Best for WhatsApp
Residential proxies
from $0.27/GB
IPs from home connections in the country you pick. A sticky session keeps the same IP for up to 24 hours while the account stays logged in
Messengers & social apps
WhatsApp Proxy How the Built-In Setting Works
WhatsApp works on
- Android
- iOS
- Windows
- macOS
- Web
Key facts
What the proxy field accepts
A WhatsApp proxy server, meaning a host that runs WhatsApp's own proxy software. Regular HTTP and SOCKS5 proxies won't connect, paid or free, and there is no place to enter a username or password.
What goes through it
Chats, photos, voice notes and documents. Voice and video calls don't go through it, because WhatsApp's proxy software doesn't support calls.
Can the proxy read messages?
No. Messages are still end-to-end encrypted, and the proxy only passes the encrypted data along. Whoever runs the server can see your IP address, though.
WhatsApp proxy vs HTTP vs SOCKS5
The phone apps accept only a WhatsApp proxy.
| Name | Works In | Auth | Blocking Resistance | Best For | Where To Get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp proxy (built-in field) | WhatsApp for Android and iPhone | None: host name or IP, plus optional chat and media ports | Medium, until the address is blocked | Countries or networks where WhatsApp is blocked | Your own server running github.com/WhatsApp/proxy, or an address from someone you trust. Geonode doesn't sell these |
| HTTP / HTTPS | WhatsApp Web in a browser with its own proxy setting or a proxy extension | Username and password, entered when the browser asks | Low | Running WhatsApp Web from a chosen country or IP | Geonode residential, ISP or datacenter proxies; Geonode free list |
| SOCKS5 | WhatsApp Web inside anti-detect browsers that take a proxy per profile | Username and password | Medium | Several WhatsApp Web accounts, each on its own IP | Geonode residential or ISP proxies |
Which proxy type to use with WhatsApp
For WhatsApp Web and desktop setups.
Good
ISP proxies
from $1.25/IP
The IP stays fixed, so each linked WhatsApp Web session always shows the same address
One account per IP
Datacenter proxies
from $0.14/GB
Cheap and fast. WhatsApp Web works through them, but they come from shared hosting ranges, so use one per account
Testing only
Free public proxies
Free
Fine for checking that WhatsApp Web loads through a proxy. These are shared and often go offline within hours
How to set up a proxy in WhatsApp
On a phone you need the host name or IP of a WhatsApp proxy server. WhatsApp Web needs an HTTP proxy address, port, username and password.
Open WhatsApp and tap the three-dot menu, then Settings.
Tap Storage and data.
Tap Proxy.
Turn on Use proxy, then tap Set up proxy.
Enter the proxy host name or IP address.
Leave Chat port and Media port on default unless the server owner gave you other numbers.
Tap the checkmark to save and connect.
Check detailed instructions on our blog:
Read the blog postHow to check that the proxy works
Android and iPhone: go back to Settings, then Storage and data, then Proxy. A checkmark next to the proxy address means WhatsApp is connected through it.
Send a message and a photo to yourself or a test contact. If both arrive, chat and media traffic are going through the proxy.
WhatsApp Web: in the same browser open the Geonode What is my IP page. It should show the proxy IP and country, not your own.
How to turn the proxy off
Android and iPhone: open Settings, then Storage and data, then Proxy, and switch off Use proxy. On Android, long-press a saved address to delete it.
Firefox: go back to Network Settings and select No proxy.
Common WhatsApp proxy problems and fixes
Proxy never connects in the phone app
- A regular HTTP/SOCKS5 proxy was entered
- Enter the host of a server that runs WhatsApp's proxy software.
CauseFixA proxy worked for a few days, then stopped
- The address was shared publicly and the network operator blocked it
- Ask the person who runs the server for a new address, or run your own on a domain that only you and your contacts know.
CauseFixText messages send, but photos and voice notes do not
- The media port on the server is closed, or a non-default media port was not entered in the app
- Enter the Media port the server owner gave you. If it is your server, check that port 587 is open.
CauseFixWhatsApp Web keeps asking for the proxy password (error 407)
- Wrong proxy username or password, or your account login was used instead of the proxy credentials
- Copy the proxy username and password from the Geonode dashboard exactly as issued and enter them in the browser prompt.
CauseFix
More for WhatsApp users
WhatsApp proxy FAQ
There isn't a separate code. When people say proxy code they mean the host name or IP address of a WhatsApp proxy server, which goes into Settings, then Storage and data, then Proxy.
WhatsApp doesn't publish one. At launch it told users to search social media or search engines for trusted sources that run a proxy, so people usually get addresses from digital-rights groups in their country or from a friend abroad who runs github.com/WhatsApp/proxy. Public lists go stale fast, because network operators block every address that shows up on them. Whoever runs the server sees your IP address, so use one you trust.
Yes. Volunteer-run WhatsApp proxy servers cost nothing, and neither does the proxy software if you host it yourself. Free HTTP and SOCKS5 proxies from public lists, including Indian ones, won't work in the phone app, only in WhatsApp Web in a browser, and they often go offline within hours.
Enter the host name or IP of a WhatsApp proxy server in Proxy host and leave Chat port and Media port on default. Change the ports only if the server owner gave you specific numbers.
Not through the in-app proxy, which carries only chat and media. If calls are blocked where you are, you need a device-wide tunnel: a VPN, or a SOCKS5 or V2Ray client that routes all of the phone's traffic.
On a phone in a country that blocks WhatsApp, use a WhatsApp proxy server that you run or trust. For WhatsApp Web, pick a residential or ISP proxy and give each account its own fixed IP.
Not for the built-in setting. WhatsApp added it to the app, so using it is allowed. Numbers get banned for bulk or automated messaging and for unofficial WhatsApp apps, and a different IP won't protect a number from that.
