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Understand web proxies, plainly
Short, honest explainers: how a web proxy works, how it differs from a VPN, what it hides, and what it cannot do.
What is a web proxy?
A web proxy is a website that fetches another site for you and serves it back from its own address. The site you open sees the proxy’s connection instead of yours, and every link you follow keeps flowing through the proxy. It runs in a normal browser tab, nothing to install and no account, so it works even where you cannot install a VPN app.Web proxy vs VPN: which one do you actually need?
Neither is better in general; they do different jobs. A VPN routes your whole device through an encrypted tunnel and needs an app you may not be allowed to install, so it fits a device you control. A web proxy opens 1 site inside a normal browser tab with nothing to install, so it fits a locked-down device where nothing installs. TrickyBird is a web proxy, not a VPN.What is a DNS or WebRTC leak?
A DNS leak is a hostname lookup that slips past your privacy tool, so the network still learns the sites you visit even on a connection that looks encrypted. A WebRTC leak is your browser handing a page your real IP address through a feature built for video calls. Both give away information you assumed was hidden, and neither one shows up on the screen.Is using a web proxy legal or illegal?
Legal, in most places. Opening a public website through a web proxy like TrickyBird is not against the law in most countries. The honest answer has 2 halves, though: what the law says, and what the rules of the network you are on say. The second half is where most people run into trouble, and a few countries restrict circumvention tools. This is general information, not legal advice.Are free web proxies safe?
Some are, some are not. A free web proxy runs on a server someone else controls, and it sits in the middle of your traffic, so it can see and even change what passes through. Most run an honest service. A few inject ads, downgrade your connection, or read what you type. The useful news is that you do not have to guess: you can check the proxy you are using in about a minute, ours included, and this page shows how.What is a proxy server?
A proxy server is an intermediary that makes web requests for you, so the site you reach sees the proxy instead of your device. The word covers several kinds: a forward or web proxy that works for you, a reverse proxy that works for a website, and residential or datacenter proxies that differ by where their address comes from. TrickyBird is a web proxy you open in a browser tab.Why is a site blocked on your network?
A network blocks websites to enforce a policy: to keep out certain categories, to save bandwidth, to cut security risk, or to honor licensing that limits a site to some regions. The block lives on the network you are using, a workplace, public Wi-Fi, or an ISP, not on the site itself. A web proxy can reach a public site the network blocks by fetching it from elsewhere.Can your ISP see that you are using a web proxy?
Yes, in part. Your ISP or network can see that you connect to TrickyBird over HTTPS, so it can tell you are using a web proxy. What it cannot see is the specific site you open through it: that address is encoded inside a TrickyBird link, and the link travels inside the same encrypted connection. A web proxy hides where you go, not that you used one.Does a web proxy work on your phone?
Yes. A web proxy runs inside the mobile browser you already have, on an iPhone or an Android phone, so there is nothing to install from an app store and no permission to grant. Paste a link and the site opens in a tab on your phone. That is why it can work even on a managed phone where you are not allowed to add apps.Does incognito mode get past a blocked site?
No. Incognito mode, also called private browsing, does not unblock websites. It only stops your browser from saving history, cookies, and site data on the device you are using. The block itself lives on the network you are on, a school or work firewall, an ISP, or a site’s region filter, and that network never sees your incognito setting, so it is left completely unaffected.
Try it on a site
Looking to open a specific site? Browse the unblock guides. YouTube and SoundCloud have their own pages.