Am I on a VPN?
This checker compares three signals that normally agree — where your IP address claims you are, the timezone your device is set to, and (optionally, with permission) your real GPS position. When they disagree, your traffic is probably going through a VPN, proxy, or tunnel. The check runs once, on demand; nothing is logged.
We compare what your IP address claims, what your device clock/timezone says, and (optionally, with permission) where your GPS actually puts you. Mismatches are the classic VPN fingerprint.
—
| Signal | Says you're in | Time zone | Agrees? |
|---|---|---|---|
| IP address | — | — | — |
| Browser clock | — | — | — |
| GPS | — | — | — |
Reading the verdict
- No fingerprint: IP, timezone and GPS all agree — either no VPN, or a VPN exiting in your own city (which this method cannot distinguish).
- Possible VPN: one mismatch. Also caused innocently by travel with an unchanged device timezone, corporate networks that route traffic through HQ, or mobile carriers with distant gateways.
- Likely VPN: multiple signals disagree — your IP says Amsterdam while your GPS and clock say Mumbai. That is the classic VPN signature (and if you meant to be on a VPN, congratulations: it is working).
Want to understand what a VPN actually protects — and what it doesn't? Read the companion guide: VPNs explained: tunnels, leaks, and staying safe in the AI era.
What a VPN actually does
A VPN (virtual private network) builds an encrypted tunnel from your device to a server run by the VPN provider, and sends your internet traffic through it. Websites then see the server's IP address instead of yours, so your apparent location becomes the server's city and your ISP appears to be the hosting company. It protects the privacy of your traffic on the local network (coffee-shop Wi-Fi can no longer read or tamper with it) and masks your IP from the sites you visit — but it does not make you invisible: the VPN provider itself sees your real IP, and your browser still carries cookies, logins and fingerprintable settings that identify you regardless of IP.
How this checker works — three honest signals
- IP reputation & network type: your IP is looked up server-side against public network data. IP ranges owned by hosting/datacenter companies (AWS, DigitalOcean, M247…) rather than consumer ISPs are the classic VPN/proxy signature — real homes rarely browse from a datacenter.
- Timezone mismatch: your browser reports its clock timezone locally. If your IP says Amsterdam but your device clock says Asia/Kolkata, something in between is relocating your traffic.
- GPS distance (optional): with your permission, the page compares your device's GPS position with the IP's mapped city. Hundreds of kilometres of disagreement is strong evidence of a tunnel. GPS never leaves your device for this check.
No single signal is proof — the verdict weighs them together, and the page tells you exactly which signals disagreed so you can judge for yourself.
VPN vs proxy vs Tor vs Smart DNS — what detectors can see
| Technology | What it hides | Typical tell-tale |
|---|---|---|
| VPN | IP + encrypts all device traffic | Datacenter IP, timezone mismatch |
| HTTP/SOCKS proxy | IP for one app or browser only | Datacenter IP, sometimes proxy headers |
| Tor | IP via three volunteer relays | Exit-node IPs are publicly listed |
| Smart DNS | Only your DNS lookups — IP unchanged | Usually invisible to IP checks (and doesn't hide you) |
| Corporate network / SASE | Routes office traffic via company gateways | Looks like a VPN — a common false positive |
When the verdict is wrong — false positives and negatives
False positives (flagged, but you're not hiding): corporate networks and cloud-based secure-web-gateways route traffic through datacenters; mobile carriers use CGNAT pools mapped to distant cities; recent travel plus a stale device clock trips the timezone check; some ISPs simply have badly geolocated ranges — see why IP location is wrong.
False negatives (a VPN this page can't spot): a VPN server in your own city keeps every signal consistent; residential-proxy services rent real home IPs that don't look like datacenters; and a well-configured self-hosted VPN on a home connection is essentially undetectable by IP alone. Absence of evidence is not proof of absence.
Does a VPN make you anonymous? The honest limits
No. A VPN moves trust from your ISP to the VPN company — a real win on hostile Wi-Fi or against IP-based tracking, but everything above the IP layer still identifies you: account logins, cookies, browser fingerprint (fonts, canvas, screen size), and anything you type. If the VPN provider keeps logs, your real IP exists on their servers. For the fuller picture of what websites can and cannot learn about your position, read the geolocation privacy guide and run the browser privacy check.
How to test your VPN properly
- Connect the VPN, open this page, and run the check — the IP city should be the server's city, and the timezone signal will disagree unless you also shift your device clock (that mismatch is your VPN working, not failing).
- Check for leaks: run the check with GPS allowed once — if the IP relocates but WebRTC or DNS leak your region elsewhere, your VPN app's leak protection is off.
- Test the kill switch: toggle the VPN off mid-session and re-run — if the IP snaps back without warning, traffic leaked during the gap.
- Compare protocols (WireGuard vs OpenVPN) if speeds differ — location behaviour should be identical.