First: which IP address do you need?
Most people asking “what is my IP address?” actually have two answers. Your device has a private IP address, such as 192.168.1.23, that your router assigns inside your home or office network. Your connection also has a public IP address, which is the address websites, game servers and email providers see when you connect to them.
You need the private address when you set up port forwarding, connect a printer, configure a smart-home device or troubleshoot a local network problem. You need the public address when a support agent, game host, firewall allow-list or remote-access tool asks for it.
The two are different because of network address translation (NAT): your router lets many private devices share one public address. That is why every phone and laptop in a house usually shows the same public IP but a different private IP.
How to find your public IP address (any device)
The fastest method works on every device: open a “what is my IP” page such as the IP Lens home page. The address shown at the top is the public IPv4 or IPv6 address that reached our server. It also lists the network operator, ASN and an approximate region so you can confirm which network you are really using.
If you are on a VPN, the public IP shown will belong to the VPN server instead of your internet provider. That is a quick way to confirm the VPN is active. If you see an IPv6 address, your connection is dual-stack; some sites may see your IPv4 address and others your IPv6 address.
On a command line you can ask a web service directly. This is handy on servers and headless devices that have no browser.
curl https://api.ipify.org
curl -6 https://api64.ipify.org # force IPv6Find your private IP address on Windows 10 and 11
In Windows 11, open Settings, choose Network & internet, then select Wi-Fi or Ethernet and click the connected network’s properties. Scroll down to “IPv4 address”. In Windows 10 the path is Settings, Network & Internet, Status, then Properties for the active connection.
The Command Prompt is quicker and shows more detail. Press Windows + R, type cmd, press Enter and run ipconfig. Look under the adapter you are using (Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter) for “IPv4 Address”. “Default Gateway” is your router’s private address.
- Press Windows + R, type cmd and press Enter.
- Type ipconfig and press Enter.
- Find “IPv4 Address” under your active adapter.
- Note the “Default Gateway” if you need to open your router settings.
Find your IP address on a Mac
On macOS Ventura and later, open System Settings, choose Wi-Fi (or Network for Ethernet), click Details next to the connected network and read the IP address on the TCP/IP tab. On older versions, use System Preferences, Network, and select the active connection.
In Terminal, ipconfig getifaddr en0 usually prints the Wi-Fi address on recent Macs. If it returns nothing, try en1, or run ifconfig and look for the “inet” line under the active interface.
The router address appears in the same TCP/IP panel as “Router”, or you can read it with the netstat -nr command next to “default”.
Find your IP address on iPhone and Android
On iPhone or iPad, open Settings, tap Wi-Fi, then tap the blue “i” next to the network you are connected to. The IP Address field shows your private address on that Wi-Fi network. iOS may use a “private Wi-Fi address” for the hardware MAC address, but that setting does not change your IP address.
On Android the menu names vary by manufacturer. On most phones, open Settings, Network & internet (or Connections), Wi-Fi, then tap the gear icon next to the connected network; the IP address is often under “Advanced” or “Network details”. On Samsung phones, tap the network, then the gear icon.
On mobile data there is usually no useful private address to find. Carriers often place many customers behind carrier-grade NAT, so the public IP you see on a website may be shared with thousands of other subscribers.
Find all IP addresses from your router
Your router keeps a list of every device it has given an address to. Type the default gateway address (often 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1 or 10.0.0.1) into a browser, sign in with the admin password printed on the router or set during installation, and look for a page called Connected devices, DHCP clients or Attached devices.
The router status page also shows the WAN or Internet IP address. If that WAN address is in the 100.64.0.0 to 100.127.255.255 range, or does not match the public IP shown on websites, your provider is using carrier-grade NAT and incoming connections such as port forwarding may not work.
Change the default router password if you have never done so. Anyone on your network can reach that admin page.
Common questions
Can someone find my home address from my IP? Not normally. An IP lookup shows the network operator and an approximate area, often the city or region where the provider registers that block of addresses. Only your provider can link an address to a customer account, and it typically does so only under legal process.
Why does my IP address keep changing? Most home and mobile connections use dynamic addresses that are reassigned when the router reconnects or the lease expires. If you need an address that never changes, ask your provider for a static IP.
Is it safe to share my IP address? Sharing it with a support team or game host is common. Avoid posting it publicly alongside other personal details, keep your router and devices updated, and use a VPN if you want websites to see a different address.