When using a VPN, services like Google require you to pass a little test, usually a captcha challenge. The first thought of some users is that there might be something wrong with the VPN. The truth is that there is no issue at all; your VPN is working as it should.
So, why do you keep seeing a captcha? That’s what we are going to discuss today.
What is Captcha?
To fully understand why the captcha is showing when you do a Google search, you should know what a captcha is. In a few words, a captcha is a challenge or puzzle that websites use to differentiate real human users from bots and suspicious traffic.
The most common ones over the Internet require you to insert some text from a picture in a box. But there are other types that Google is using more frequently, such as identifying objects in a sequence of images.
Captcha and VPN
The main reason why you keep having to solve a captcha is that most VPNs use shared IP addresses. In other words, you and many other users are using the same IP address. That means that multiple requests are being sent simultaneously from the same IP. In the eyes of Google, that looks suspicious and it thinks your IP is a bot or a spammer.
Confirming your Identity when using a VPN
This situation is similar, but not the same. Some services require you to prove not only that you’re human, but that you are yourself. This happens when you try to log in to a web page where you have an account, while using a VPN. That’s because when trying to log in, you are probably using a different IP address from the last time you visited that page.
A VPN has hundreds or even thousands of different IPs, and the chances are that you use a different IP in each session. A website may find that suspicious, but in this case, it’s because it may think another person is trying to access your account. In this case, a captcha may be required, but the most common process is sending a confirmation link to your mail, so that you can confirm you are the person behind that username.
Is there a way to avoid captcha with a VPN?
If you are connected to a VPN that uses shared IP addresses, then the answer is no. There is no way of avoiding a captcha with services like Google. And if you think about it, it’s actually a good thing. A captcha helps Google to block bad traffic, such as bots, from their servers. In the end, this also helps to protect Google user’s accounts.
If you are sick of captcha and want to get rid of them, but still use a VPN, one thing you can try is to look for a VPN that offers dedicated IP addresses. This type of IP address will be used by you only, and not by other users. That way, Google won’t think of abusive types of traffic when seeing your IP. Therefore, the chances of seeing a captcha puzzle will drastically go down.
