What Is My IP Address?
Your public IP address is automatically detected below — instantly and privately. We do not store or track this information.
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What Is an IP Address?
An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a unique numerical label assigned to every device that connects to a computer network using the Internet Protocol. It serves two primary purposes: host or network interface identification, and location addressing. Think of it exactly like your home's postal address — without it, no one would know where to send your mail (or, in this case, your web data).
When you visit a website, your device sends a request to the server hosting that site. For the server to send back the web page you requested, it needs to know your IP address — otherwise it would have no idea where to send the response. This exchange happens billions of times per second across the internet, completely transparently to end users.
Your IP address is assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) — the company you pay for internet access (e.g., Comcast, BT, Airtel, Jio). Your home router is given a single public IP by your ISP, and all devices in your home share that same public IP address. Internally, your router manages a private local network with separate private IP addresses for each device.
IPv4 vs. IPv6: What's the Difference?
There are currently two versions of IP addresses in active use on the internet:
IPv4
- • Format:
192.168.0.1 - • 32-bit number, 4 segments
- • ~4.3 billion unique addresses
- • Older protocol (1983)
- • Most widely supported today
- • Near exhaustion globally
IPv6
- • Format:
2001:db8::1 - • 128-bit number, 8 groups
- • 340 undecillion addresses
- • Modern protocol (1998)
- • Growing adoption
- • Built-in security features
The internet ran out of new IPv4 addresses around 2011. Since then, ISPs have used techniques like NAT (Network Address Translation) to extend IPv4's lifespan. IPv6 was designed with a virtually infinite address space — enough to assign trillions of IP addresses to every person on Earth. Most modern networks now support both protocols simultaneously (called dual-stack).
Public vs. Private IP Addresses
Your network has two types of IP addresses at play simultaneously:
Public IP Address
The address assigned to your router by your ISP. This is what the outside internet sees. Every device on your home network shares this single public IP. This is what SizeScreen's tool displays above.
Private IP Address
The address assigned by your router to each device inside your network (e.g., 192.168.1.x). Private IPs are only visible within your local network and are not accessible from the internet. You can find yours in your device's network settings.
Private IP ranges are standardized: 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, and 192.168.0.0/16. Your router manages NAT (Network Address Translation) to route traffic between your private network and the public internet.
Static vs. Dynamic IP Addresses
IP addresses can be either static (permanent) or dynamic (changing):
- Dynamic IPs: Most home internet users receive a dynamic IP from their ISP. This address may change every time you restart your router, or periodically over time. Dynamic IPs are managed by DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).
- Static IPs: Businesses and servers typically pay extra for a static IP that never changes. This is essential for hosting websites, email servers, and remote access systems that need a consistent, predictable address.
If you notice your IP has changed since your last visit to this page, that's normal behavior for a dynamically assigned IP address.
What Can Someone Do With Your IP Address?
It's important to understand the realistic capabilities and limitations. With your public IP address, someone can generally:
- Determine your approximate geographic location (city or region level — not your home address)
- Identify your Internet Service Provider (ISP)
- Attempt to send you targeted ads based on location
- Block or restrict access to content or services (geo-blocking)
What they cannot do with just your IP:
- Find your exact home address (this requires a legal subpoena to your ISP)
- Access your device, files, or accounts
- Know your name or personal details
- Monitor your internet activity
How to Protect Your IP Address Privacy
If you want to keep your public IP address private, there are several approaches:
🔒 VPN (Virtual Private Network)
Routes all your traffic through a server in another location, masking your real IP behind the VPN server's IP. Most reliable method for everyday use.
🧅 Tor Browser
Bounces your connection through multiple relays worldwide (an "onion" network). Highly anonymous but significantly slower than regular browsing.
🌐 Proxy Server
Routes traffic through an intermediary server. Simpler than a VPN but offers less security and doesn't encrypt all traffic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about IP addresses
Q: Why does my IP address show a different city than where I actually am?
IP geolocation is based on databases that map IP ranges to approximate locations. These databases are not always perfectly accurate — your IP may be registered to your ISP's main data center in another city rather than your exact location. The accuracy is typically at the city level, often within a 50–100 mile radius. For precise location identification, GPS or device-based location services are used, not IP addresses.
Q: Does my IP address change when I use mobile data vs. Wi-Fi?
Yes — switching between your mobile data network (4G/5G) and a Wi-Fi network will give you a different public IP address because you're now connected through a different network and ISP. Your mobile carrier assigns one IP for cellular data, and your home router's ISP assigns another for Wi-Fi. This is why you'll often see your IP change if you toggle between networks.
Q: Can websites track me using my IP address?
Web servers automatically log the IP address of every visitor — this is a standard part of web server operations used for analytics, security, and debugging. Websites can see your IP, but they cannot directly link it to your identity without additional information. Advertising networks use IP addresses in combination with browser cookies and fingerprinting to build cross-site profiles. Using a VPN or private browsing mode helps limit this tracking.
Q: What's a loopback IP address?
The loopback IP address 127.0.0.1 (also known as "localhost") refers to the device itself. When you type localhost in your browser, you're connecting to a server running on your own computer. It's widely used by developers to test web applications locally before deploying them to the internet. In IPv6, the loopback address is ::1.
Q: Is it safe to share my IP address?
Your public IP address is shared with every website you visit, so it's not a secret in that sense. However, you should be cautious about sharing it with strangers in gaming lobbies, online communities, or messaging apps, as determined individuals could use it to target you with DDoS attacks (flooding your connection) or attempt to probe your router for vulnerabilities. If you're concerned, using a VPN effectively hides your real IP.
Q: What does "your IP has been blocked" mean?
Some websites and services maintain blocklists of IP addresses associated with spam, hacking attempts, or VPN/proxy services. If your IP matches a blocked range, you'll receive an access error. This can happen even to legitimate users if your ISP assigns an IP that was previously misused by someone else. You can try restarting your router to get a new dynamic IP, contacting your ISP, or using a different network.
Q: Why does my VPN sometimes show my real IP?
This is called a DNS leak or WebRTC leak. Even when using a VPN, your browser may send DNS queries outside the VPN tunnel, or WebRTC (a browser technology for video/audio calls) can expose your local and public IPs directly. You can test for WebRTC leaks in browser settings by disabling WebRTC, and use a reputable VPN provider that offers leak protection and a kill switch feature.
Q: How do I find my router's IP address?
Your router's local IP (typically 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) can be found in your device's network settings: on Windows, open Command Prompt and type ipconfig — look for "Default Gateway." On Mac, go to System Settings → Network → Details → Router. On Android/iOS, go to Wi-Fi settings and tap your network name to see the router IP.
Q: Can two devices have the same IP address?
On the public internet, no — public IP addresses must be globally unique for routing to work correctly. However, private IP addresses (inside your home network) can match private IPs on other networks (since they're isolated). If two devices on the same local network accidentally receive the same private IP (an "IP conflict"), neither will work properly until the conflict is resolved — usually by restarting one device or doing so by the DHCP server.
Q: Does SizeScreen store my IP address?
No. SizeScreen's IP checker uses a third-party API to retrieve your public IP and displays it directly in your browser. Your IP is sent to the API endpoint to perform the lookup, but SizeScreen does not log, store, sell, or in any way retain your IP address data. The result lives only in your browser session. We are committed to privacy-first tool design. For full details, see our Privacy Policy.
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