Every device connected to the internet has a unique identifier called an IP address (Internet Protocol address). It is the “return address” on every packet your device sends, so routers along the way know where to deliver the reply. This page shows the public IP address your request is coming from, along with the version (IPv4 or IPv6), your ISP, and an approximate geographic location.

Public vs. private IP addresses

Most networks actually use two IP addresses for each device:

Private IP address — assigned by your router (for example 192.168.1.15, 10.0.0.42, or 172.16.0.8). It is only meaningful inside your home or office network. The addresses in the blocks 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, and 192.168.0.0/16 are reserved for private use and never appear on the public internet.
Public IP address — assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to your router (or directly to your device on mobile networks). This is the address the rest of the internet sees, and it is what this tool displays.

When your laptop requests a page, your router performs Network Address Translation (NAT) to rewrite the source address from your private IP to the public one. The reply comes back to the router, which forwards it to the right device on the local network.

IPv4 vs. IPv6

IPv4

IPv4 addresses are four numbers from 0 to 255 separated by dots, for example 172.16.254.1. Each address is 32 bits, giving roughly 4.3 billion possible values. The world ran out of fresh IPv4 address blocks in the early 2010s, which is why techniques like Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT) are now common — your ISP hands the same public IPv4 address to many customers at once.

IPv6

IPv6 addresses are 128 bits long, written as eight groups of four hexadecimal digits separated by colons — for example 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334. The address pool is effectively unlimited (around 3.4×10³⁸ addresses). IPv6 also removes the need for NAT on most home networks: every device can have its own globally routable address.

Most modern networks run dual-stack, meaning your device has both an IPv4 and an IPv6 address. This tool shows whichever one your browser used to reach this page — if you see an IPv6 address starting with 2001:, 2400:, 2600:, or 2a00:, you are on IPv6.

When knowing your IP is useful

Troubleshooting with your ISP — support agents frequently ask for your current public IP to trace routing or outage issues.
Remote access — forwarding a port on your router for a self-hosted server, a game host, or a home security camera requires knowing the public IP (or configuring dynamic DNS).
Verifying a VPN — after connecting to a VPN, reload this page. If the IP changed and the location now matches the VPN’s exit country, the tunnel is active. If it still shows your ISP, the VPN is leaking.
Allow-listing — some business services (banking dashboards, cloud consoles) let you restrict logins to specific IP addresses. You need your current IP to configure the rule.
Understanding geolocation — if a streaming service or website assumes you are in the wrong country, the underlying cause is usually IP-based geolocation.

How to use this tool

Open the page — your public IP, IP version, ISP, and approximate location are detected automatically.
Toggle the VPN or proxy and reload the page to confirm your real IP is hidden.
Switch networks (home Wi-Fi, mobile, café Wi-Fi) to see how each one presents you to the outside world.

Frequently asked questions

Does my IP address change?

Most home broadband users have a dynamic IP — the ISP can reassign it when your router reboots or after a lease expires (often every few days). Business lines and some home ISPs offer static IPs for an extra fee. Mobile networks rotate IPs frequently. If you need a stable address, either pay for a static IP or use a dynamic DNS service.

What can someone learn from my IP?

An IP address typically reveals the ISP, the general region (city-level at best, often just the country), and sometimes whether the connection is residential, business, mobile, or data-center. It does not reveal your name, street address, or exact identity to random websites. Only your ISP and law enforcement (with a court order) can map an IP back to a specific subscriber.

Why does my IP show a city I do not live in?

Geolocation databases map IP blocks to locations using a mix of registration data and heuristics. They are often correct at the country level but wrong at the city level by hundreds of kilometers. If your ISP routes traffic through a regional hub, the database may show the hub’s city rather than yours.

I am on a VPN but still see my real IP — why?

The most common causes are: the VPN client is not actually connected, DNS queries are leaking outside the tunnel (a DNS leak), or the site is using WebRTC to discover your local IP (this tool does not, but some do). Check your VPN client’s “kill switch” and WebRTC-leak settings.

Sharing your IP with a support agent or a trusted service is generally safe. Publishing it in public forums is not a catastrophic leak, but it does let motivated attackers attempt port scans or denial-of-service probes. Treat it like a phone number: not secret, but not worth advertising.

Privacy note

This page resolves your IP address using a lightweight backend request; no third party is involved. Your IP is not logged for analytics or associated with any identifier.

My IP Address