What is my IP address?

You actually have two IP addresses: a public one and a private one. Your public IP is what the internet sees — it's assigned by your ISP (Comcast, AT&T, etc.) and can change when you restart your router. Your private IP is what your router assigns to your device on your local network (often something like 192.168.1.x).

To find your public IP: visit whatismyip.com, or simply Google "what is my ip." To find your private IP on Windows, open Command Prompt and type ipconfig. On Mac, go to System Settings → Network → your connection.

IP addresses come in two versions: IPv4 (like 192.168.1.1) and the newer IPv6 (a longer string with colons). Most connections still use IPv4 for now.

Your IP address is a unique identifier assigned to your device on the internet, and it plays a crucial role in both privacy and geolocation accuracy. Websites and online services use your IP address to determine your general location, which can affect the content you see — ads tailored to your region, geo-restricted streaming libraries, and local search results all use your IP.

Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can mask your real IP address by routing your internet connection through a server in a different city or country. Popular VPN services use strong encryption protocols to protect your data while letting you appear to browse from wherever the VPN server is located.