The quickest way to find your Mac's IP address

Open System Settings, click Network in the left sidebar, then select Wi-Fi or Ethernet depending on how your Mac connects. Your IP address appears next to "IP Address" in the window that opens — it looks like four numbers separated by dots, such as 192.168.1.5. This is the address your router assigns to your Mac on your home network.

If you need the address right now and System Settings feels slow, you can also open Terminal (search for it in Spotlight with Command-Space) and type ifconfig, then press Enter. Look for the line that starts with "inet" under either "en0" (Ethernet) or "en1" (Wi-Fi) — that number is your IP address.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Mac's IP address appears in System Settings under Network, next to "IP Address" for whichever connection type you use.
  • The Terminal command ifconfig shows your IP address if you prefer the command line, along with other network details.
  • A local IP address (starting with 192.168 or 10.) is what your router assigns and is different from your internet-facing address.
  • You need your Mac's local IP address to access it remotely on your home network or to troubleshoot connection problems.

Why you need to know your Mac's IP address

Your Mac's IP address is how other devices on your home network find it. If you want to connect to your Mac from another computer, set up file sharing, or troubleshoot why something isn't connecting, you need this number. It also helps when you're looking at your router's settings to see which devices are connected or to assign a fixed address to your Mac so it doesn't change.

The address you see in System Settings is your local IP address — the one your router uses to talk to your Mac inside your home network. This is different from your internet-facing IP address, which is what websites see when you browse. For home network purposes, the local address is the one you need.

Finding your IP address in System Settings (the easiest way)

Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select System Settings. In the sidebar on the left, click Network. You'll see either Wi-Fi or Ethernet listed depending on how your Mac is connected — click whichever one shows a green dot next to it, meaning it's active.

A panel opens on the right side. Scroll down until you see "IP Address" — the number next to it is what you're looking for. You'll also see other details like your subnet mask and router address, but the IP Address line is the one you need to write down or remember.

Using Terminal to find your IP address

Open Terminal by pressing Command-Space to open Spotlight, typing "terminal", and pressing Enter. Type the command ifconfig and press Enter. The output shows all your network connections.

Look for a section labeled "en0" (for Ethernet) or "en1" or "en5" (for Wi-Fi, depending on your Mac model). Under that section, find the line that starts with "inet" — the number after "inet" is your IP address. Ignore lines that start with "inet6" — those are IPv6 addresses, which your home network may also use but aren't what you typically need for local connections.

What to do if your IP address keeps changing

By default, your router assigns a new IP address to your Mac each time it connects. This usually isn't a problem for everyday use, but if you're setting up file sharing or remote access, a changing address can break things. You have two options: assign a static IP address to your Mac, or set up a DHCP reservation in your router.

A static IP address means you manually tell your Mac to always use the same address. Go to System Settings, Network, then click the connection type (Wi-Fi or Ethernet). Click Details, then TCP/IP. Change the dropdown from "Using DHCP" to "Manually" and enter an address in the same range as your current one — for example, if your current address is 192.168.1.5, you might choose 192.168.1.50. A DHCP reservation does the same thing but from your router's side, which is often simpler because you don't have to reconfigure your Mac.

Finding another device's IP address on your network

If you need to find the IP address of another Mac, iPhone, or device on your home network, open System Preferences on that device and look in Network settings the same way. For iPhones and iPads, go to Settings, Wi-Fi, tap the network name, and look for "IP Address" in the details.

You can also see all devices connected to your network by logging into your router's settings page. Open a web browser and type your router's address — usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 — then log in with your router's username and password. The connected devices list shows every device and its IP address. This is useful if you're trying to figure out which device is using the most bandwidth or if something unexpected is connected to your network.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my local IP address the same as my internet IP address?

No. Your local IP address (192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x) is what your router uses to identify your Mac inside your home. Your internet IP address is what websites see when you browse — your router assigns that to itself, not to individual devices. You can find your internet IP by searching "what is my IP" in a web browser.

Why does my IP address sometimes change?

Your router's DHCP server automatically assigns addresses to devices when they connect. If your Mac disconnects and reconnects, or if you restart it, the router may assign a different address from its available pool. If you need the address to stay the same, set a static IP or create a DHCP reservation in your router settings.

Can I use my IP address to connect to my Mac from outside my home network?

Your local IP address only works inside your home network. To connect from outside, you need your internet IP address and to set up port forwarding or a remote access service like Apple Remote Desktop. Your local address won't route through the internet.

What if I see multiple IP addresses in ifconfig output?

Your Mac may have multiple network connections (Wi-Fi, Ethernet, VPN, virtual networks). Look for the section labeled with the connection you're actually using — en0 for Ethernet or en1/en5 for Wi-Fi. Ignore sections for inactive connections or virtual adapters unless you specifically need one of those.