Ultimate guide to set up a SOCKS5 proxy in Chrome

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to quickly set up a SOCKS5 proxy in the popular web browser Google Chrome. We’ll use a third-party extension named “Proxy SwitchyOmega.”

💡 First thing first, to set up your proxy, you’ll need a few requirements:

An anyIP.io proxy account. You can enjoy our fully refundable plan if you don't have one.
All the proxies needed information such as :
- username/password;
- proxy server addresses (URL or IP + port) ;

How to set up SOCKS5 Proxy on Chrome with “Proxy SwitchyOmega”

💡 To use a SOCKS5 Proxy on Chrome, you must use a proxy provider offering an IP Whitelisting authentication method (such as anyIP.io).
Indeed, Chrome is not compatible with a Socks 5 Proxy. The proxy requires username/password authentication.

You’ll soon be able to hide your IP easily by configuring a proxy on Chrome. Head up to the Proxy SwitchyOmega download page to download the extension. Then, follow our guide:

Step 1: Download and add Proxy SwitchyOmega extension to Chrome

This screenshot shows how to add the Proxy SwitchyOmega extension on Chrome

This screenshot shows the confirmation form to add Proxy SwitchyOmega to Chrome.

Click on “Add to Chrome”
Review all the permissions granted to Proxy SwitchyOmega. Then, click on “Add extension” to confirm

Step 1b (optional): Pin the extension directly to your toolbar for quick access

This screenshot shows how to pin an extension to the Google Chrome toolbar.

Click on the “Extension” icon
Next, click on the pin icon to pin the extension to the toolbar for quick access

Step 2: Open Proxy SwitchyOmega dashboard

After a fresh install, the extension will automatically redirect you to the dashboard.

This screenshot shows how to skip the guide in Proxy SwitchyOmega

For this tutorial, we’ll skip the guide by clicking on the “Skip guide” (feel free to follow it if you want to)
Click on “proxy” to update the default proxy profile. You can also add a new profile, but the default profile won’t be helpful if you choose this option.

💡 If the extension is already installed on your browser, do as follows to access the dashboard:

This screenshot shows how to access the “Options” dashboard in Proxy SwitchyOmega.

Step 3: Head up to the “Proxies” menu to configure your proxy

This screenshot shows how to add a SOCKS5 proxy to Proxy SwitchyOmega.

Select “SOCKS5” from the dropdown menu
Enter your hostname in the Server field. In our example, we use anyIP.io as a provider: portal.anyip.io
Enter here your proxy port for anyIP.io we use: 2000

💡 To quickly identify your proxy, you can rename it as follows:

Click on “Rename” to open the Rename Profile form
Choose a name to identify your proxy easily
Save by clicking on the “Rename” button

Step 4: Connect to your proxy

Open the extension menu by clicking on the Proxy SwitchyOmega icon
For example, click on the proxy profile you just configured: Proxy by anyIP.io

💡 The extension icon should switch from grey to blue. This indicates your connection through the proxy.

How to test your proxy connection

We just covered how to use a SOCKS5 proxy in Chrome, but how do you ensure your proxy is enabled?

Luckily, It’s a simple verification. Head up to https://browserleaks.com/ip with and without the proxy activated. You will see that your IP is getting updated.

This screenshot shows your IP using browserleaks.com.

I can confirm that my new IP differs from when the proxy is disabled and that I’m well located in Italy as configured in my proxy.

You can also run a DNS Leak test to check if your DNS servers are safe.

GIF showing how to run a DNS leak test on browserleaks.com/ip.

If you look closely at those screenshots, you can see a WebRTC Leak revealing your public IP address

What is a WebRTC Leak, and how to fix it

WebRTC is a free, open-source technology. It enables real-time communication and data sharing. It's short for Web Real-Time Communication. It allows users to make audio and video calls. They can also share files and screens without additional software or plugins.

This technology has dramatically improved how we communicate and collaborate online. Yet, it has flaws. One of the significant concerns with WebRTC is the issue of WebRTC leaks.

It can expose a user's real IP address even when using a VPN or proxy. To fix this on Chrome, Google developed a simple extension. It gives you access to the WebRTC configuration.

Follow the instructions to install and configure the extension:

Step 1: Download and add WebRTC Network Limiter to Chrome

This screenshot shows how to add the WebRTC Network Limiter page on Chrome.

This screenshot shows the confirmation form to add the WebRTC Network Limiter extension to Chrome.

Click on “Add to Chrome.”
Review all the permissions granted to WebRTC Network Limiter. Then, click on “Add extension” to confirm.

💡 You should see a confirmation that the extension was added to Chrome.

This screenshot shows a confirmation that WebRTC Network Limiter was added to Chrome.

Step 2: Heads up to the WebRTC Network Limiter option

This screenshot shows how to access the options menu in WebRTC Network Limiter.

Open the extension menu and click on “Options” to access the extension configuration menu

Open the extension menu and click on “Options” to access the extension configuration menu

Step 3: Configure the extension to fix the WebRTC leak

This screenshot shows the different option in WebRTC Network Limiter.

Select “Use my proxy server (if present)” to force Chrome to force the traffic through the proxy.

Step 4: Check your proxy connection one more time

Head back to https://browserleaks.com/ip to check the WebRTC Leak.

This screenshot shows that there is no WebRTC leak on https://browserleaks.com/ip.

As you can see on the screenshot, you have now fixed the WebRTC Leak and can now browse the web anonymously.

Advanced Only

Connect to your SOCKS5 proxy using the command line.

If you're familiar with Terminal/PowerShell, you can launch Google Chrome with a SOCKS5 proxy using this command line:

For macOS:

BASH

    
"/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome" --proxy-server="socks5://portal.anyip.io:2000”

For Windows 10/11:

BASH

    
Start-Process -FilePath "C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\Chrome" --proxy-server="socks5://portal.anyip.io:2000"

Depending on your proxy provider, you have to update:

The hostname, in this example, we use : portal.anyip.io
The port. For our test, we used: 2000

The file path may differ depending on where you installed Google Chrome.

Once your command line is ready, ensure that Chrome is closed. Then press “Enter” to launch a new instance of Chrome with the proxy enabled.

To test your connection, you can use the same tools as the previous method.

Fix WebRTC and DNS Leak using the command line

One major issue when using “—proxy-server” is that this argument only applies to URL load. Google Chrome has many components that can bypass the proxy server. Hence, your connection will not be fully anonymous.

"DNS prefetcher” is one of those components. It will use your local DNS to improve browsing performance. It is causing a DNS Leak while using a SOCKS5 proxy.

To fix this behavior, you could turn off “DNS prefetcher,” which would drive Chrome to send raw DNS requests.

The best solution to solve this issue is to add the following argument in the command line :

BASH

    
--host-resolver-rules="MAP * ~NOTFOUND , EXCLUDE portal.anyip.io"

What “—host-resolver-rules” is preventing Chrome to send DNS requests over the internet. Instead, all requests, except for your proxy, are mapped to an invalid address (0.0.0.0).

Again, depending on your proxy, you need to update the hostname. Here, we use “portal.anyip.io.”

This method is deprecated, and using it will print an error when using it. You may continue to use it as long as it works at your own risk

This screenshot shows the error when Chrome is launched with the argument '--host-resolver-rules.'

Troubleshooting Common Issues

You may encounter a few common issues, such as :

My proxy is not connecting?

Suppose you're having problems connecting to your proxy. Make sure you have the correct hostname/IP and port. And take some time to verify your login details (password and username).

I’m getting the “ERR_SOCKS_CONNECTION_FAILED” error.

As mentioned, Google Chrome is incompatible with SOCKS5 Proxy. SOCKS5 Proxy requires username/password authentication. Before using a proxy provider, ensure it can handle IP whitelisting authentication.

Connection refused or server not responding.

If your credentials and proxy information are correct, contact your proxy provider. Check if their services are still working correctly.

How to quickly get SOCKS5 proxy using anyIP.io.

Gain quick and hassle-free access to SOCKS5 proxies through anyIP.io's expansive network. You can count on their 24/7 support team for uninterrupted and seamless service.

What is a SOCKS5 proxy, and how are they working with Chrome?

A SOCKS5 proxy is a secure internet protocol. It routes network packets between a client and a server through a proxy server. It stands for Socket Secure v5. Using a SOCKS5 proxy on Google Chrome helps bypass network restrictions. It also lets you access geo-restricted content. It also hides your IP address and improves internet security.

‍

How to Set Up SOCKS5 Proxy in Chrome: Ultimate Guide

Reviewed By

Jonathan Dizdarevic

💡 First thing first, to set up your proxy, you’ll need a few requirements:

How to set up SOCKS5 Proxy on Chrome with “Proxy SwitchyOmega”

💡 To use a SOCKS5 Proxy on Chrome, you must use a proxy provider offering an IP Whitelisting authentication method (such as anyIP.io).
Indeed, Chrome is not compatible with a Socks 5 Proxy. The proxy requires username/password authentication.

Step 1: Download and add Proxy SwitchyOmega extension to Chrome

Step 1b (optional): Pin the extension directly to your toolbar for quick access

Step 2: Open Proxy SwitchyOmega dashboard

💡 If the extension is already installed on your browser, do as follows to access the dashboard:

Step 3: Head up to the “Proxies” menu to configure your proxy

💡 To quickly identify your proxy, you can rename it as follows:

Step 4: Connect to your proxy

💡 The extension icon should switch from grey to blue. This indicates your connection through the proxy.

How to test your proxy connection

If you look closely at those screenshots, you can see a WebRTC Leak revealing your public IP address

What is a WebRTC Leak, and how to fix it

Step 1: Download and add WebRTC Network Limiter to Chrome

💡 You should see a confirmation that the extension was added to Chrome.

Step 2: Heads up to the WebRTC Network Limiter option

Step 3: Configure the extension to fix the WebRTC leak

Step 4: Check your proxy connection one more time

Advanced Only

Connect to your SOCKS5 proxy using the command line.

The file path may differ depending on where you installed Google Chrome.

To test your connection, you can use the same tools as the previous method.

Fix WebRTC and DNS Leak using the command line

This method is deprecated, and using it will print an error when using it. You may continue to use it as long as it works at your own risk

Troubleshooting Common Issues

My proxy is not connecting?

I’m getting the “ERR_SOCKS_CONNECTION_FAILED” error.

Connection refused or server not responding.

How to quickly get SOCKS5 proxy using anyIP.io.

What is a SOCKS5 proxy, and how are they working with Chrome?

Our Sponsors

How to Set Up SOCKS5 Proxy in Chrome: Ultimate Guide

Reviewed By

Jonathan Dizdarevic

💡 First thing first, to set up your proxy, you’ll need a few requirements:

How to set up SOCKS5 Proxy on Chrome with “Proxy SwitchyOmega”

💡 To use a SOCKS5 Proxy on Chrome, you must use a proxy provider offering an IP Whitelisting authentication method (such as anyIP.io). Indeed, Chrome is not compatible with a Socks 5 Proxy. The proxy requires username/password authentication.

Step 1: Download and add Proxy SwitchyOmega extension to Chrome

Step 1b (optional): Pin the extension directly to your toolbar for quick access

Step 2: Open Proxy SwitchyOmega dashboard

💡 If the extension is already installed on your browser, do as follows to access the dashboard:

Step 3: Head up to the “Proxies” menu to configure your proxy

💡 To quickly identify your proxy, you can rename it as follows:

Step 4: Connect to your proxy

💡 The extension icon should switch from grey to blue. This indicates your connection through the proxy.

How to test your proxy connection

If you look closely at those screenshots, you can see a WebRTC Leak revealing your public IP address

What is a WebRTC Leak, and how to fix it

Step 1: Download and add WebRTC Network Limiter to Chrome

💡 You should see a confirmation that the extension was added to Chrome.

Step 2: Heads up to the WebRTC Network Limiter option

Step 3: Configure the extension to fix the WebRTC leak

Step 4: Check your proxy connection one more time

Advanced Only

Connect to your SOCKS5 proxy using the command line.

The file path may differ depending on where you installed Google Chrome.

To test your connection, you can use the same tools as the previous method.

Fix WebRTC and DNS Leak using the command line

This method is deprecated, and using it will print an error when using it. You may continue to use it as long as it works at your own risk

Troubleshooting Common Issues

My proxy is not connecting?

I’m getting the “ERR_SOCKS_CONNECTION_FAILED” error.

Connection refused or server not responding.

How to quickly get SOCKS5 proxy using anyIP.io.

What is a SOCKS5 proxy, and how are they working with Chrome?

Our Sponsors

💡 To use a SOCKS5 Proxy on Chrome, you must use a proxy provider offering an IP Whitelisting authentication method (such as anyIP.io).
Indeed, Chrome is not compatible with a Socks 5 Proxy. The proxy requires username/password authentication.