Your Mac has two IP addresses, and which one you need depends on what you're trying to do

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 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 something like 192.168.1.105 or 10.0.0.42.

Finding your local IP address takes about 30 seconds and requires no special tools — just the settings already built into your Mac. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're running the current version of macOS or an older one, but the idea is the same: you're looking in the network settings where your Mac reports what address it was assigned.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Mac's local IP address is found in System Settings under Network, and it changes only if your router assigns a new one or you manually set a static address.
  • The quickest method is System Settings > Network > Wi-Fi (or Ethernet) > Details, where you'll see "IPv4 Address" listed at the top.
  • If you need the address to stay the same — for port forwarding or accessing your Mac remotely — you can set a static IP in your router's admin panel rather than on the Mac itself.
  • Your public IP address (what websites see) is different from your local one and changes based on your internet provider; you can find it by searching "what is my IP" in any browser.

Finding your IP address on current macOS versions (Ventura and newer)

Open System Settings by clicking the Apple menu in the top-left corner and selecting System Settings. In the sidebar, click Network. You'll see your connection type listed — either Wi-Fi or Ethernet, depending on how you're connected.

Click the connection you're using. A details panel opens on the right side. At the top, you'll see "IPv4 Address" followed by a number. That number is your local IP address. Write it down or take a screenshot if you need it for router settings or network troubleshooting.

Finding your IP address on older macOS versions (Monterey and earlier)

Click the Apple menu and select System Preferences (not System Settings). Click Network in the left sidebar. Select your connection type — Wi-Fi or Ethernet — from the list on the left.

Your IP address appears in the main panel under "IPv4 Address". If you don't see it, click the Advanced button in the bottom-right corner, then click the TCP/IP tab. The address is listed there as well.

Using Terminal if the graphical method doesn't work

If you prefer the command line or the settings method isn't showing your address clearly, Terminal can tell you the same thing. Open Terminal (search for it in Spotlight by pressing Command+Space, typing "Terminal", and pressing Enter).

Type 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" and is not 127.0.0.1 (that's your computer talking to itself). The number after "inet" is your local IP address. If you're on Wi-Fi, it will be under a section labeled "en0" or similar. If you're on Ethernet, look under "en1" or "en2".

Why your IP address might change and when to make it static

Your router assigns IP addresses automatically using something called DHCP. Most home routers are set to hand out the same address to the same device most of the time, but it's not may provide. If you restart your Mac or your router, you might get a different address.

This matters if you're setting up port forwarding (telling your router to send certain traffic to your Mac) or if you want to access your Mac remotely. In those cases, you need the address to stay the same. The solution is to set a static IP address — but do this in your router's settings, not on the Mac itself. Log into your router's admin panel (usually at 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 in your browser), find the DHCP or IP reservation section, and tell it to always give your Mac the same address. This is safer and easier than manually setting an IP on the Mac.

Finding your public IP address instead

Your public IP address is what websites and internet services see when you connect to them. It's assigned by your internet service provider and is different from your local address. You don't need it for home network setup, but you might need it for remote access or troubleshooting.

To find your public IP, open any web browser and search for "what is my IP" or "my IP address". The first result will show you a number — that's your public address. You can also visit websites like whatismyipaddress.com or ipinfo.io. Your public IP changes periodically (how often depends on your provider), so don't rely on it staying the same unless your provider offers a static public IP as a paid service.

What to do once you have your IP address

Once you know your Mac's local IP address, you can use it for several network tasks. If you're setting up port forwarding in your router to reach your Mac from outside your home, you'll enter this address in the router's port forwarding rules. If you're troubleshooting a network problem, you can ping this address from another device to see if your Mac is reachable. If you're accessing your Mac remotely using a tool like Apple Remote Desktop or SSH, you'll connect to this address (assuming you've set it to static first).

Keep in mind that your local IP address is only meaningful inside your home network. Devices outside your network can't reach your Mac using this address — they would need your public IP address and the right port forwarding rules set up in your router.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my IP address change if I restart my Mac?

Not usually. Your router remembers which address it gave to your Mac and will assign the same one again when you restart. However, if your router restarts or you're away from your network for a while, a new address is possible. If you need the address to never change, set a static IP in your router's DHCP reservation settings.

Is my local IP address private and safe to share?

Your local IP address only works inside your home network, so sharing it online is harmless — it tells someone nothing about how to reach your Mac from the internet. Your public IP address is more sensitive; avoid posting it publicly, though it changes regularly and isn't a major security risk on its own.

Why do I see multiple IP addresses when I look at my network settings?

Your Mac might be connected to both Wi-Fi and Ethernet at the same time, or it might have both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. For home network setup, focus on the IPv4 address under whichever connection you're actually using (Wi-Fi or Ethernet). IPv6 is a newer format but works the same way.

Can I set my IP address directly on my Mac instead of in the router?

Yes, but don't. You can manually assign an IP in System Settings > Network > Advanced > TCP/IP, but this can cause conflicts if your router tries to assign a different address. It's safer and simpler to set a static IP through your router's DHCP reservation feature, which keeps everything coordinated.

What if I can't find my IP address in System Settings?

Make sure you've selected the correct connection type (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and that you're actually connected to your network — if the connection shows "Not Connected", your Mac won't have an IP address. Try the Terminal method instead, or restart your Mac and try again. If you still see nothing, your router may not be assigning addresses properly, and you should restart your router.