What Is WebRTC? Browser-Based Voice & Video Explained
No app to install. No plugin to approve. You click a link and you're in a call — and, almost invisibly, that call is more strongly encrypted than most desk phones. That's WebRTC, and it quietly became the easiest secure call you can make.
WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is an open standard that lets web browsers make voice and video calls directly, with no plugin or app. Its media is always encrypted (DTLS-SRTP), which makes it both the most convenient and one of the most secure ways to place a call.
Calls without the client
WebRTC puts a full real-time communications engine inside the browser. A user joins a call or a meeting from a web page — no softphone to install, no device to provision. For organisations, that means voice and video that work on any modern device without rolling out software, and for visitors or occasional users, it means zero friction.
In a phone system, WebRTC typically powers the web softphone and browser-based video rooms, sitting alongside SIP desk phones and room systems on the same platform.
Encrypted by mandate
A defining feature of WebRTC is that encryption isn't optional: the standard requires DTLS-SRTP for media. There is no such thing as an unencrypted WebRTC call. That design decision means every browser call on a well-built system is confidential by default — a strong contrast to legacy phones where encryption is an afterthought.
To connect browsers across networks and firewalls, WebRTC uses STUN/TURN servers (over TLS) to find a media path, so calls work even through restrictive NAT.
WebRTC on your own terms
WebRTC is just a technology — it says nothing about where the server lives. A self-hosted platform can offer browser voice and video entirely on its own infrastructure, so you get the convenience of click-to-call and the strong encryption of WebRTC without handing your meetings to a third-party cloud. That's how sovereign video conferencing is built.
Frequently asked questions
Is WebRTC secure?
Yes — unusually so. The standard mandates DTLS-SRTP media encryption, so every WebRTC call is encrypted by default. There is no unencrypted mode.
Does WebRTC require the public internet or a cloud service?
No. WebRTC can run on a self-hosted platform on a private or offline network. The browser talks to your server; the technology doesn't require anyone else's cloud.