WebRTC

ELI5 — The Vibe Check

WebRTC is how your browser does video calls, screen sharing, and peer-to-peer connections without any plugins. Two browsers talk directly to each other, no server in the middle. It's how Google Meet and Discord make real-time magic happen.

Real Talk

A set of browser APIs and protocols enabling real-time peer-to-peer communication (audio, video, data) directly between browsers. WebRTC uses ICE/STUN/TURN for NAT traversal, DTLS/SRTP for encryption, and supports adaptive bitrate streaming. The signaling mechanism is left to the developer.

When You'll Hear This

"WebRTC handles the peer-to-peer connection, but you still need a signaling server for the initial handshake." / "STUN and TURN servers are essential for WebRTC — not all peers can connect directly through NAT."