Your public IP address is the number the internet sees when you connect. The fastest way to find it is an IP lookup: open the IP Address Lookup tool, and your address appears in seconds — no install, no signup, nothing to configure. The rest of this article shows you how to find it yourself on Windows, Mac, Android, and iPhone, and explains why the number changes and what it does and doesn't reveal about you.
Most people search "whats my ip" for one of three reasons: a website or game is blocking them, an account sent a "new sign-in" alert, or they are setting up something technical and the instructions ask for their address. Whatever brought you here, you will have the answer in under a minute — and you will know which number is the right one, because your device shows more than one address and most of them are not the public one.
Your Public IP Address, Right Now
The simplest check needs no steps at all. A lookup tool reads the address your connection presents to the internet and shows it back to you, along with the basics that come with it: whether it is IPv4 or IPv6, which internet provider it belongs to, and the approximate city it maps to. That is the address every website you visit sees.
This is also the number to give when someone asks for "your IP" — a support agent, a game server admin, or a remote-access setup. The address shown in your device settings is usually a different, private one that only works inside your own network. Knowing the difference saves a lot of confusion, and the section on public vs private addresses below explains it in plain terms.
Find Your IP Address on Windows
On Windows 11, open Settings, then go to Network & internet and click Wi-Fi (or Ethernet if you are wired in). Click the network you are connected to and scroll to the IPv4 address. That is your device's address on your local network — useful for printing and file sharing, but not the public address websites see.
For the public address, use the lookup tool above, or open Command Prompt and type nslookup myip.opendns.com resolver1.opendns.com. A quicker route in PowerShell is (Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://ifconfig.me/ip").Content, which prints your public IPv4 address on one line. Either way, you get the number the internet sees, not the one your router handed your PC.
If you are on Windows 10, the steps are almost the same: Settings, then Network & Internet, then Status, then View your network properties. The IPv4 address listed there is again the local one. For the public address, the lookup tool or the command above is the reliable path on both versions.
Find Your IP Address on a Mac
On a Mac, open System Settings and click Network in the sidebar. Select the connection you are using — Wi-Fi or Ethernet — and click Details. Your local IP address appears under TCP/IP, next to "IPv4 Address". As on Windows, this is the private address your router assigned to the Mac, not the public one.
For the public address, the Terminal is the fastest route. Open Terminal and run curl ifconfig.me, and your public IPv4 address prints immediately. If you also want your IPv6 address, run curl -6 ifconfig.me. Both commands work on any recent macOS version with no software to install.
If you would rather not use the Terminal, the lookup tool works exactly the same in Safari as it does anywhere else: open it, and the page shows your public address, your IPv6 address if you have one, and the approximate location tied to it.
Find Your IP Address on Android
On Android, the quickest route is through your Wi-Fi settings. Open Settings, tap Network & internet, then Internet, then tap the gear icon next to the Wi-Fi network you are connected to. Scroll down to Network details, where you will see an IP address. On most phones this is your device's private address on the Wi-Fi network.
There is also a second place to look. In Settings, go to About phone, then Status (on Samsung phones: About phone, then Status information). The IP address listed there is the one your phone is using right now — on mobile data, that is usually the address your carrier assigned, which is closer to the public one but still may sit behind carrier-grade address sharing.
The reliable check on Android is the same as everywhere else: open the lookup tool in Chrome. It shows the public address your carrier or Wi-Fi network presents to the internet, which is the number that matters for blocks, geo-restrictions, and remote access.
Find Your IP Address on iPhone
On an iPhone, open Settings and tap Wi-Fi. Tap the small "i" in a circle next to the network you are connected to. The IP Address section shows your device's address on that Wi-Fi network — again, the private one, useful for local troubleshooting but not the public address.
There is no built-in screen on iOS that shows your public IP address. Apple keeps that detail out of Settings, so the way to see it is a lookup tool in Safari: open the IP Address Lookup tool and your public IPv4 and IPv6 addresses appear immediately, along with your provider and approximate location.
One iPhone detail worth knowing: if you are on mobile data rather than Wi-Fi, your public address comes from your carrier and can change every time you reconnect. That is normal, and the "why it keeps changing" section below explains what is going on.
Find Your IP on a Chromebook or Linux
On a Chromebook, open Settings, then Network, then click your connected Wi-Fi network. The IP address shown there is your device's local address. For the public one, open the lookup tool in Chrome — the same one-step check works on ChromeOS exactly as it does on any other system.
On Linux, open a terminal and run curl ifconfig.me for your public IPv4 address, just like on a Mac. If you want the local address instead, run ip addr and look for the inet entry on your active interface. The public address is the one that matters outside your own network.
Quick Reference: Where to Find Your IP on Any Device
| Device | Where to look | What you will see |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 | Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi → your network | Local (private) IPv4 address |
| Windows (any) | Command Prompt: nslookup myip.opendns.com resolver1.opendns.com | Public IPv4 address |
| Mac | System Settings → Network → Details → TCP/IP | Local (private) IPv4 address |
| Mac (any) | Terminal: curl ifconfig.me | Public IPv4 address |
| Android | Settings → Network & internet → Internet → gear icon | Local (private) IP address |
| iPhone | Settings → Wi-Fi → "i" next to your network | Local (private) IP address |
| Any device | FrostRank IP Address Lookup tool | Public IPv4 + IPv6, provider, approximate location |
The pattern is worth remembering: the address your device settings show is almost always the private one, and the address the internet sees is the one a lookup tool shows. When instructions ask for "your IP address", they almost always mean the public one.
Public vs Private IP: Why the Numbers Don't Match
Your home network has two layers of addresses. Your router gives every device in your house a private address — typically starting with 192.168 or 10 — so the devices can talk to each other. The router itself has one public address, assigned by your internet provider, and that is the single address the whole house shares with the internet.
This is why the number in your settings and the number a lookup tool shows are different, and both are correct. The private address identifies your device inside your network; the public address identifies your household to the outside world. The technical name for this sharing is network address translation, and every home router does it by default.
If you want the full picture — how these addresses are allocated, what the ranges mean, and how geolocation works — the IP addresses, ASNs, and geolocation guide covers it in depth. For everyday use, the short version is enough: settings show the private address, the lookup tool shows the public one.
Why Your IP Address Keeps Changing
Most home connections use dynamic addresses. Your provider lends you a public IP address for a while — a lease that can last hours, days, or weeks — and when the lease ends or your router restarts, you may get a different one. Nothing is broken; this is how residential internet is designed to work.
Mobile connections change even more often. A phone can get a new address every time it reconnects to a tower, switches between Wi-Fi and mobile data, or moves between networks. If a website suddenly treats you as a new visitor, or a security alert mentions an unfamiliar address, a changed mobile IP is the most common explanation.
Some connections never change. Business lines and servers often pay for a static IP address that stays the same for years, because services need a fixed address to find them. If your address changes constantly and you need it to stay put — for a home server or remote access — a static IP from your provider is the answer, and it usually costs extra.
Use an IP Lookup Tool to Check It Any Time
The practical habit is simple: whenever you need your current public address, check it with an IP lookup tool rather than trusting a number you wrote down last week. A good lookup tool shows your IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, the provider they belong to, and the approximate location — everything a troubleshooting guide or a support agent is likely to ask for.
FrostRank's IP Address Lookup tool does exactly that, free, with no signup. It is the same tool this article's first section points to, and it is worth bookmarking if you check your address more than once — especially if your connection changes addresses often and you want the current one, not yesterday's.
When Your IP Address Actually Matters
Most of the time, your IP address is background detail you never need to think about. It matters in a handful of specific situations. The first is geo-blocking: streaming services, online stores, and some websites show different content — or refuse access entirely — based on the country your IP address maps to. If a service suddenly says "not available in your region", your IP address is the reason.
The second is account security. When a service emails you about a sign-in from a new location, it is describing the IP address that signed in. Comparing that address with your current one — via a lookup tool — tells you in seconds whether the alert is just your phone switching networks or something worth acting on.
The third is troubleshooting. Game servers, work VPNs, and remote-access tools sometimes block or allow specific addresses. If a connection that worked yesterday fails today, a changed IP address is a likely cause, and knowing your current one is the first thing support will ask for.
What Your IP Does and Doesn't Reveal
Your public IP address reveals your internet provider and an approximate location — usually your city or region, sometimes only your country. It does not reveal your name, your street address, or your exact location, and it cannot identify you personally on its own. Anyone claiming an IP address alone can pinpoint your house is overstating what the number contains.
The fuller answer — what the number can and cannot tell a website, how accurate IP geolocation really is, and what actually protects your privacy — is covered in our explainer on what your IP address reveals. The short version is reassuring: your IP address is more like a postcode than a home address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my IP address public?
Your public IP address is visible to every website and service you connect to — that is how the internet routes replies back to you. Your private IP address, the one your device settings show, is only visible inside your own network. When people say "my IP address", they almost always mean the public one.
Can someone find my exact location from my IP?
No. An IP address maps to an approximate location — usually a city or region — because addresses are assigned to providers in blocks, not to individual homes. Geolocation databases can be wrong by a whole city, and they never contain your name or street address. Your exact location would need your device's GPS or Wi-Fi positioning, not your IP address.
Why does my IP address keep changing?
Most home and mobile connections use dynamic addresses: your provider lends you an address for a while and may give you a different one when the lease ends, your router restarts, or your phone reconnects. This is normal. Only a paid static IP address stays the same, and it is mainly used by businesses and servers.
What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?
IPv4 is the older format — four numbers separated by dots, like 203.0.113.45 — and the world has nearly run out of IPv4 addresses, which is why providers share them. IPv6 is the newer, much longer format, with enough addresses for every device on earth. Most connections today have both, and a lookup tool shows each one. The Wikipedia article on IP addresses explains both versions and how the two systems coexist.
Is it safe to share my IP address?
Sharing it with a support agent, a game server, or a website you trust is routine — they already see it whenever you connect. What you should not do is post it publicly alongside your name or use it to prove who you are, because it can be used to target your connection with unwanted traffic. Treat it like your phone number: fine to give when needed, not something to broadcast.
What is the best free IP lookup tool?
The best free IP lookup tool is one that shows your public IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, your provider, and your approximate location — without asking you to sign up or install anything. FrostRank's free IP Address Lookup tool does exactly that in one click. Whatever tool you use, check that it shows both IPv4 and IPv6, since many connections now have both and some sites only show one.
Your IP address is one of those things you rarely need — until you suddenly do. Now you know where to find it on every device you own, which number is the public one, and why it changes. Bookmark the lookup tool, and the next time a setup guide or a support agent asks for your address, you will have it in seconds.
The IANA number resources page is a good place to go deeper if you are curious about who hands out these addresses in the first place.
