What is my IP address?

• Your public IP address: the address your connection uses on the internet. Every website and app you connect to sees it.
• IPv4 or IPv6: IPv4 addresses look like 203.0.113.42; IPv6 addresses are longer, like 2001:db8:85a3::8a2e:370:7334. Which one you see depends on your provider and the network.
• Approximate location: the city and country associated with the address in IP location data. This is based on where your internet provider registers that address, so it's often a nearby city or the provider's hub, not your home.

The address is detected from your connection when the page loads; it isn't stored.

All devices on your home network usually share one public IPv4 address through your router, while each has its own private address. With IPv6, devices often get their own public addresses. To see a device's private address, look in its Wi-Fi or network settings.

• Remote access and port forwarding: you need your public IP to reach a home server, camera or game server from outside.
• Allowlists: some business tools, databases and admin panels only accept connections from listed IP addresses.
• Troubleshooting: support staff may ask for it to find your connection in their logs.
• VPN check: confirm that your VPN or proxy is actually in use.
• Streaming and geo-blocking: see which country a service thinks you're in.

Most home connections get a dynamic IP that the provider can change, for example when the router restarts. Mobile data often changes IP frequently, and many mobile and some home providers put many customers behind one shared address (carrier-grade NAT). A static IP that never changes is usually something you request, often for a business plan. If you need a stable address for remote access, look into your router's dynamic DNS feature.

Your IP address reveals your provider and a rough location, not your name or street address; only your provider can link the address to your account, and it typically discloses that only when legally required. Still, you might want to hide it:

• A VPN or Tor replaces your visible IP with that of the VPN server or exit node. Load this page with the VPN on to confirm it's working: you should see the VPN's address and location.
• iCloud Private Relay and some browsers' privacy features hide your IP from websites in a similar way.

When you share your IP for troubleshooting with a game server, a firewall rule or an IT helpdesk, use Copy to avoid typos. Don't post it publicly without reason; exposed home IPs can attract scans and, in gaming, denial-of-service attacks.