How to Find Your IP Address on Any Device

Need to find your IP address? This step-by-step guide covers both your public and private IP on Windows, macOS, Linux, iPhone, Android and your router — with the exact clicks and commands for each.

Finding your IP address sounds like it should be one simple task, but there is a twist: you actually have two IP addresses, and which one you need depends on why you are looking. Before the steps, it is worth a quick 30 seconds to understand the difference, so you know you are reading the right number.

Public vs private: which IP address do you need?

Your private IP address is the one your device uses inside your own network. It looks like 192.168.1.24 and is handed out by your router. You need it for things happening at home: setting up a printer, forwarding a port, or connecting to another device on the same network.

Your public IP address is the one the whole internet sees — a single address, like 192.0.2.1, that your router presents on behalf of every device in your home. You need it for things involving the outside world: hosting a game server, allowing remote access, or telling a support technician how you appear online.

The two differ because of a technology called NAT, and the whole relationship is explained in our guide to public versus private IP addresses. Keep the distinction in mind as you follow the steps below.

The fastest way: find your public IP in a browser

If it is your public address you are after, forget menus and commands entirely. Open any web browser on any device and visit a "what's my IP" page — such as IP Animals. Because your request travels all the way out to the site, the site sees and reports the public address your connection is using. It works identically on a phone, tablet or computer, and it is by far the quickest route.

For your private address, though, you need to ask the device itself. Here is how, platform by platform.

Find your private IP on Windows

The quick way (Command Prompt):

1. Press the Windows key, type cmd, and open Command Prompt.
2. Type ipconfig and press Enter.
3. Find your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet). The IPv4 Address line — for example 192.168.1.24 — is your private IP. The Default Gateway line is your router's address.

The menu way: open Settings → Network & Internet, select your active Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection, and scroll to the IP address details.

Find your private IP on macOS

The menu way:

1. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions).
2. Click Network, then select your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
3. Click Details, and read the IP address, such as 192.168.1.31.

The quick way (Terminal): open the Terminal app and run ipconfig getifaddr en0 for Wi-Fi, or en1 for wired connections on some Macs.

Find your private IP on Linux

Open a terminal and use any of these:

• ip address (or the shorter ip a) — the modern standard. Look for the inet line under your active interface, such as 192.168.1.50.
• hostname -I — prints your addresses directly, which is handy for a quick check.
• ip route — the default via line shows your router's gateway address.

Most desktop Linux environments also show the address in their graphical network settings if you prefer clicking to typing.

Find your private IP on iPhone (and iPad)

1. Open Settings and tap Wi-Fi.
2. Tap the small info (i) button next to the network you are connected to.
3. Under the IPv4 Address section, read the IP Address — for example 192.168.1.60. The Router line shows your gateway.

For your public IP on an iPhone, simply open a browser and visit an IP checker, exactly as on a computer.

Find your private IP on Android

Menus vary a little by manufacturer, but the path is broadly:

1. Open Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi (or Connections → Wi-Fi on some phones).
2. Tap the network you are connected to, or its gear/settings icon.
3. Look for IP address in the details, such as 192.168.1.72.

Alternatively, on many phones you can find it under Settings → About phone → Status information. As always, a browser gives you the public address.

Find your router's admin page and public IP

Your router knows both your private network layout and the public address your provider assigned. To reach its admin page:

1. Find your router's address — the default gateway from any of the steps above, often 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1.
2. Type that address into a browser's address bar and press Enter.
3. Log in. The credentials are frequently printed on a sticker on the router itself. (If you have never changed the default password, changing it is a good idea.)
4. Look for a Status, WAN, or Internet page. The WAN IP shown there is your public address as seen by your provider.

One subtlety: if your provider uses large-scale "carrier-grade" NAT, the WAN address on your router may itself be a shared address rather than a truly public one. In that case, an external IP checker is the more reliable source of your real public address.

Quick reference table

A note on IPv6 and changing addresses

Many connections now also have IPv6 addresses, which look like 2001:db8::1 rather than the familiar dotted-decimal form. The same tools above show them; you will simply see additional, longer addresses alongside the IPv4 ones. If the two formats are unfamiliar, our comparison of IPv4 vs IPv6 untangles them.

Finally, do not be surprised if the numbers change over time. Most home connections use a dynamic address that your provider can rotate, and private addresses can shift when devices reconnect. That is completely normal. Whenever you want the current answer for your public address, a quick trip to IP Animals is all it takes.