What is the difference between local and public IP?

Your router assigns a private address (often 192.168.x.x) to each device on your Wi‑Fi. Your ISP assigns one public address that the rest of the internet sees when you browse. Sites like ours show the public address.

Why does my phone show a different IP than my laptop?

Different networks use different public addresses. Mobile carriers often use CGNAT, so your phone may share a public IP with many subscribers or rotate addresses more often than home broadband.

Is it safe to share my public IP?

It reveals your approximate location and ISP. Avoid posting it in public support threads unless you trust the recipient; combine with other leaks it can aid targeted attacks.

April 20, 2026 · 12 min read

How to Find Your IP Address on Windows 11, Mac, iPhone, and Android (2026 Guide)

Step-by-step ways to see your local and public IP on every major platform, plus when to use a browser-based checker instead.

Your IP address is the network “return address” packets use to find their way back to you. Inside your home, devices talk on private ranges such as 192.168.1.x or 10.0.0.x. On the internet, your connection is identified by a public IPv4 or IPv6 address that your ISP (or mobile carrier) assigns. This guide walks through finding both, and explains when a quick browser check is the right tool.

Windows 11 — local IP from Settings or `ipconfig`

Open Settings → Network & internet. Pick Wi‑Fi or Ethernet, then your active connection. Scroll to IPv4 address — that is the address your PC uses on the LAN. For more detail (including IPv6), open Terminal or Command Prompt and run:

ipconfig

Look under your active adapter for IPv4 Address and IPv6 Address. If you use VPN software, you may see a virtual adapter; the physical Wi‑Fi adapter still shows your home LAN address.

macOS — local IP from System Settings

Go to System Settings → Network, select Wi‑Fi or Ethernet, then Details. The TCP/IP tab lists IPv4 Address and often a link-local IPv6. Power users can run ifconfig in Terminal; the en0 interface usually maps to Wi‑Fi on laptops.

iPhone and iPad

Open Settings → Wi‑Fi, tap the ⓘ next to your network. IP Address is your private LAN address on that Wi‑Fi. On cellular data you typically cannot see a meaningful public IP in Settings because carriers NAT many subscribers behind shared addresses.

Android

Settings → Network & internet → Internet, tap your Wi‑Fi network, then expand Advanced (wording varies by OEM). You will see an IPv4 assignment from the router. Like iOS, cellular public addressing is abstracted away from the user.

Finding your public IP

Router admin pages sometimes display the WAN IP, but the fastest cross-platform method is an HTTPS lookup to a service that echoes your egress address — exactly what our What Is My IP tool does. Your browser issues a normal request; the server sees the source address after any home NAT and reports it. If you use a VPN or corporate proxy, the public IP will match the VPN exit node, not your home ISP.

IPv6 is increasingly common

If your ISP supports IPv6, you may see a long address with colons, e.g. 2001:db8:85a3::8a2e:370:7334. Some sites still only log IPv4; others prefer IPv6 when available. Dual-stack setups mean you might have both active at once.

Troubleshooting quick checks

VPN on? Public IP changes to the provider’s pool.
Browser “data saver” or proxy extension? May route traffic through another egress.
Tethering? You inherit the phone carrier’s public addressing model.

When you need a single reliable readout of what the open internet sees — including ISP and coarse location hints — use our dedicated checker instead of guessing from router screens.