An IP address is a unique address used to identify a device or network connection on the internet. When you visit a website, stream music, send email, or use an app, your connection normally uses an IP address so data can be sent back to the correct place.
Your public IP address is the address visible to websites and online services. It is usually assigned by your Internet Service Provider, mobile carrier, workplace, school, VPN provider, or the public Wi-Fi network you are connected to.
“What is my IP?” usually means “what public IP address am I using right now?”. This is the address websites see when your browser connects to them. It can be useful when troubleshooting network problems, checking VPN connections, setting up remote access, or verifying firewall rules.
Your public IP address may not be the same as the private IP address used inside your home or office network. For example, your computer may have a local address such as 192.168.x.x, while your router uses a different public address on the internet.
A public IP address is used on the internet. This is the address external websites and services can usually see. A private IP address is used inside a local network, such as your home, office, school, or local Wi-Fi network.
Private IP addresses are commonly used by routers, computers, phones, printers, smart TVs, and other devices on the same local network. These private addresses are not normally reachable directly from the public internet.
There are two main versions of IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6. IPv4 addresses are the older and more familiar format, often written as four numbers separated by dots, such as 203.0.113.10.
IPv6 is newer and was created because the internet needed many more addresses. IPv6 addresses are longer and use letters and numbers separated by colons. Some connections support only IPv4, some support IPv6, and many modern networks support both.
Many internet providers assign dynamic IP addresses. This means your public IP address can change over time. It may change when your router reconnects, when your provider renews the connection, or when you move between networks.
If you need a permanent address for hosting, remote access, or firewall rules, you may need a static IP address from your provider or use a dynamic DNS service.
Your IP address can often be used to estimate your country, region, city, internet provider, or network type. This is called IP geolocation. It is useful for fraud prevention, regional content, analytics, security systems, and troubleshooting.
IP geolocation is not exact. It may show the location of your provider, mobile carrier, VPN server, proxy server, or network gateway instead of your real physical location.
Websites can usually see the public IP address used for your connection. This can help them detect abuse, block suspicious traffic, apply security rules, estimate location, and identify repeated visits from the same network.
However, an IP address alone does not normally identify you personally. Websites often combine IP information with cookies, browser settings, login accounts, device information, and analytics tools to recognize users more accurately.
You can change the IP address websites see by connecting through another network, such as mobile data, public Wi-Fi, a VPN, or a proxy server. A VPN routes your traffic through a VPN provider, so websites normally see the VPN server’s IP address instead of your own.
Hiding your IP address can improve privacy, but it does not make you completely anonymous. Browser fingerprinting, cookies, login accounts, DNS leaks, and other tracking methods may still reveal information about your device or activity.