What is my IP address?
The addresses shown above are your public IP addresses – the ones websites, apps and servers see when your device talks to them over the internet. They're detected automatically as soon as the page loads, so there's nothing to click or configure.
What's the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?
IPv4 addresses are the familiar four-number format (like 203.0.113.42) that's been in use since the early days of the internet. There are only around 4.3 billion possible IPv4 addresses, and with billions of connected devices worldwide, the pool is nearly exhausted. IPv6 was designed to fix this, using a much longer format (like 2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334) that provides an effectively limitless number of addresses.
No IPv6 address? Don't panic...
IPv6 addresses are still relatively new, so it's normal if you don't have one yet. Many home broadband and mobile providers only support IPv4, or run both side by side, which is why some visitors see two addresses here and others just one.
Is this the same as my private or local IP address?
No. Every device on your home network also has a private IP address (often something like 192.168.x.x), which routers use to tell devices apart internally. That address never leaves your network – the public address shown above is the one your router presents to the wider internet on your behalf, shared by every device connected to it.
Why would I need to know my IP address?
- Setting up port forwarding, VPNs or remote access to a home server
- Whitelisting your connection on a firewall or admin panel
- Troubleshooting why a site or service thinks you're in the wrong location
- Confirming a VPN or proxy is actually changing your visible address
Can I find out more about a domain's IP address?
Yes – if you're trying to identify where a website is hosted rather than your own address, the DNS lookup will show you the IP address a domain resolves to. Pair either tool with the browser info page for a fuller picture of what a site can see about your connection and device.