The address above is your current public IP address. It is the address every website, app, and online service sees when your device connects to it. Your IP is assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and reveals your ISP plus an approximate geographic location.
How an IP address works
An IP address is part of the routing layer of the internet - every packet of data your device sends carries a source IP (yours) and a destination IP (the server you are talking to). Without a public IP, remote servers would have no way to send their reply back to you.
Public vs private IP addresses
Most home and office networks use one public IP shared by all the devices behind the router, with each device getting its own private IP on the local network. Common private ranges include:
10.0.0.0-10.255.255.255172.16.0.0-172.31.255.255192.168.0.0-192.168.255.255
The address shown at the top of this page is your public IP, not your private one.
Static vs dynamic IP addresses
A dynamic IP can change between sessions - this is what most consumer ISPs assign. A static IP is fixed and is typically used for hosting servers, running site-to-site VPNs, or whitelisting in enterprise systems. Static IPs usually require a paid add-on from your ISP.
IPv4 and IPv6
IPv4 addresses are 32 bits long and written as four dot-separated decimal numbers like 198.51.100.7. The IPv4 space contains roughly 4.3 billion addresses and has effectively run out. IPv6 addresses are 128 bits long and written as eight colon-separated hexadecimal groups like 2001:db8:85a3:0:0:beef:370:7334. The version shown at the top of this page is whichever your device used to reach this site.
How to change your IP address
The fastest and most flexible way to change your IP address is to use a VPN. Connecting to a VPN server in another city or country replaces your visible IP with the server's, and encrypts the traffic between your device and that server so your ISP and local network cannot see what you are doing.
UpVPN is a serverless WireGuard VPN with locations around the world. Connect, reload this page, and you will see your new IP address.
Frequently asked questions
What does my IP address mean?
An IP address is a numeric label assigned to every device that connects to the internet. The address shown on this page is your public IP - it is how servers know where to send the data you request. It typically maps to your Internet Service Provider and an approximate geographic location.
What is the difference between a public and private IP address?
A public IP address is unique on the global internet and is what websites and online services see. A private IP address (such as 192.168.1.10 or 10.0.0.5) is only used inside your local network - for example between your laptop and your router - and is not routable on the public internet.
What is the difference between a static and dynamic IP address?
A dynamic IP address can change over time - your ISP reassigns one whenever your router reconnects or the DHCP lease renews. A static IP address stays the same and is usually offered as a paid option for hosting servers, remote access, or business use cases.
Can my IP address be traced?
Yes. Your IP address can be traced back to your ISP, and with a legal request the ISP can map the address to the subscriber account using it at a given time. Geolocation databases can already pinpoint your IP to a country and often a city without any cooperation from the ISP.
How do I change my IP address?
You can change your IP address by restarting your router (for many home connections), switching networks, asking your ISP for a new lease, or - most reliably - connecting through a VPN. A VPN replaces your visible IP with the VPN server's IP and encrypts the traffic between your device and the server.
Why are there two IP address formats (IPv4 and IPv6)?
IPv4 was the original protocol and uses 32-bit addresses, which were exhausted years ago. IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses and provides essentially unlimited address space. Most networks now support both, and this page will display whichever version your device is currently using to reach the internet.