Why a Proxy Changes Your Browser IP but Not Other Apps
A browser or Wi-Fi HTTP proxy setting does not automatically route every application or protocol through the selected IP.
A changed IP in your browser describes that browser request. Other applications can retain their direct route because proxy settings are inputs that each client must support and use.
| Where the proxy was set | What it normally governs |
|---|---|
| Firefox manual settings | Firefox's supported requests. |
| System HTTP proxy | Applications that read and support that configuration. |
| An application's HTTP or SOCKS options | The traffic covered by that application's implementation. |
| A Wi-Fi network's proxy | Clients using that setting while on that network. |
A game or voice call may use traffic outside the HTTP path; an app opening direct sockets can ignore the system proxy entirely. Even SOCKS5 needs implementation support: the protocol defines UDP association, but Chromium's built-in SOCKS5 support covers TCP URL requests rather than a general UDP relay.
Find the other application's documented proxy interface and match its protocol. If it offers none, repeatedly editing a system HTTP endpoint is unlikely to configure it. Verify a request from that app through its diagnostics or a destination you control; curl can validate an endpoint but cannot certify another app's route.
Recheck after launch or network changes. A process may retain settings read at startup, and a phone switching to mobile data leaves Wi-Fi-specific configuration behind. If your requirement is device-wide routing, select a mechanism designed for that scope; a single client's HTTP setting cannot establish it.