What is my IP address?
Your public IP address, your ISP and your approximate location, detected in real time. We don't store your IP.
What is an IP address?
An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is the numeric label every device uses to send and receive data on a network. It works like a return address on an envelope: when you request a web page, your device attaches its IP so the server knows where to send the answer. Without it, packets would have no way to find their way back to you. The address at the top of this page is your public IP, the single identity your whole home presents to the rest of the internet.
Public IP vs private IP: the difference
Your public IP is the address your router shows to the internet: it's unique across the global network and assigned by your ISP. Your private IP (e.g. 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x or 172.16-31.x.x) is internal to your home network and identifies each device behind the router. Websites only ever see your public IP, the one shown above. The router bridges the two worlds with a technique called NAT (Network Address Translation): it swaps the private source address of each outgoing packet for the public one, then remembers how to route the reply back to the right device. That's why every phone, laptop and TV in your home can browse at once while the outside world sees a single address.
IPv4 and IPv6
IPv4 addresses (e.g. 82.51.100.7) are four numbers from 0 to 255 separated by dots, which gives about 4.3 billion combinations, a pool that has essentially run out. That's why IPv6 exists (e.g. 2a01:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334): eight groups of hexadecimal digits offering roughly 340 undecillion addresses, effectively unlimited. Many modern connections run both at once in what's called dual stack: if the address shown above contains colons, you reached this page over IPv6; if it's dotted numbers, you're on IPv4. IPv6 also lets each device hold its own globally routable address, which can simplify some connections but makes a few privacy habits worth understanding.
Static or dynamic IP, and how to hide it
Most home lines get a dynamic IP: the ISP leases you an address that can change when you reboot the router, when the lease expires, or when the provider reorganises its network. A static IP (often a paid add-on) stays fixed and is handy for hosting a server, running a security camera you reach from outside, or setting up reliable remote access. To hide your IP and approximate location you can use a VPN, which routes your traffic through an intermediate server so sites see that server's address instead of yours; the Tor network does the same across several relays. Either way, your IP is a data point every site logs, so knowing what it is helps you understand what's visible about you online.
How is an IP address assigned?
Public addresses are handed out in a chain of custody. The five Regional Internet Registries (such as ARIN, RIPE and APNIC) allocate large blocks to internet providers, and your ISP then leases a single address to your router using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). Inside your home, your router runs its own DHCP server that gives each device a private address the moment it joins the Wi-Fi. To force a fresh public address you can usually power the router off for a few minutes, or renew the lease from its admin panel; on many lines a reboot is enough because the provider assigns whatever address is free at that moment. Static addresses skip this dance and are configured to stay the same indefinitely.
How accurate is IP geolocation?
The city, region and time zone shown for an IP come from geolocation databases that map address blocks to places, using ISP registration data, network routing hints and observed traffic. Accuracy is good at the country level and usually reasonable for the city or metro area, but it is an estimate, not GPS: it often points to the location of your ISP's regional gateway rather than your street. Mobile connections, business lines and VPNs can land the marker tens or even hundreds of kilometres away. That's why the location above should be read as "roughly here," never as a precise address, and why geolocation is fine for choosing a nearby server but useless for pinpointing a person.
Who can see your IP address?
Every website you visit sees your public IP, because the server needs it to send pages back. So do email servers, game servers, apps, and anyone you connect to directly (for example over a peer-to-peer call or download). From an IP alone, an ordinary observer can infer your ISP and approximate area, but not your name, browsing history or exact address. Only your provider can link an address to an account, and in most countries it may only reveal that to authorities with a legal request. The practical risks are targeted denial-of-service attacks in online gaming, coarse ad targeting, and geo-blocking. If any of that concerns you, a reputable VPN masks the address for the sites you visit.
CGNAT, gaming and streaming
To stretch the dwindling supply of IPv4 addresses, many providers now put customers behind Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT), where dozens or hundreds of households share one public IPv4 address. It's invisible for normal browsing and streaming, but it can complicate anything that needs an inbound connection: hosting a game server, running port forwarding, using some peer-to-peer apps, or reaching a home camera from outside. If the public address you see here differs from the one in your router's status page, you're likely on CGNAT. IPv6, where available, sidesteps the problem by giving each device its own address; otherwise you can ask your ISP for a genuine public or static IPv4, sometimes as a small paid option.
FAQ
What is my IP address?
It's the address shown in large type at the top of this page: it's your public IP, detected in real time from the connection you're browsing on.
Does my IP reveal my identity or my home address?
No. It reveals your ISP and your approximate city, not your name or your exact address. Only your ISP, by law, knows who an IP was assigned to at a given moment.
Why does my IP keep changing?
Because most ISPs hand out dynamic IPs: they change when you reboot the router or after a set period. That's completely normal.
How do I hide my IP?
Use a VPN or the Tor network: both make sites see the IP of an intermediate server instead of yours. A VPN is the simplest option for privacy and for getting around geo-blocks.
What's the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?
IPv4 uses four numbers separated by dots (like 82.51.100.7) and has about 4.3 billion addresses, which are running out. IPv6 uses longer hexadecimal addresses (like 2a01:0db8::1) and offers a practically unlimited pool. Many connections run both at once; the family label next to your address tells you which one this page reached you on.
How do I find my private (local) IP?
On Windows, run "ipconfig" in Command Prompt and read the IPv4 Address, usually starting 192.168. On macOS, open System Settings, Network, then your connection's details. On Android and iOS the local IP appears under the connected Wi-Fi network's information. That private address is only visible inside your home, not to websites.
Can two devices have the same public IP?
Yes. Every device in your home shares one public IP thanks to NAT, and with Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT) even different households can share a single public IPv4 address. Devices are still told apart by port numbers, so this is normal and doesn't mix up your traffic.
Does a VPN really change my IP?
Yes. When a VPN is active, websites see the IP address of the VPN server you're connected to, along with its location, rather than your own. Turn the VPN off and your real ISP-assigned address reappears, which you can confirm by reloading this page.
