Your IP address is a number assigned to your device so other computers on the internet can find and talk to you

Every device connected to the internet — your phone, laptop, tablet, smart TV — has an IP address. It works like a mailing address: when you request a webpage, your device sends that request out with your IP address attached, so the webpage knows where to send the answer back. Without it, data would have nowhere to go.

You actually have two IP addresses that matter. Your public IP address is what the outside internet sees — it's assigned by your internet service provider and identifies your entire home network. Your private IP address is assigned by your router and identifies just that one device on your home network. Both are important for different reasons, and both are straightforward to find.

Key Takeaways

  • Your public IP address is assigned by your internet service provider and is visible to websites you visit; you can find it in seconds on a search engine.
  • Your private IP address is assigned by your router and only devices on your home network can see it; you find it in your device settings or router admin panel.
  • Knowing your private IP address helps you troubleshoot home network problems and access your router's settings.
  • Your public IP address can change when you restart your modem, so it is not a permanent identifier unless your provider locks it.

Finding your public IP address

Your public IP address is the easiest one to find. Open any search engine — Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo — and type "what is my IP address" or "my IP". The search engine will display your public IP address at the top of the results in large text. That's it. No login required, no special tools needed.

You can also visit websites designed specifically to show your IP address, like whatismyipaddress.com or ipinfo.io. These sites display your public IP address, your approximate location (usually accurate to your city or region, not your street), and sometimes your internet service provider's name. The location shown is based on where your IP address is registered, not on your actual GPS location.

Your public IP address changes when you restart your modem. If your internet service provider has assigned you a static IP address (which costs extra and is usually only for businesses), it stays the same. For most home users, it's dynamic, meaning it can change. This is normal and expected.

Finding your private IP address on Windows

Your private IP address is the one your router assigned to your specific device. On Windows, the fastest way to find it is to open the Command Prompt and type a single command. Press the Windows key, type "cmd", and press Enter. In the black window that opens, type ipconfig and press Enter.

Look for the section labeled with your network name (usually "Ethernet" if you're plugged in with a cable, or "Wireless LAN adapter" if you're on Wi-Fi). Find the line that says "IPv4 Address". The number next to it is your private IP address. It usually starts with 192.168 or 10.0, followed by more numbers.

You can also find it through Settings. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi (or Ethernet), select your network, and scroll down to "IP address". The number shown there is your private IP address.

Finding your private IP address on Mac

On Mac, go to System Settings > Network. Select your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) from the list on the left. Your private IP address appears on the right side of the window, labeled "IP Address". It follows the same pattern as Windows addresses: usually starting with 192.168 or 10.0.

You can also open Terminal (search for it in Spotlight) and type ifconfig, then press Enter. Look for the section matching your connection type and find the line starting with "inet" — the number after that is your private IP address.

Finding your private IP address on phones and tablets

On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Wi-Fi, tap the network you're connected to, and scroll down. Your private IP address is listed under "IP Address". On Android, go to Settings > About Phone > Status (or Network on some devices). Your private IP address appears under "IP Address".

These private addresses only work on your home network. If you try to use your phone's private IP address on a different Wi-Fi network, it won't work — the phone will be assigned a different private address by that network's router.

Why you might need to know your private IP address

Your private IP address matters when you're troubleshooting your home network or trying to access your router's settings. If a device isn't connecting properly, knowing its private IP address helps you see whether the router actually assigned it one. If you need to log into your router to change your Wi-Fi password or adjust security settings, you'll type your router's private IP address (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) into a web browser to reach the admin panel.

Some people also use private IP addresses to set up port forwarding — a way to let devices outside your home network reach a specific device inside it. This is advanced and not necessary for most home users, but if you ever need to do it, you'll need the private IP address of the device you want to reach.

What your IP address reveals and what it doesn't

Your public IP address reveals your approximate location (usually accurate to your city), your internet service provider, and whether you're using a VPN or proxy. It does not reveal your street address, your name, or your exact location. Websites you visit can see your public IP address, which is how they know roughly where you are and can show you local ads or content.

Your private IP address is only visible to devices on your home network. Someone outside your home cannot see it. Your public IP address is what matters for privacy outside your home — if you want to hide it from websites, you would use a VPN, which masks your public IP address and replaces it with the VPN provider's address.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone find my home address from my IP address?

No. Your public IP address shows your approximate location — usually your city or region — but not your street address. Your internet service provider knows which street address is connected to your IP address, but they don't share that information with websites or the public. If someone has your street address, they got it from somewhere else, not from your IP address.

Why does my IP address keep changing?

Most home internet service providers assign dynamic IP addresses, which change when you restart your modem or after a set period of time (often every few days or weeks). This is normal. If you need a permanent IP address that never changes, you can contact your internet service provider about a static IP address, though this usually costs extra per month.

Is my private IP address the same on all my devices?

No. Each device on your home network gets its own private IP address from your router. Your phone, laptop, and tablet will all have different private IP addresses. Your router itself also has a private IP address (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1), which is how you reach it to change settings.

What's the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?

IPv4 addresses are the older format and look like four groups of numbers separated by dots (192.168.1.5). IPv6 addresses are the newer format and use letters and numbers separated by colons (2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334). Most home networks still use IPv4, but IPv6 is becoming more common. Both work the same way — they're just different numbering systems.

Do I need to hide my IP address?

For most home users, no. Your public IP address alone doesn't expose sensitive information. However, if you're concerned about websites tracking your location or you're using public Wi-Fi, a VPN can hide your public IP address. Your private IP address is already hidden from the outside internet, so there's nothing to hide there.