Is Private Internet Access Leaking Your Real IP?
Connect to Private Internet Access, then run the test below. We check IPv4, IPv6, DNS, WebRTC and geolocation consistency - the five channels that can expose you while the app still reports a healthy connection.
What This Test Tells You About Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access publishes the source of its clients and offers unusually granular control - including a two-tier kill switch and an explicit IPv6 leak protection toggle. That configurability is its strength and also the reason its results vary more between users than most providers.
The result you see above measures your own connection, right now - your device, your operating system, your version of the app and the server you happen to be on. It is not a verdict on Private Internet Access as a product, and it is not a lab benchmark. Leak behaviour varies enormously between platforms and client versions, which is precisely why measuring your own setup beats reading anyone’s provider ranking.
Supported protocols: WireGuard, OpenVPN
Private Internet Access Settings That Affect Leak Results
Before concluding anything from a failed row, check these. Most reported leaks turn out to be a setting rather than a defect.
| Setting | Where to find it | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| VPN Kill Switch | Settings → Privacy | Blocks traffic when an established connection drops. |
| Advanced Kill Switch | Settings → Privacy | Blocks all non-VPN traffic whenever the client is running, including before connecting. The stricter of the two. |
| IPv6 Leak Protection | Settings → Privacy | Disables IPv6 while connected. Leave enabled unless you specifically need IPv6. |
| MACE | Settings → Privacy | DNS-level blocking of ads, trackers and malware; changes which resolver answers. |
| Split tunnel | Settings → Split Tunnel | Per-app and per-IP rules. Anything excluded here uses your real address by design. |
Setting names and menu locations shift between app versions and platforms. If a control is not where this table says, search the app’s settings for the nearest equivalent term rather than assuming the feature is absent.
Common Private Internet Access Leak Scenarios
Traffic leaked before connecting
The standard kill switch only covers drops from an established connection. Enable Advanced Kill Switch to block traffic from client startup onward.
An IPv6 address appears
Check that IPv6 Leak Protection is enabled under Privacy - it is the explicit control for this, and the most common cause is simply that it is switched off.
Inconsistent results between runs
Split tunnel rules apply per app and per destination IP, so results legitimately differ depending on what is being tested. Review the rule list before treating variance as instability.
How to Read Your Results
Expand any row to see the raw values. The single most reliable way to interpret an ambiguous result is to run the test twice - once with Private Internet Access disconnected, once connected. Any value identical across both runs is travelling outside the tunnel.
- IPv4: the ISP and organisation fields should name Private Internet Access or its hosting partners, not your home ISP.
- DNS: resolvers should belong to Private Internet Access or to a filtering service it operates. Your ISP’s name here means your browsing history is going to your ISP regardless of the tunnel.
- WebRTC: a
192.168.x.xor10.x.x.xaddress is your local network and harmless. A public address differing from your exit IP is a real leak. - IPv6: either nothing at all, or an address belonging to Private Internet Access. Anything else escaped the tunnel.
- Geolocation: your browser timezone should match the exit country. A mismatch does not expose your IP, but it marks the session as VPN traffic to streaming services and fraud systems.
Why a Connected VPN Can Still Leak
The word “connected” in any VPN client describes one thing: the IPv4 tunnel came up. It says nothing about DNS resolution, IPv6 routing or WebRTC, each of which uses a different part of the operating system and can bypass the tunnel independently. A client that fails to capture them will still display a green badge.
This is why single-number IP checkers are misleading. They query one endpoint over IPv4, see the VPN’s address, and report success - while DNS queries go to your ISP and your IPv6 prefix identifies your household to every site that supports it.
Re-test after anything that touches the network stack: a client update, an OS upgrade, a protocol change or a new server. Those are the moments when leak protection regresses, and a regression produces no visible symptom at all - which is the entire problem.
🧰 Test Private Internet Access Further
Every test runs entirely in your browser - nothing is stored unless you choose to share the result.
Private Internet Access Leak Test - FAQ
Provider-specific questions about Private Internet Access, its settings, and what a failed check actually means.
What is the difference between PIA’s two kill switches?
The VPN Kill Switch blocks traffic when an established connection drops. The Advanced Kill Switch blocks all non-VPN traffic whenever the PIA client is running, including before you connect and after you disconnect manually. The advanced version closes the startup gap but will also block your internet when the client is running and idle, which surprises people.
Does PIA protect against IPv6 leaks?
Yes, through an explicit IPv6 Leak Protection setting under Privacy that disables IPv6 while you are connected. It is one of the few clients to expose this as a clearly labelled control rather than handling it silently. If the test above shows an IPv6 address, checking that this toggle is enabled is the first thing to do.
What is PIA MACE?
MACE blocks ads, trackers and malware domains at the DNS level, inside the tunnel, so it works across every application rather than only the browser. Because it changes which resolver answers your queries, it also changes what the DNS row of this test reports - that is expected behaviour and not a leak.
Is PIA trustworthy after the Kape acquisition?
This is a fair question and worth deciding for yourself. PIA’s no-logs claim has been tested in court more than once, with the company producing no usable records, and its clients remain open source and auditable. Kape’s earlier history as an adware distributor is the counterweight, and it now owns several VPN brands and review sites. The technical evidence is good; the ownership question is a judgement call.
How do I test Private Internet Access for leaks?
Connect to Private Internet Access as you normally would, then run the test at the top of this page. It checks IPv4, IPv6, DNS, WebRTC and geolocation consistency in a single pass. For a definitive reading, run it once disconnected and once connected - any value that stays the same across both runs never entered the tunnel.
Do you store my Private Internet Access test results?
Not unless you ask us to. Every check runs in your browser, and by default the results exist only in the page in front of you - closing the tab discards them. After a test you can tick a box to share the result anonymously for our public VPN database; it is off by default. When you do share, we store the outcome, the provider and your exit country - never your IP address.
Is this page affiliated with Private Internet Access?
No. VPNMeter is independent and this page is not endorsed by or connected to Private Internet Access. We describe settings you can verify in the app yourself, and the test measures your own connection rather than reporting results from a lab. Provider and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.