What your IP address tells websites
Every device on the internet is reached through an IP address. The address shown above is your public IP, the one websites and online services see when you connect. It's usually assigned by your internet provider to your router, so every device in your home or office shares it. The page also shows:
- IP version: IPv4 (four numbers such as
203.0.113.7) or IPv6 (longer, written in hexadecimal). - Reverse DNS hostname, if your provider has set one, often revealing the provider's name and your region.
- Network owner and address range, from the regional internet registry: normally your internet provider, mobile network or VPN company.
- Registered country of the address block, and your browser and operating system.
We don't store your IP address from this page or show you a map. The location services attach to an IP address is an estimate, often wrong by tens or hundreds of miles, so we don't present a guess as fact.
Public IP vs private IP
Your devices also have private addresses inside your network, such as 192.168.1.20 or 10.0.0.5. These are reused by millions of networks and aren't reachable from the internet. Your router translates between them and your single public address (NAT). To find a device's private IP, check its network settings, not a website.
IPv4 or IPv6?
IPv4 has about 4.3 billion addresses, which ran out years ago. IPv6 has vastly more and is now used for a large share of internet traffic, especially on mobile networks. If you see an IPv6 address here, your connection supports IPv6 and your browser preferred it for this site. Many connections have both.
When you need to know your IP address
- Allow-listing: adding your address to a firewall, server, database or admin panel that only accepts known IPs.
- Remote access and gaming: setting up port forwarding or sharing your address with a support team.
- Checking a VPN: if the address and network owner shown here are your VPN provider's, your traffic is going through the VPN.
- Troubleshooting: confirming whether your public address has changed (most home connections get a dynamic address that changes from time to time).
- Email server setup: checking reverse DNS for a mail server. See the Reverse IP Lookup.
Can someone find me from my IP address?
Not your home address. An IP address identifies your internet provider and, roughly, the area it serves. Only your provider can link an address to a customer, and it normally only does so when legally required. Your IP can be used to rate-limit or block you, so avoid sharing it publicly if you run a game server or similar service. A VPN hides your real IP from the sites you visit.
Related tools and guides
Frequently asked questions
Why does my IP address change?
Most home and mobile connections get a dynamic IP that the provider can reassign, for example when your router restarts. Businesses can usually request a static IP.
Why does the country look wrong?
It's the country where the address block is registered, which can differ from where you are, especially with mobile networks, corporate networks and VPNs.
Is it safe to show my IP address on this page?
Yes. Every website you visit already sees it. This page simply shows you what they see. We don't log or store it.
How do I look up someone else's IP address?
Use the WHOIS Lookup to see who an IP belongs to, and the Reverse IP Lookup to find its hostname.