How to Find Out the IP Address of Your Computer

Every device connected to a network has an IP address — a numerical label that identifies it on that network. Whether you're troubleshooting a connection, setting up remote access, configuring a router, or just satisfying your curiosity, knowing how to find your IP address is a fundamental networking skill. The process differs depending on your operating system, and there's an important distinction between your local (private) IP address and your public IP address — two very different things that serve different purposes.

Local IP Address vs. Public IP Address

Before diving into the steps, understanding this distinction saves a lot of confusion.

Type	What It Is	Who Assigns It	Who Can See It
Local (Private) IP	Your device's address on your home or office network	Your router (via DHCP)	Only devices on the same network
Public IP	Your network's address on the internet	Your ISP	Anyone on the internet

Your local IP is something like 192.168.1.45 — it's how your router identifies your computer among all the devices in your home. Your public IP is what websites, services, and remote users see when your traffic leaves your network. These are not the same number, and which one you need depends entirely on what you're trying to do.

How to Find Your Local IP Address 🖥️

On Windows

The fastest method uses the Command Prompt:

Press Windows + R, type cmd, and hit Enter
In the Command Prompt window, type ipconfig and press Enter
Look for IPv4 Address under your active network adapter (usually labeled "Ethernet adapter" or "Wi-Fi")

The number next to IPv4 Address is your local IP. You may also see an IPv6 address, which is a newer format — longer, hexadecimal, and used increasingly alongside IPv4.

Alternatively, through Settings:

Go to Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi or Ethernet → Properties
Scroll down to find the IPv4 address listed there

On macOS

Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions)
Click Network
Select your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet)
Your IP address is displayed directly on that screen

For a quicker route, open Terminal and type ifconfig | grep "inet " — this filters the output to show IP addresses assigned to your interfaces.

On Linux

Open a terminal and type:

ip addr show

or the older command:

ifconfig

Look for inet followed by a number like 192.168.x.x under your active interface (commonly eth0 for Ethernet or wlan0 for Wi-Fi).

On iPhone or iPad

Go to Settings → Wi-Fi, tap the ⓘ next to your connected network, and your IP address appears under the IPv4 Address section.

On Android

Go to Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi, tap your connected network name, and expand the details. The exact path varies slightly by manufacturer and Android version, but the IP address is typically visible in the network detail screen.

How to Find Your Public IP Address 🌐

Finding your public IP is simpler — it doesn't require navigating system settings at all. You can:

Open a browser and search "what is my IP" — Google displays it directly in the results
Visit a service like ipinfo.io or checkip.amazonaws.com in your browser
In a terminal (Windows, macOS, or Linux), run: curl ifconfig.me

Your public IP is assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and is typically dynamic, meaning it can change periodically unless you've paid for a static IP. This matters if you're running a server, hosting a game, or setting up remote access — a changing public IP breaks configurations that depend on a fixed address.

Why the Same Computer Can Have Multiple IP Addresses

A single computer can legitimately have several IP addresses simultaneously:

One for Ethernet, another for Wi-Fi (if both are connected)
A loopback address (127.0.0.1) — an internal address used by the system to communicate with itself
An IPv6 address alongside an IPv4 address
A VPN-assigned address if a VPN is active — which also changes what public IP the outside world sees

When running ipconfig or ifconfig, you'll often see several entries. The relevant one is the address associated with your active, connected interface.

Factors That Affect Which IP Address You Need

The right IP address to use — and how to find it — depends on several variables:

What you're configuring: Port forwarding, remote desktop, and local file sharing each rely on different address types
Whether a VPN is active: A VPN creates a virtual network interface and routes traffic differently, changing both which local address is "active" and what public IP is visible externally
IPv4 vs. IPv6: Some modern routers assign IPv6 addresses primarily; some services only support one version
Dynamic vs. static assignment: Home networks almost universally assign dynamic local IPs via DHCP, so your local IP may change after a router restart unless you configure a static assignment in your router's settings
Network type: Corporate, school, or public networks may use different IP ranges and may not expose local IP information the same way

Understanding which of these factors applies to your setup changes not just how you find your IP address, but what you do with it once you have it.