly, or change servers.
   
4. Watch what happens:
   
   • Good sign: your internet traffic pauses briefly until the VPN reconnects, then resumes.
     
   • Bad sign: pages keep loading during the drop, and your IP snaps back to your ISP.

If you can’t enable a kill switch at all, you’ll need to be more cautious about network changes.

Troubleshoot Common VPN Problems

If your VPN is “connected but feels wrong,” you’re not alone. Most real-world failures fall into a few buckets: traffic isn’t routed through the tunnel, your DNS is escaping, your browser is exposing IP info, or your network conditions make the tunnel unstable. This section is structured by symptoms, so you can diagnose quickly without repeating the same generic steps.

Symptom: VPN connected, but the IP doesn’t change

Start here because it’s the clearest signal.

Try these in order:

• Switch servers (choose a different country to make the IP change obvious).
  
• Check split tunneling settings (you may be excluding the browser you’re testing with).
  
• Confirm you’re testing the same device that’s connected.
  
• Close and reopen the browser (occasionally, cached geo/IP pages confuse the result).

If your IP still doesn’t change, assume the VPN isn’t routing your web traffic and proceed to the “when to stop” rule below.

Symptom: VPN connected, but you have no internet

This is usually one of:

• Captive portal/hotel Wi-Fi login page
  
• DNS resolution issues
  
• A protocol/port is blocked on the network

Fixes that tend to work:

• Disconnect VPN → complete Wi-Fi login → reconnect VPN.
  
• Change VPN protocol (if your app offers options).
  
• Try a different server location.

Symptom: Your VPN is extremely slow

A VPN adds overhead—some drop is normal. You want to know whether your slowdown is expected or a sign of a problem.

Use a quick baseline method:

• Run a speed test without VPN, then with VPN on a nearby server.
  
• If your nearby VPN server is dramatically slower than your baseline, test a second nearby server or protocol.

If your speeds vary wildly between servers, the problem is likely server load or routing rather than your device.

Symptom: VPN keeps disconnecting

Frequent disconnects are often caused by unstable Wi-Fi, aggressive battery optimization (especially on phones), or a protocol that doesn’t play well with the network you’re on.

Do the high-impact fixes first:

• Turn off battery optimization for the VPN app (mobile).
  
• Try a server closer to your physical location.
  
• Try a different protocol if available.

Symptom: Split tunneling isn’t working (if you use it)

Split tunneling can make “is my VPN working?” confusing because some traffic is intentionally outside the tunnel.

Two rules keep you sane:

• Always test your VPN using the exact app you want protected (usually your browser).
  
• If you exclude any system services, re-run DNS leak tests—routing exceptions can cause unexpected DNS behavior.

When to stop troubleshooting

If you still see IP/DNS/WebRTC/IPv6 leaks after you’ve tried two locations and at least one protocol option, you’re likely fighting limitations of the VPN client or network configuration. At that point, it’s rational to switch to a provider that passes these tests more consistently.

What a “Verifiable” VPN Should Include

When you’re picking a VPN, don’t start with marketing slogans—start with whether it can reliably pass the checks you just ran. A good VPN should keep your DNS inside the tunnel, reduce common browser exposure risks, and protect you during disconnect moments. That’s what “working” means in practice, not just a green “Connected” badge.

Here’s a practical evaluation checklist you can reuse:

• Leak protection coverage: Can you pass DNS + WebRTC + IPv6 tests consistently?
  
• Kill switch behavior: Does traffic pause when the tunnel drops?
  
• Modern protocols: Support for modern, widely referenced VPN protocols like WireGuard can improve performance and reduce complexity.
  
• Encryption clarity: If a provider claims AES-256, you should be able to find clear documentation (AES is standardized and widely documented).

How to Check If BearVPN Is Working: A Fast Verification Flow

If you’re using BearVPN (or considering it), the most “natural” way to judge it is simple: apply the same checklist you’d use for any VPN, and confirm it passes consistently. BearVPN publishes a kill switch feature description and a detailed privacy policy, which makes it easier to map “what it claims” to “what you can verify” in a few minutes of testing. Use this section as a practical runbook: connect, test, and record results.

Step-by-step: the 2–5 minute BearVPN check

Run these in order (and re-run after major OS/browser updates):

1) IP check (30 seconds)

Connect BearVPN, then confirm your public IP changes from your ISP IP. (If it doesn’t, jump to troubleshooting.)

2) DNS leak test (60 seconds)

With BearVPN connected, run a DNS leak test. A DNS leak is when your requests still go to ISP DNS servers even when you’re using a VPN.

3) WebRTC leak test (60 seconds)

Run a WebRTC leak test in your primary browser. Mozilla tracks WebRTC privacy considerations, which is why this check exists in the first place.

4) IPv6 leak check (60 seconds)

If your network supports IPv6, run an IPv6 leak test as well. Some setups protect IPv4 but may still expose IPv6 traffic, which can reveal an ISP-assigned address.

5) Kill switch sanity check (1 minute)

Enable BearVPN’s kill switch and trigger a brief disconnect (Wi-Fi switch or airplane-mode toggle). BearVPN describes the kill switch purpose as blocking internet access if the VPN disconnects to prevent leaks.

What to record (so your test becomes repeatable)

Instead of relying on memory, keep a tiny log you can compare over time:

Why BearVPN is a practical fit for this exact use case

This article is about verifying, so the most relevant “recommendation” is a VPN that makes verification easy:

• Kill switch: BearVPN provides a kill switch feature intended to block traffic on disconnect, which directly supports your drop-protection check.
  
• No-logs positioning + privacy policy clarity: BearVPN’s no-log feature page and privacy policy both state what is not collected (including activity logs such as browsing history, traffic destination, data content, and DNS queries).
  
• Encryption standards context: When BearVPN references strong encryption, it’s useful to know that AES itself is standardized by NIST (FIPS 197), so you can concretely interpret encryption claims.

Conclusion

To check if your VPN is working, start simple: confirm it’s active at the system level and verify your public IP changes. Then do what actually protects you in practice—run DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leak tests, and sanity-check kill switch behavior during network changes. If you keep seeing leaks or unstable routing, it’s usually faster to switch to a VPN that consistently passes these checks than to endlessly troubleshoot. Use the same checklist every time you install or update a VPN, and you’ll always know whether it’s truly doing its job.

FAQ

1. How do I check if my VPN is working on iPhone or Android?

You can use the same method on both: confirm the system VPN indicator is active, then compare your public IP before and after connecting. After that, run DNS/WebRTC/IPv6 leak tests in your mobile browser for deeper confidence.

2. Why does my IP address not change when my VPN is connected?

Common reasons include split tunneling (your browser isn’t going through the VPN), testing the wrong device, or an app/profile that isn’t actually routing traffic. Switching to a distant server makes IP changes easier to detect.

3. Can a VPN leak even if it says “Connected”?

Yes. DNS requests, browser-based WebRTC behavior, or IPv6 traffic can escape the tunnel in some setups—so you should run leak tests instead of relying on the connection badge alone.

4. What is a DNS leak, and why does it matter?

A DNS leak happens when DNS requests go to your ISP’s DNS servers even while you’re using a VPN. That can reveal information about the sites you’re trying to reach.

5. What is a WebRTC leak?

A WebRTC leak refers to situations where browser WebRTC behavior exposes IP information you didn’t intend to share. The practical answer is to test your browser with VPN on/off and address leaks via browser settings or protections if needed.

6. How often should you test your VPN?

Re-test after major OS updates, browser updates, VPN app updates, or when you change networks (new router, hotel Wi-Fi, office network). Those are the moments when routing and DNS behavior can change without warning.