Is Your VPN Really On? A 3-Minute Check

You tapped "Connect" and the app says you're protected. But is your traffic really going through the VPN? Most of the time it is — and a three-minute check tells you for sure. Do it once after you install a VPN, and again whenever something feels off.

Step 1: Look for the VPN badge (10 seconds)

On iPhone and iPad, a small VPN badge appears in the status bar or in Control Centre while a VPN is connected. You can also open Settings and look at the VPN line near the top: it should say Connected.

No badge, or "Not Connected"? Open your VPN app and connect again before you go further.

Step 2: Check your public IP address (1 minute)

Every website you visit sees an IP address — the address your traffic seems to come from. A VPN replaces your own with one belonging to the VPN server.

Turn the VPN off and open any "what is my IP" website. Note the address and the city it shows.

Turn the VPN on, reload the page, and compare.

If the address and location changed to the server you picked, your web traffic is going through the VPN. If you still see your own address, the VPN is not carrying your traffic — reconnect, or pick another server.

Step 3: Run a DNS leak test (1 minute)

Before your phone opens a website, it asks a DNS server to look up the site's address. If those lookups skip the VPN and go to your internet provider instead, your provider can still see which sites you visit. That is called a DNS leak.

Search for "DNS leak test", open one of the well-known test sites, and run the standard test with the VPN on. The results list the DNS servers that answered:

Good: the servers belong to your VPN provider, or sit in the same place as the VPN server you chose.

Worth fixing: you see your home internet or mobile provider's name.

Step 4: On a computer, check the browser (30 seconds)

Some desktop browsers can reveal your real address through a feature called WebRTC, which video calls use. Search for "WebRTC leak test" and run it with the VPN on. If it shows your real public IP, switch the setting off in your browser or add the browser's own WebRTC protection.

Step 5: Switch networks and test again (30 seconds)

The most common moment for a VPN to drop is when your phone moves from Wi-Fi to mobile data, or joins a new Wi-Fi network. Walk out of Wi-Fi range (or turn Wi-Fi off), wait a few seconds, check the badge, and reload the IP page. The VPN should reconnect on its own.

If something failed

Reconnect and run the check again — a single hiccup is common when networks change.

Try another protocol in the app's settings. Different networks treat different protocols differently.

Update the app from the App Store; fixes ship there first.

Tell your VPN provider what you saw and where you were. A screenshot of the test result helps them find the cause quickly.

What this check does not tell you

A passed test shows that your traffic leaves through the VPN. It does not show how the provider handles that traffic, and it does not protect you from a fake login page or a malicious download. Read the provider's privacy policy, and keep the everyday habits too — see How to Spot a Phishing Message in 30 Seconds and Two-Factor Authentication: The Order to Turn It On.

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CasperVPN encrypts your internet connection with WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 and CasperCloak, our own protocol, on iPhone and iPad (Mac app coming). Something in this check failed with CasperVPN? Write to [email protected]. Download CasperVPN →