How to Check Your MAC Address on Any Device

Every device that connects to a network has a MAC address — a unique identifier burned into its network hardware. Whether you're setting up a router, troubleshooting a connection issue, or configuring network access controls, knowing how to find this address is a fundamental networking skill.

What Is a MAC Address?

A MAC address (Media Access Control address) is a 12-character identifier assigned to a network interface card (NIC) at the hardware level. It typically looks like this: 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E or 00-1A-2B-3C-4D-5E, written as six pairs of hexadecimal characters.

Unlike an IP address — which can change depending on your network — a MAC address is generally permanent and hardware-specific. It's used at the data link layer of networking to identify devices on a local network segment. Routers use MAC addresses to hand out consistent IP assignments, and network administrators use them to allow or block specific devices via MAC filtering.

A few important nuances worth knowing:

• Most modern operating systems support MAC address randomization, a privacy feature that rotates the MAC address shown to Wi-Fi networks to prevent tracking.
• Devices with both Wi-Fi and Ethernet adapters have a separate MAC address for each interface.
• Virtual machines and USB network adapters also have their own distinct MAC addresses.

How to Check Your MAC Address on Windows 🖥️

Method 1: Command Prompt

1. Press Windows + R, type cmd, and hit Enter.
2. Type ipconfig /all and press Enter.
3. Look for your active adapter (e.g., "Ethernet adapter" or "Wi-Fi").
4. The Physical Address field shows your MAC address.

Method 2: Settings App (Windows 10/11)

1. Go to Settings → Network & Internet.
2. Click your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
3. Scroll down to Properties — the MAC address appears as Physical address (MAC).

Method 3: Device Manager

In Device Manager, open your network adapter's properties, go to the Advanced tab, and look for "Network Address" or "Locally Administered Address."

How to Check Your MAC Address on macOS

1. Click the Apple menu → System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS).
2. Go to Network and select your active connection.
3. Click Details (or Advanced on older versions).
4. Select the Hardware tab — your MAC address is listed there.

Via Terminal:

• Type ifconfig en0 | grep ether for Wi-Fi, or ifconfig en1 for Ethernet, and press Enter.
• The ether line shows the MAC address.

How to Check Your MAC Address on iPhone and Android 📱

iPhone (iOS):

1. Open Settings → General → About.
2. Scroll to find Wi-Fi Address — this is your MAC address for Wi-Fi.

Note: If Private Wi-Fi Address is enabled (found under Settings → Wi-Fi → your network), your iPhone will show a randomized MAC address to that network, not the permanent hardware address.

Android:

Steps vary by manufacturer, but generally:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Status.
2. Look for Wi-Fi MAC Address.

Some Android versions bury this under Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi → (your network) → Advanced.

Like iOS, Android 10 and later enable randomized MAC addresses by default for each network. The "factory MAC" may require navigating deeper into developer options or adapter settings.

How to Check a MAC Address on Linux

Open a terminal and run:

ip link show 

Each network interface (e.g., eth0, wlan0, enp3s0) will show a link/ether value — that's the MAC address. Alternatively, ifconfig -a works on distributions where net-tools is installed.

How to Find a Device's MAC Address on Your Router

If you need the MAC address of another device on your network — a smart TV, game console, or IoT device — your router's admin panel often lists all connected devices with their MAC addresses.

1. Log into your router (typically via 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 in a browser).
2. Navigate to a section like Connected Devices, DHCP Client List, or ARP Table.
3. Each device entry will show its hostname (if available) alongside its MAC address.

This approach is especially useful for devices without a screen or accessible settings menu.

Key Variables That Affect What You'll See

Why the "Right" Method Depends on Your Situation

Finding a MAC address is straightforward in most cases — but which method works best depends on what you're actually trying to accomplish. Someone configuring MAC filtering on a router has different needs than someone trying to identify a device on a network they don't control. A user with MAC randomization enabled will see a different address in their OS settings than what their router actually logs. And on shared or managed networks, the addresses visible to you may be intentionally limited.

The steps above cover the most common paths across every major platform — but which one applies, and whether the address you find is the one you need, depends on your specific device configuration, network environment, and the task at hand.