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Check a VPN on a laptop hotspot for leaks

Check whether your VPN stays private when a laptop switches to a phone hotspot, and what to do if the connection briefly exposes your real IP.

Ryan MitchellHardware tests Tests 5 min read

Your laptop is connected to a VPN, then you switch from home Wi-Fi to a phone hotspot. The VPN may reconnect, pause, or stop without making it obvious. A quick check after the switch can show whether your browser is exposing your home or mobile connection’s public IP.

Use the VPN Leak Test before and after the network change. It checks whether your real IP leaks through IPv6 or WebRTC while the VPN is on. It does not monitor every moment of the switch, so avoid sensitive activity until the VPN has reconnected.

Check the VPN before and after switching

  1. Connect your laptop to your usual Wi-Fi and turn on the VPN. Open the VPN Leak Test and note the IP address or provider information it reports.
  2. Keep the VPN connected and switch the laptop to your phone’s hotspot. On an iPhone, find the hotspot controls under Settings › Personal Hotspot. On Android, look under Settings › Network & internet › Hotspot & tethering, though names can vary by model.
  3. Wait until the VPN app indicates that its connection is active again. If the app does not show a clear status, wait a few seconds before browsing.
  4. Reload the VPN Leak Test and compare its report with the first one. If your VPN uses a different exit location or address after reconnecting, that change by itself is not proof of a leak.
  5. Switch back to your usual Wi-Fi and run the test once more. Repeat the check after each type of network change that matters to you, such as reconnecting to a hotspot after the laptop sleeps.

A browser test takes a snapshot of the connection at the time it runs. It may not catch a brief gap while the laptop changes networks and the VPN tunnel reconnects. Keep the VPN app open during the switch, and do not send private information until it shows an active connection. For related checks after changing networks, see how to check your VPN after switching Wi-Fi.

What the result means

The report shows the VPN connection, with no real IP leak

The browser test did not find your real IP leaking through the IPv6 or WebRTC checks it performs. If the report looks different from the first run, the VPN may have assigned a new exit address when it reconnected. A VPN exit address is the public address websites see for traffic leaving the VPN.

The report shows an address from your home internet provider or mobile carrier

Your browser may be reaching the test outside the VPN, or the VPN may not have reconnected successfully. Compare the reported address with a test run while the VPN is deliberately off. If it matches your home provider or mobile carrier while the VPN is supposed to be on, treat that as a warning and check the fixes below.

The VPN app says connected, but the result is unclear

The app’s connection message and the browser test answer different questions. The app reports its tunnel state, while this test checks for specific IP exposure paths in the browser. Run it again after confirming the hotspot is the laptop’s active connection, and check the VPN app for its connected server or location.

The test passes, but the switch still worries you

A passing result does not prove that every app stayed protected during the transition. It also does not establish how the VPN handles DNS, what other software on the laptop does, or whether a brief disconnect occurred between checks. Look for an automatic reconnect or kill switch option in your VPN app, and test the transition again.

How to fix a leak or failed reconnection

  1. Wait for the VPN to reconnect. Turn off sensitive browsing, wait for the app to report an active connection, then rerun the test. A laptop can briefly lose its VPN tunnel when the hotspot replaces Wi-Fi.
  2. Turn on connection protection. If your VPN app offers a kill switch or protection that blocks internet access when the VPN drops, enable it. The setting name and location vary by app. This can prevent traffic from continuing over the hotspot without the VPN.
  3. Check which network the laptop is using. On Windows 11, open Settings › Network & internet › Wi-Fi and confirm that the phone hotspot is connected. On macOS, open System Settings › Wi-Fi and select the hotspot. Then check the VPN app again.
  4. Reconnect the hotspot. Turn the laptop’s Wi-Fi off and on, reconnect to the phone hotspot, and let the VPN establish a fresh connection. If needed, turn the phone hotspot off and back on. Avoid changing multiple VPN settings at once, so you can tell what helped.
  5. Try another VPN server or protocol. If the VPN reconnects but the leak test still reports your provider’s address, choose another server or connection protocol in the VPN app, if available. Run the test again after the app confirms it is connected.
  6. Restart the devices and retest. Restart the laptop and phone, reconnect the hotspot, turn on the VPN, and repeat the check. If the same leak persists, contact the VPN provider with the test result and the laptop’s operating system and browser details.

What this check can and cannot tell you

The VPN Leak Test checks for real IP exposure through IPv6 or WebRTC in the browser. It does not prove that all laptop traffic uses the VPN, or that a VPN app will block traffic during every possible network interruption. A single passing run after a switch cannot rule out a short exposure before the tunnel reconnects.

For a more cautious handoff between networks, enable the VPN’s connection protection if available, wait for the connected status after each switch, and test again before using accounts or services that contain private information.

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