Your Mac has two IP addresses, and you'll need to know which one to use

Every device on your home network has an IP address — a number that identifies it so other devices can find and talk to it. Your Mac has two: a local IP address (used only within your home network) and a public IP address (how the outside internet sees you). When you're setting up a find home network, you'll almost always need the local one. It looks like 192.168.1.100 or 10.0.0.50 — four groups of numbers separated by dots.

You need your Mac's local IP address to log into your router, set up port forwarding, check which devices are connected to your network, or troubleshoot why something isn't working. The fastest way to find it is through System Settings, which takes about 30 seconds.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Mac's local IP address starts with 192.168 or 10.0 and is the one you use for home network tasks like logging into your router.
  • Open System Settings, click Network, select your connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet), and look for the IP address field — it's listed right there.
  • If you need your public IP address instead, search "what is my IP" in any browser or visit a site like whatismyipaddress.com.
  • Your local IP address can change if your router restarts, so write it down or set a static IP if you plan to use it for port forwarding or remote access.

Finding your local IP address through System Settings

This is the method most people use because it's built into macOS and takes no extra steps. Open System Settings (the gear icon in your dock, or press Command + comma on most Macs). Click Network in the left sidebar.

You'll see your active connection listed — either Wi-Fi or Ethernet, depending on how you're connected. Click it. On the right side of the window, you'll see a section labeled IP Address. The number shown there is your local IP address. If you're on Wi-Fi, you might also see a field for DNS servers and your router's address (listed as Router). Write down the IP address or take a screenshot if you need it later.

If you're connected to both Wi-Fi and Ethernet at the same time, check both. Your Mac will have a separate local IP address for each connection, and they might be different numbers. For home network tasks, use whichever connection you're actually using.

Finding your IP address from the Terminal

If System Settings isn't working or you prefer the command line, Terminal can show you your IP address in seconds. Open Terminal (search for it in Spotlight by pressing Command + Space, type "terminal", and press Enter). Paste this command and press Enter:

ifconfig | grep "inet " | grep -v 127.0.0.1

You'll see output with several lines. Look for the line that starts with inet followed by a number like 192.168.1.100 or 10.0.0.50. That's your local IP address. If you see multiple inet lines, the one that starts with 192.168 or 10.0 is your local address; anything starting with 127 is your computer talking to itself and you can ignore it.

Terminal shows you the same information as System Settings, just in a different format. Use whichever method feels easier to you.

Understanding the difference between local and public IP addresses

Your local IP address (192.168.x.x or 10.0.x.x) only works inside your home network. It's assigned by your router and changes if your router restarts or if you reconnect to the network. You use it to reach your Mac from other devices in your house, to log into your router's settings, or to set up port forwarding for remote access.

Your public IP address is what websites and servers on the internet see when you connect to them. It's assigned by your internet service provider and is different from your local address. If you need to find your public IP address, open any web browser and search "what is my IP" or visit whatismyipaddress.com. The large number displayed is your public IP.

For home network security tasks — like accessing your router settings or checking connected devices — you almost always need the local address, not the public one. The public address is useful mainly if you're setting up remote access to your Mac from outside your home, which is a more advanced setup.

Why your IP address might change and what to do about it

Your router assigns local IP addresses using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), which means the address can change. This usually happens when your router restarts, when your Mac reconnects to the network, or after a few days of being connected. If you're just looking up your address to log into your router once, this doesn't matter. But if you're setting up port forwarding or planning to access your Mac remotely, a changing IP address will break those setups.

To prevent this, you can set a static IP address — one that stays the same. The easiest way is through your router's settings. Log into your router (usually by typing 192.168.1.1 or 10.0.0.1 in a browser), find the DHCP or Local Network settings, and look for an option to reserve an IP address for your Mac. You'll need your Mac's MAC address (a different identifier from the IP address), which you can find in System Settings under Network by clicking Advanced and looking at the Hardware tab.

Some people set a static IP directly on the Mac instead, but doing it through the router is simpler and less likely to cause conflicts. Check your router's manual or support page for the exact steps, since the process varies by brand.

Checking which devices are connected to your network using IP addresses

Once you know how to find IP addresses, you can see what else is connected to your network. Log into your router by typing its IP address (usually 192.168.1.1) into a web browser. You'll need your router's username and password — check the sticker on the back of the router if you haven't changed them.

Inside your router's settings, look for a section called Connected Devices, Device List, DHCP Clients, or Attached Devices. You'll see a list of every device on your network along with its local IP address and MAC address. This is useful for spotting unknown devices that shouldn't be there, or for finding the IP address of a phone, printer, or other device you need to troubleshoot.

If you see a device you don't recognize, note its MAC address and search for it online — the first part of the MAC address identifies the manufacturer, so you can often tell what kind of device it is. If it's something you don't own, you may have an unauthorized connection and should change your Wi-Fi password.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between my IP address and my MAC address?

Your IP address is a number that changes and identifies your device on the network right now (like 192.168.1.100). Your MAC address is a permanent identifier built into your device's hardware that never changes (like AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF). Routers use MAC addresses to assign IP addresses and to recognize devices over time.

Why does my IP address keep changing?

Your router assigns IP addresses dynamically, so they can change when your Mac reconnects, when the router restarts, or after several days. If you need a stable address for port forwarding or remote access, set a static IP through your router's settings instead.

Can I find my IP address on my iPhone or iPad?

Yes. Open Settings, tap Wi-Fi, tap the network you're connected to, and scroll down to see the IP Address field. It works the same way as on Mac — the address shown is your local IP on that network.

Is it dangerous to share my local IP address?

Your local IP address only works inside your home network, so sharing it with someone outside your house doesn't let them connect to your devices. Your public IP address is more sensitive, but it's visible to every website you visit anyway. Neither one is as critical to protect as your Wi-Fi password.

How do I find my IP address if I can't access System Settings?

Use Terminal instead. Open Terminal and run ifconfig | grep "inet " | grep -v 127.0.0.1. Look for the line starting with inet that shows 192.168 or 10.0 — that's your local IP address.