Half of Google traffic now runs over IPv6, so your public IP may look different than you expect. Here is how to find it and what it reveals.
Type "what is my IP" into a search box and you get a number in half a second. What most people never learn is what that number actually is, why it sometimes changes overnight, and what it tells a stranger about you. This guide answers "what is my public IP" the quick way, then covers how to find your IP address on a computer or phone, the difference between public and private addresses, and what your IP does and does not reveal.
Want the number first? Open the [TraceMyIPOnline homepage](/) and it shows your public IP, your ISP, and your approximate location. No signup, nothing to install.
One detail worth knowing before you start. In March 2026, Google reported that 50.1% of its traffic arrived over IPv6, up from 46.3% a year earlier. So your public IP may look like a long string of letters and colons instead of four dotted numbers. Both are normal.
> Your public IP is the return address on every request your connection sends. Websites need it to reply, which is why hiding it is a choice you make, not a default.
>
> — TMIO Editorial Team, TraceMyIPOnline
## What Is a Public IP Address?
A public IP address is the address the rest of the internet sees when your connection talks to a website, a game server, or an email provider. Your internet provider assigns it to your router, and every device on your home network shares it.
Inside your home, each device also has a private IP address, usually something like 192.168.1.23. Private addresses only work on your local network, and thousands of homes use the exact same ones. Your router translates between the two. That is why your laptop and your phone can show different local addresses while a website sees them as the same visitor. When people ask "what is my public IP", they mean the outside address, the one your router presents to the world.
## How to Find Your Public IP Address in 4 Steps
1. **Open the [TraceMyIPOnline homepage](/).** The lookup runs automatically when the page loads, so there is nothing to type or click.
2. **Read the result.** You will see your public IP, the ISP that owns it, and an approximate city or region. Copy the IP if you need it for a firewall rule, a remote access setup, or a support ticket.
3. **Check the format.** Four numbers separated by dots is IPv4. A longer address with letters and colons is IPv6. Some connections show both, and that is fine.
4. **Test a second network.** Switch your phone to mobile data and run the lookup again. A different result confirms that your public IP belongs to the network, not to your device.
## How to Find Your IP Address on Your Computer or Phone
Your device settings show your private (local) IP, not your public one. That matters, because people often copy the wrong number. Here is where to find the local address:
- **Windows:** open Command Prompt, type `ipconfig`, and read the line called IPv4 Address.
- **Mac:** open System Settings, choose Wi-Fi, click Details next to your network, and look for the IP address. In Terminal, `ipconfig getifaddr en0` gives the same answer on most Macs.
- **Linux:** run `hostname -I` or `ip a` in a terminal.
- **iPhone:** open Settings, tap Wi-Fi, then the info button beside your network.
- **Android:** open your Wi-Fi network's details from Settings. The exact menu path changes between phone brands.
If the number starts with 192.168, 10, or 172.16 to 172.31, it is a private address. To see the public one, use the lookup tool above.
## What Your Public IP Address Reveals About You
Less than most people fear, and more than most people expect. A public IP typically shows your ISP, an approximate city or region, and whether the address belongs to a home connection, a company, or a VPN.
It does not show your name, your street address, your browsing history, or anything stored on your device. The location is also rougher than it looks. Geolocation databases often point to your ISP's regional hub, which can sit dozens of miles from where you actually live.
The real risk shows up in combination. In online games and voice chat, a leaked IP can be paired with other details to target someone with harassment or a DDoS attack. Our guide on [what someone can do with your IP address](/blog/what-can-someone-do-with-your-ip-address-2026) covers that in detail, and the posts on [IP exposure on Discord](/blog/find-ip-address-discord) and [Instagram IP lookups](/blog/find-ip-address-instagram) explain how it happens on those platforms.
## What Is My Public IP for California Users?
California homes tend to have more connected gear than most: security cameras, smart thermostats, home offices with remote access. Many people look up their public IP for exactly that reason, because a remote access rule or a camera app needs to know where to connect.
The catch is that most home connections use a dynamic address that can change when the router restarts or the lease renews. If your remote access stops working after a power cut in the Bay Area or Los Angeles, a changed public IP is the first thing to check. Look it up again and update the rule. If it keeps happening, a dynamic DNS service or a static IP from your provider solves it.
## What Is My Public IP for New York Users?
New York has a lot of large apartment buildings, and many of them run shared or managed internet. In those setups several units can sit behind one public IP. Some fibre and mobile carriers also use carrier-grade NAT, which shares a single public address among many customers.
You will notice this when your public IP does not match what your router says. The router page has one address, the lookup shows a different one, and a site blocks you because a neighbour got the shared address flagged. If that is happening, ask your building manager or ISP whether you have a dedicated public IP. For everyday browsing it rarely matters, but for hosting anything at home it decides whether the plan can work at all.
## What Is My Public IP for London Users?
UK websites use your public IP to guess your region, then decide which content, prices, or cookie banners to show you. That guess is usually right at country level and often wrong below it. A London address can resolve to a regional hub outside the city, and a mobile connection can show a location that has nothing to do with where you are standing.
If a UK site shows you the wrong region, the lookup will show you why. Compare the city it reports with your real one. A mismatch means the site is working from the same database, and no setting on your side will fix it. Switching between home broadband and mobile data usually gives two different answers, which is a useful sanity check.
## What Is My Public IP for Toronto Users?
Toronto users move between home Wi-Fi, office networks, and mobile data all day, and each one has its own public IP. Run the lookup on all three and you will see three different addresses, sometimes in three different cities.
Mobile carriers commonly share public addresses between many customers, so a phone's public IP says very little about the person holding it. Cafés and transit hubs show the venue's address, not yours. The takeaway for Canadian users is practical: if a service ties your account to an IP for security, expect it to challenge you whenever you change networks, and do not read anything into a location that looks off.
## Wi-Fi vs Mobile Data vs VPN: A Before and After Example
These are made-up example addresses from reserved documentation ranges, but the pattern matches what you will see.
| Connection | Public IP | Location shown | ISP shown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Wi-Fi | 203.0.113.45 | Austin, TX | Example Cable Co. |
| Mobile data | 192.0.2.88 | Dallas, TX | Example Mobile Inc. |
| VPN on | 198.51.100.77 | Frankfurt, Germany | Example Hosting GmbH |
Same person, same phone, three different public IPs. The first two changed because the network changed. The third changed because the traffic now exits from the VPN server. If your address does not change when you turn a VPN on, run a [VPN check](/blog/vpn-check-2026) to see why.
## Why Your Public IP Changes (and What to Do About It)
Most home internet plans use dynamic public IPs. Your provider hands you an address from a pool and can give you a different one after a router restart, a long outage, or a lease renewal. Some households keep the same address for months without noticing, and others see it change every few days.
That is mostly harmless. It becomes a problem when you run remote access, a game server, or a security camera that depends on a fixed address. The fixes are simple: use a dynamic DNS service that follows the change automatically, or ask your provider about a static IP. Static addresses often cost extra, so check the price before you switch.
## Ways to Find Your Public IP Compared
| Method | Shows public IP | Shows ISP and location | Detects VPN | Needs a login |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TraceMyIPOnline | Yes | Yes | Yes, with the [VPN Detector](/vpn-detector) | No |
| Searching "what is my IP" | Yes | Usually limited | No | No |
| Router admin page | Yes (WAN address) | No | No | Yes |
| Command line | Local address only | No | No | No |
The router page has one trap. If your ISP uses carrier-grade NAT, the WAN address it shows may be a private or shared one, not your true public IP. A lookup tool sees what the outside world sees, so it is the safer source of truth. A search engine box is fine for a quick glance, but it will not tell you much beyond the number.
## Public IP Address Statistics for 2026
- Google recorded 50.1% of its traffic over IPv6 on 28 March 2026, up from 46.33% a year earlier.
- The Internet Society says it was the first time native IPv6 access passed 50% in the 18 years Google has tracked it.
- India, France, and Germany now send the majority of their Google traffic over IPv6, while the United States sits at around 50%.
- 42% of US adults use a VPN for personal or work reasons, up from 32% in 2025 (Security.org).
- Nearly $20.9 billion was lost to internet crime in the US in 2025, up 26% on 2024 (FBI figures via Security.org).
The IPv6 numbers explain something you may have already noticed. A growing share of people see a long IPv6 address when they check, and older guides that only talk about four-number addresses are getting out of date.
## How to Hide or Change Your Public IP Address
You have three realistic options. Restarting your router may give you a new address, but only if your provider uses dynamic IPs, and it changes nothing about who can see the new one. A VPN replaces your public IP with the VPN server's address for as long as you stay connected. Tor does the same with more layers and much lower speed.
For most people a reputable paid VPN is the practical choice. Free VPNs are the risky end of the market, and Security.org found that 43% of VPN users in the US now rely on one. After you connect, verify it worked with the [VPN Detector](/vpn-detector), and if you run a server at home, scan your open ports with the [port checker](/port-checker) so you know what is reachable from outside.
## Frequently Asked Questions About Your Public IP Address
### What is my public IP address?
Your public IP is the address your internet provider assigns to your router, and websites see it whenever you connect. Open the TraceMyIPOnline homepage to see yours, along with your ISP and approximate location, without signing up.
### How do I find my public IP address?
Open a lookup tool such as TraceMyIPOnline. It reads the address your connection already shows to every website and displays it instantly. Searching your device settings will only show the private address, which is different.
### What is the difference between a public and private IP address?
A public IP is visible to the whole internet and is shared by every device on your home network. A private IP, such as 192.168.1.23, only works inside your local network. Your router translates between the two.
### How do I find my IP address on my computer?
On Windows, run ipconfig in Command Prompt. On a Mac, open Wi-Fi details in System Settings. On Linux, run hostname -I. These commands show your private address, not the public one that websites see.
### Why does my public IP keep changing?
Most providers hand out dynamic IPs from a pool. A router restart, an outage, or a lease renewal can give you a new one. Switching from home Wi-Fi to mobile data or a VPN also changes it immediately.
### Can someone find my home address from my IP?
Not from the IP alone. The public location usually points to your ISP's regional hub, not your street. Only your ISP can link an IP to your account, and they release that data through legal process.
### Is it safe to share my public IP address?
Sharing it with a support agent or a game host is generally low risk. Posting it publicly is not a good idea, because it can be used for harassment, DDoS attacks in games, or targeted probing of open ports.
### Why does my IP location show the wrong city?
Geolocation databases guess from ISP records, not from your device. They often show a regional hub, and mobile connections can show a different city entirely. The location is an estimate, not a precise fix.
### Why is my public IP different from the one my router shows?
Your ISP may use carrier-grade NAT, so the router's WAN address is a shared or private one. A lookup tool shows what websites see. If the two differ, your public IP is being shared with other customers.
### How do I change or hide my public IP address?
Connect to a VPN, which swaps your public IP for the server's address. Restarting your router can also work if your ISP uses dynamic IPs. Confirm the change by running the lookup again afterwards.
**Want to see yours?** Open the [TraceMyIPOnline homepage](/) for your public IP in one click, then run the [VPN Detector](/vpn-detector) to check whether your connection looks like a VPN.
Want the number first? Open the [TraceMyIPOnline homepage](/) and it shows your public IP, your ISP, and your approximate location. No signup, nothing to install.
One detail worth knowing before you start. In March 2026, Google reported that 50.1% of its traffic arrived over IPv6, up from 46.3% a year earlier. So your public IP may look like a long string of letters and colons instead of four dotted numbers. Both are normal.
> Your public IP is the return address on every request your connection sends. Websites need it to reply, which is why hiding it is a choice you make, not a default.
>
> — TMIO Editorial Team, TraceMyIPOnline
## What Is a Public IP Address?
A public IP address is the address the rest of the internet sees when your connection talks to a website, a game server, or an email provider. Your internet provider assigns it to your router, and every device on your home network shares it.
Inside your home, each device also has a private IP address, usually something like 192.168.1.23. Private addresses only work on your local network, and thousands of homes use the exact same ones. Your router translates between the two. That is why your laptop and your phone can show different local addresses while a website sees them as the same visitor. When people ask "what is my public IP", they mean the outside address, the one your router presents to the world.
## How to Find Your Public IP Address in 4 Steps
1. **Open the [TraceMyIPOnline homepage](/).** The lookup runs automatically when the page loads, so there is nothing to type or click.
2. **Read the result.** You will see your public IP, the ISP that owns it, and an approximate city or region. Copy the IP if you need it for a firewall rule, a remote access setup, or a support ticket.
3. **Check the format.** Four numbers separated by dots is IPv4. A longer address with letters and colons is IPv6. Some connections show both, and that is fine.
4. **Test a second network.** Switch your phone to mobile data and run the lookup again. A different result confirms that your public IP belongs to the network, not to your device.
## How to Find Your IP Address on Your Computer or Phone
Your device settings show your private (local) IP, not your public one. That matters, because people often copy the wrong number. Here is where to find the local address:
- **Windows:** open Command Prompt, type `ipconfig`, and read the line called IPv4 Address.
- **Mac:** open System Settings, choose Wi-Fi, click Details next to your network, and look for the IP address. In Terminal, `ipconfig getifaddr en0` gives the same answer on most Macs.
- **Linux:** run `hostname -I` or `ip a` in a terminal.
- **iPhone:** open Settings, tap Wi-Fi, then the info button beside your network.
- **Android:** open your Wi-Fi network's details from Settings. The exact menu path changes between phone brands.
If the number starts with 192.168, 10, or 172.16 to 172.31, it is a private address. To see the public one, use the lookup tool above.
## What Your Public IP Address Reveals About You
Less than most people fear, and more than most people expect. A public IP typically shows your ISP, an approximate city or region, and whether the address belongs to a home connection, a company, or a VPN.
It does not show your name, your street address, your browsing history, or anything stored on your device. The location is also rougher than it looks. Geolocation databases often point to your ISP's regional hub, which can sit dozens of miles from where you actually live.
The real risk shows up in combination. In online games and voice chat, a leaked IP can be paired with other details to target someone with harassment or a DDoS attack. Our guide on [what someone can do with your IP address](/blog/what-can-someone-do-with-your-ip-address-2026) covers that in detail, and the posts on [IP exposure on Discord](/blog/find-ip-address-discord) and [Instagram IP lookups](/blog/find-ip-address-instagram) explain how it happens on those platforms.
## What Is My Public IP for California Users?
California homes tend to have more connected gear than most: security cameras, smart thermostats, home offices with remote access. Many people look up their public IP for exactly that reason, because a remote access rule or a camera app needs to know where to connect.
The catch is that most home connections use a dynamic address that can change when the router restarts or the lease renews. If your remote access stops working after a power cut in the Bay Area or Los Angeles, a changed public IP is the first thing to check. Look it up again and update the rule. If it keeps happening, a dynamic DNS service or a static IP from your provider solves it.
## What Is My Public IP for New York Users?
New York has a lot of large apartment buildings, and many of them run shared or managed internet. In those setups several units can sit behind one public IP. Some fibre and mobile carriers also use carrier-grade NAT, which shares a single public address among many customers.
You will notice this when your public IP does not match what your router says. The router page has one address, the lookup shows a different one, and a site blocks you because a neighbour got the shared address flagged. If that is happening, ask your building manager or ISP whether you have a dedicated public IP. For everyday browsing it rarely matters, but for hosting anything at home it decides whether the plan can work at all.
## What Is My Public IP for London Users?
UK websites use your public IP to guess your region, then decide which content, prices, or cookie banners to show you. That guess is usually right at country level and often wrong below it. A London address can resolve to a regional hub outside the city, and a mobile connection can show a location that has nothing to do with where you are standing.
If a UK site shows you the wrong region, the lookup will show you why. Compare the city it reports with your real one. A mismatch means the site is working from the same database, and no setting on your side will fix it. Switching between home broadband and mobile data usually gives two different answers, which is a useful sanity check.
## What Is My Public IP for Toronto Users?
Toronto users move between home Wi-Fi, office networks, and mobile data all day, and each one has its own public IP. Run the lookup on all three and you will see three different addresses, sometimes in three different cities.
Mobile carriers commonly share public addresses between many customers, so a phone's public IP says very little about the person holding it. Cafés and transit hubs show the venue's address, not yours. The takeaway for Canadian users is practical: if a service ties your account to an IP for security, expect it to challenge you whenever you change networks, and do not read anything into a location that looks off.
## Wi-Fi vs Mobile Data vs VPN: A Before and After Example
These are made-up example addresses from reserved documentation ranges, but the pattern matches what you will see.
| Connection | Public IP | Location shown | ISP shown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Wi-Fi | 203.0.113.45 | Austin, TX | Example Cable Co. |
| Mobile data | 192.0.2.88 | Dallas, TX | Example Mobile Inc. |
| VPN on | 198.51.100.77 | Frankfurt, Germany | Example Hosting GmbH |
Same person, same phone, three different public IPs. The first two changed because the network changed. The third changed because the traffic now exits from the VPN server. If your address does not change when you turn a VPN on, run a [VPN check](/blog/vpn-check-2026) to see why.
## Why Your Public IP Changes (and What to Do About It)
Most home internet plans use dynamic public IPs. Your provider hands you an address from a pool and can give you a different one after a router restart, a long outage, or a lease renewal. Some households keep the same address for months without noticing, and others see it change every few days.
That is mostly harmless. It becomes a problem when you run remote access, a game server, or a security camera that depends on a fixed address. The fixes are simple: use a dynamic DNS service that follows the change automatically, or ask your provider about a static IP. Static addresses often cost extra, so check the price before you switch.
## Ways to Find Your Public IP Compared
| Method | Shows public IP | Shows ISP and location | Detects VPN | Needs a login |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TraceMyIPOnline | Yes | Yes | Yes, with the [VPN Detector](/vpn-detector) | No |
| Searching "what is my IP" | Yes | Usually limited | No | No |
| Router admin page | Yes (WAN address) | No | No | Yes |
| Command line | Local address only | No | No | No |
The router page has one trap. If your ISP uses carrier-grade NAT, the WAN address it shows may be a private or shared one, not your true public IP. A lookup tool sees what the outside world sees, so it is the safer source of truth. A search engine box is fine for a quick glance, but it will not tell you much beyond the number.
## Public IP Address Statistics for 2026
- Google recorded 50.1% of its traffic over IPv6 on 28 March 2026, up from 46.33% a year earlier.
- The Internet Society says it was the first time native IPv6 access passed 50% in the 18 years Google has tracked it.
- India, France, and Germany now send the majority of their Google traffic over IPv6, while the United States sits at around 50%.
- 42% of US adults use a VPN for personal or work reasons, up from 32% in 2025 (Security.org).
- Nearly $20.9 billion was lost to internet crime in the US in 2025, up 26% on 2024 (FBI figures via Security.org).
The IPv6 numbers explain something you may have already noticed. A growing share of people see a long IPv6 address when they check, and older guides that only talk about four-number addresses are getting out of date.
## How to Hide or Change Your Public IP Address
You have three realistic options. Restarting your router may give you a new address, but only if your provider uses dynamic IPs, and it changes nothing about who can see the new one. A VPN replaces your public IP with the VPN server's address for as long as you stay connected. Tor does the same with more layers and much lower speed.
For most people a reputable paid VPN is the practical choice. Free VPNs are the risky end of the market, and Security.org found that 43% of VPN users in the US now rely on one. After you connect, verify it worked with the [VPN Detector](/vpn-detector), and if you run a server at home, scan your open ports with the [port checker](/port-checker) so you know what is reachable from outside.
## Frequently Asked Questions About Your Public IP Address
### What is my public IP address?
Your public IP is the address your internet provider assigns to your router, and websites see it whenever you connect. Open the TraceMyIPOnline homepage to see yours, along with your ISP and approximate location, without signing up.
### How do I find my public IP address?
Open a lookup tool such as TraceMyIPOnline. It reads the address your connection already shows to every website and displays it instantly. Searching your device settings will only show the private address, which is different.
### What is the difference between a public and private IP address?
A public IP is visible to the whole internet and is shared by every device on your home network. A private IP, such as 192.168.1.23, only works inside your local network. Your router translates between the two.
### How do I find my IP address on my computer?
On Windows, run ipconfig in Command Prompt. On a Mac, open Wi-Fi details in System Settings. On Linux, run hostname -I. These commands show your private address, not the public one that websites see.
### Why does my public IP keep changing?
Most providers hand out dynamic IPs from a pool. A router restart, an outage, or a lease renewal can give you a new one. Switching from home Wi-Fi to mobile data or a VPN also changes it immediately.
### Can someone find my home address from my IP?
Not from the IP alone. The public location usually points to your ISP's regional hub, not your street. Only your ISP can link an IP to your account, and they release that data through legal process.
### Is it safe to share my public IP address?
Sharing it with a support agent or a game host is generally low risk. Posting it publicly is not a good idea, because it can be used for harassment, DDoS attacks in games, or targeted probing of open ports.
### Why does my IP location show the wrong city?
Geolocation databases guess from ISP records, not from your device. They often show a regional hub, and mobile connections can show a different city entirely. The location is an estimate, not a precise fix.
### Why is my public IP different from the one my router shows?
Your ISP may use carrier-grade NAT, so the router's WAN address is a shared or private one. A lookup tool shows what websites see. If the two differ, your public IP is being shared with other customers.
### How do I change or hide my public IP address?
Connect to a VPN, which swaps your public IP for the server's address. Restarting your router can also work if your ISP uses dynamic IPs. Confirm the change by running the lookup again afterwards.
**Want to see yours?** Open the [TraceMyIPOnline homepage](/) for your public IP in one click, then run the [VPN Detector](/vpn-detector) to check whether your connection looks like a VPN.