Learn the difference between public and private IP addresses, why they don’t match, and how to find your IP on any device. Plus, check your IP instantly with our free tool.
The fastest way to get your public IP address is to use an online IP checker. When you open the page, it automatically detects your connection and shows your current IP.
Visit the checker from any device to instantly see your current public IP address, with IPv4 and IPv6 detection where available.
Visit howtogetmyipaddress.com from any device to see your IP.
This is the number one reason people get confused: your device usually shows adifferent IP address than what online IP checkers show. That’s normal and expected.
Important
The IP address shown on this website is yourpublic IP. The IP shown in your device’s Wi-Fi or network settings is yourprivate (local) IP. They are supposed to be different. Nothing is wrong with your network.
Your public IP address is the internet-facing IP assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). This is the IP that websites, apps, and online services see when you connect to them.
Example public IP: 124.13.193.228
Turn on a VPN, refresh howtogetmyipaddress.com, and you’ll see this public IP change to the VPN server’s IP.
Your private IP address is assigned by your router and is only used inside your home or office network. Websites on the internet cannot see this private IP.
Common private IP examples:
This is the IP you see in your iPhone / Android / Windows / Mac network settings underWi-Fi or Network.
Your router uses something called Network Address Translation (NAT). It gives each device a private IP, then sends everything to the internet usingone shared public IP.
| Where You Look | IP You See | Type |
|---|---|---|
| On your iPhone / Android Wi-Fi settings | 192.168.0.12 | Private (local) IP |
| On howtogetmyipaddress.com | 124.13.193.228 | Public IP |
So if you see one IP in your device settings and a completely different IP on this website, that’s exactly how home networks are designed to work.
Now that you know the difference between public and private IP addresses, here’s how to find them on different devices. Remember : your device shows your private IP. To see your public IP, use howtogetmyipaddress.com.
To find your local IP address:
To see your public IP on iPhone, simply open howtogetmyipaddress.com in Safari.
The exact names may vary by brand (Samsung, Xiaomi, etc.), but the steps are similar:
Your public IP is still what appears on howtogetmyipaddress.com.
Use Command Prompt to see detailed IP information:
For your public IP, open a browser and visit howtogetmyipaddress.com.
To find your local IP address on a Mac:
To see the IP the internet sees, go to howtogetmyipaddress.com in your browser.
Your router’s admin page usually shows both your internal network and the public IP assigned by your ISP.
This public IP should match what you see on howtogetmyipaddress.com.
You might notice that one IP address looks short and numeric, while another is long and contains letters. That’s because they are two different versions of the Internet Protocol.
Many connections today use both IPv4 and IPv6. Your device might show multiple IPv6 addresses, and howtogetmyipaddress.com may display one or both versions depending on your network.
These common questions help clear up confusion about public vs private IP addresses and what you see on IP checker tools.
The IP address shown on this website is your public IP address, which is assigned by your Internet Service Provider and used on the internet. The IP address you see in your device’s Wi-Fi or network settings is your private (local) IP address, which is only used inside your home or office network. They are supposed to be different and this is normal.
A public IP address is the internet-facing address assigned to your connection by your Internet Service Provider. Websites and online services see this IP when you visit them. It’s what IP checker tools like howtogetmyipaddress.com show, and it can change when you use a VPN or reconnect your router.
A private or local IP address is assigned by your router to devices inside your home or office network, such as your phone, laptop, or smart TV. It’s only used inside your local network and is not visible to websites on the internet. Typical private IP ranges start with192.168.x.x,10.x.x.x, or172.16.x.x.
No. Your public and private IP addresses are different by design. Your router uses Network Address Translation (NAT) to give each device a private IP address while sharing a single public IP address on the internet. Because of this, the IP address in your device settings and the IP address shown on an IP checker will never be the same.
The easiest way is to visit howtogetmyipaddress.com in your browser. The site will automatically detect and show your current public IP address, and may also display IPv4 and IPv6 information if available.
Skip the manual steps and let the tool detect it for you. It works on mobile, desktop, and almost any device with a browser.
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