What is my IP address?

An IP address is the number that identifies your connection on the internet, a bit like the return address on a letter. Websites need it to send their pages back to you. It looks like 203.0.113.42 (IPv4) or 2001:db8::1 (IPv6).

No. An IP address shows only a rough area, usually a city, and the company that gives you internet. Only your internet provider can link an IP to a customer's name and address, and they normally do that only for the police or a court.

IP location comes from databases that guess where an address is used. Your provider may send traffic through another city, mobile networks often show a far-away city, and VPNs or iCloud Private Relay show the location of their own servers. The country is usually right; the city is often only close.

Many networks now use both versions at the same time. IPv4 is the older, shorter format and IPv6 is the newer, longer one. Your device picks one for each connection, so different websites may see a different one.

Usually yes, from time to time. Most home and mobile internet plans use a dynamic IP, which changes when your router restarts or after some days. A fixed (static) IP is normally a paid extra from your provider.

Use a VPN, the Tor Browser or a proxy. Websites then see the IP of that service instead of yours. Our VPN check page shows whether it is working.

No. This page reads your IP to show it to you, and then forgets it. We set no cookies and show no ads.