▓▒░ TESTING: HMA ░▒▓

Is HMA working?

HMA is one of the longest-running consumer VPN brands (since 2005). 2022 VerSprite audit, UK jurisdiction with US parent (Gen Digital). Run the live test below to confirm your HMA session is actually hiding you.

★ isvpnworking.com - Live Status Window
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⚡ live status check ⚡
checking . . .
running 3 tests on your connection, hold tight
FYI we're checking your IP, location, and 3 types of leaks. all in your browser, nothing sent to us.
visible IP →
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they think you're in →
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VPN brand detected →
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tested at →
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┌─ LEAK DETECTION RESULTS ─┐
▸ webrtc test peer-to-peer ip leak
running…
▸ dns test domain query leak
running…
▸ ipv6 test protocol exposure
running…
★ How to verify HMA (HideMyAss) is working
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Open the HMA (HideMyAss) app, hit Connect, then run the test widget at the top of this page. Three checks tell you whether HMA (HideMyAss) is doing its job:

  1. Visible IP changed - the IP shown above should differ from your real ISP IP. If unchanged, the tunnel is not routing traffic.
  2. Country matches your selected server - if HMA (HideMyAss) says you're connected to "Germany" but our checker shows your real country, the tunnel is broken.
  3. All three leak rows show SAFE - WebRTC, DNS, IPv6. If any row reads LEAK / EXPOSED, your real IP is escaping the tunnel.

Specific HMA (HideMyAss) settings to verify: IP Shuffle, Lightning Connect, Smart Kill Switch. Look for those terms in the app menu - they're the HMA (HideMyAss)-specific names for the protections we're testing.

★ Common HMA (HideMyAss) connection issues
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"IP Shuffle disconnects mid-session"

Fix: IP Shuffle rotates exit IP on schedule. Set to longer interval (60+ min) or disable for steady-state use.

"Lightning Connect picks slow servers"

Fix: Lightning Connect prioritizes lowest latency, not highest speed. Manually pick a server in target country instead.

"App is 'noisy' with notifications"

Fix: Settings -> Notifications -> off all 'Tips and recommendations'. Marketing nudges, no impact on protection.

★ HMA (HideMyAss)'s leak protection - what we found
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Run the widget above with HMA (HideMyAss) connected. Our automated check evaluates four signals: VPN brand detection (via proxycheck.io + org-name heuristic), WebRTC peer-to-peer leak, DNS routing, and IPv6 exposure.

Based on HMA (HideMyAss)'s default configuration:

  • WebRTC: OS firewall block
  • DNS handling: HMA-operated
  • IPv6: blocked
  • Kill switch: available, off by default
  • Port forwarding: no
  • Obfuscation: OpenVPN scrambling

Notable incident in HMA (HideMyAss)'s history: 2011 Cody Kretsinger (LulzSec) case - handed connection logs to UK police. Multiple ownership changes since (Avast 2016, Gen Digital 2022) and 2022 audit

Tested with our checker: WebRTC and IPv6 rows depend on your individual HMA (HideMyAss) setup (server choice, kill-switch state). DNS row is a stub right now (real server-side test in progress) - so the strict checks are WebRTC and IPv6. Cross-check by running the test with HMA (HideMyAss) disconnected, then again with it connected.

Notes last reviewed: 2026-05-11. Settings and defaults change over time; verify in the app if it's been months.

★ HMA (HideMyAss) vs alternatives
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How HMA (HideMyAss) compares to its closest competitors on the dimensions our checker tests:

Dimension HMA (HideMyAss)CyberGhostPIA (Private Internet Access)
Headline price $2.99/mo (3-year)$2.03/mo (2-year)$2.03/mo (3-year)
Jurisdiction United Kingdom (5 Eyes); US parentRomania (EU, no mandatory retention)United States (5 Eyes member)
Audit VerSprite 2022Deloitte 2022Deloitte 2022 + court-verified 2016, 2018, 2022
Devices 107unlimited
Port forwarding ✗✗✓
IPv6 blocksblocksblocks
Free tier 7-day trial24-hour trial onlyno

Reality check: 2011 incident shaped reputation; current ops are audited. UK jurisdiction + Gen Digital ownership are factors not everyone weights equally.

Verdict: Pick if discounted heavily and the 2011 history doesn't matter for your threat model. Otherwise NordVPN/Surfshark for similar leak protection.

Compare directly: Is CyberGhost working? · Is PIA (Private Internet Access) working?

try HMA (HideMyAss) ↗
FAQ - HMA (HideMyAss)
Is HMA safe given the 2011 incident?[+]

In 2011 HMA handed over connection logs leading to a hacker's arrest. Updated policy + 2022 audit confirm current ops keep no logs. Ownership has changed twice since (Avast 2016, Gen Digital 2022).

Does HMA keep logs?[+]

Per 2022 audit: no activity, IP, or session logs. Aggregate bandwidth counts. UK jurisdiction means warrants are technically possible but no logs to compel.

What does HMA's '290+ countries' mean?[+]

It counts locations (cities, often multiple per country). Actual unique countries: 100ish. Marketing number is an upper bound on city diversity.

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