How to Find Your IP Address on a Mac

Knowing your IP address on a Mac is one of those tasks that sounds technical but takes under a minute once you know where to look. Whether you're troubleshooting a network issue, setting up remote access, or configuring a firewall, the process is straightforward — though the right method depends on which IP address you actually need.

What Is an IP Address, and Why Does It Matter?

Your Mac doesn't have just one IP address — it typically has at least two:

• Local (private) IP address: The address your router assigns to your Mac within your home or office network. This is what other devices on the same network use to communicate with yours.
• Public (external) IP address: The address your internet service provider (ISP) assigns to your network. This is how websites and external services see you on the internet.

These two addresses serve different purposes, and confusing them is one of the most common sources of frustration when following networking instructions.

🖥️ How to Find Your Local IP Address on a Mac

Method 1: System Settings (macOS Ventura and Later)

Apple redesigned the System Preferences interface in macOS Ventura (13.0), so the path changed:

1. Click the Apple menu (top-left corner) and select System Settings
2. Click Network in the left sidebar
3. Select your active connection — Wi-Fi or Ethernet
4. Your IP address appears next to IP Address in the connection details

Method 2: System Preferences (macOS Monterey and Earlier)

On older macOS versions, the layout is slightly different:

1. Click the Apple menu → System Preferences
2. Click Network
3. Select your active connection in the left panel
4. Your IP address displays on the right side of the window

Method 3: Terminal (Works on Any macOS Version)

If you prefer the command line — or need a quick answer without clicking through menus — open Terminal (found in Applications → Utilities) and type:

ifconfig | grep "inet " 

This returns a list of network interfaces with their addresses. Look for the line associated with en0 (Wi-Fi) or en1 (Ethernet). The number following inet is your local IP address. Ignore 127.0.0.1 — that's the loopback address, used internally by your Mac for local processes, not actual network communication.

For a more direct output, you can also use:

ipconfig getifaddr en0 

Replace en0 with en1 if you're on Ethernet.

Method 4: Wi-Fi Status Menu

For Wi-Fi connections, there's an even faster path:

1. Hold the Option key and click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar
2. Your IP address appears directly in the dropdown — no need to open any settings panel

This is the fastest method for a quick check and works across most recent macOS versions.

🌐 How to Find Your Public IP Address on a Mac

Your public IP isn't stored in macOS settings the same way — it's assigned by your ISP and visible only from outside your local network. The simplest way to find it:

• Open any browser and search: "what is my IP address"
• Google, Bing, or any number of dedicated tools (like whatismyip.com or icanhazip.com) will display your current public IP instantly

You can also use Terminal:

curl ifconfig.me 

This returns your public IP address as seen by external servers.

Key Differences at a Glance

Variables That Affect Which IP You're Seeing

A few factors determine what your IP address looks like and how stable it is:

• Connection type: Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections may have different local IPs on the same Mac, especially if both are active simultaneously
• DHCP vs. static assignment: Most networks assign IP addresses dynamically via DHCP, meaning your local IP can change when you reconnect. A static IP stays fixed — relevant if you're running a local server or need consistent remote access
• IPv4 vs. IPv6: Modern Macs support both. IPv4 addresses look like 192.168.1.x; IPv6 addresses are longer strings of hexadecimal. Many networks still primarily route IPv4, but both may appear in your settings
• VPN usage: If a VPN is active, your public IP will reflect the VPN server's address, not your ISP's. Your local IP remains unchanged
• Router NAT: Most home networks use Network Address Translation (NAT), meaning many devices share one public IP while each has a unique local IP

Why the "Right" IP Depends on Your Situation

Finding your IP address on a Mac is technically simple, but which address matters — and what you do with it — varies considerably by use case. Someone setting up a local media server needs a stable local IP and may want to configure a static assignment in their router. Someone checking whether a VPN is working needs to compare public IPs before and after connecting. Someone troubleshooting a connection issue may need to look at both, plus the subnet mask and default gateway shown in the same Network settings panel.

The method that serves you best depends on your macOS version, whether you're on Wi-Fi or Ethernet, what the IP is needed for, and how comfortable you are with tools like Terminal. Each of those variables points toward a different starting point.