How to Check Your Public IP
Your public IP address is the internet-facing address used by your connection when communicating with websites and online services.
Checking it is simple, but understanding what the result means can help you troubleshoot networks, confirm VPN connections, identify address changes, and distinguish your public IP from the private address used inside your home or office network.
What is my public IP address?
A public IP address is the address your connection presents to the wider internet.
For many home users, this address is assigned by the internet service provider to the router or to another device at the edge of the provider's network.
When you visit a website, the website normally sees the public IP address used to reach it.
You can check your current internet-facing address using the IPScope IP lookup tool .
The easiest way to check your public IP
The simplest method is to use an online IP lookup service.
- Open the IPScope homepage.
- Locate the IP address section at the top of the page.
- Wait for your current public IP address to appear.
- Review any available network or location information.
No special software is normally required because the website can identify the address used by your browser to connect to the service.
What does a public IP address look like?
Depending on your network, you may see an IPv4 or IPv6 address.
IPv4 example
203.0.113.25
IPv4 addresses contain four decimal numbers separated by periods.
IPv6 example
2001:db8:1234:5678::25
IPv6 addresses are longer and use hexadecimal characters separated by colons.
Why is my public IP different from the IP on my device?
This is normal on many networks.
Your computer or phone may display a private address such as:
192.168.1.15
while an online lookup service displays a completely different public address.
The private address identifies your device inside your local network. The public address represents the connection used to communicate with the internet.
Home routers commonly use Network Address Translation (NAT) so several private devices can share one public IPv4 connection.
How to check your public IP on a phone
The easiest method on Android or iPhone is also an online IP lookup.
- Open your web browser.
- Visit IPScope.
- Read the public IP address shown by the lookup tool.
Be aware that the result can change depending on whether you are using Wi-Fi or mobile data.
Your home Wi-Fi connection and mobile carrier normally use different networks, so switching between them can result in a different public IP address.
How to check your public IP on a computer
On Windows, macOS, Linux, or ChromeOS, the simplest method is to open a web browser and use an online public IP lookup tool.
This is often more useful than looking only at the network settings on your computer because local settings commonly show a private IP address rather than the internet-facing address.
Can I find my public IP in my router?
Often, yes.
Many routers display an address labeled something like:
- WAN IP,
- Internet IP,
- WAN Address,
- or Internet Address.
This may be the address assigned by your internet provider.
However, in some networks the WAN address shown by the router may not be the same public IPv4 address visible to websites.
One reason is Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT).
Why might my router show a different WAN IP?
Some internet providers place customers behind another layer of address translation inside the provider network.
In that situation:
- your devices have private addresses,
- your router may receive another non-public or shared address,
- and internet websites see a different public-facing address.
This arrangement is commonly associated with Carrier-Grade NAT.
What is Carrier-Grade NAT?
Carrier-Grade NAT, often abbreviated as CGNAT, allows an internet provider to share public IPv4 addresses among multiple customers.
Providers use it partly because the available supply of IPv4 addresses is limited.
CGNAT can matter when configuring services that require inbound connections, such as:
- self-hosted servers,
- some gaming configurations,
- remote access systems,
- and traditional port forwarding.
Does a VPN change my public IP?
Usually, yes.
When you connect through a VPN, your internet traffic is routed through a VPN server.
Websites normally see the public IP address of that VPN server rather than the public address your normal internet connection would otherwise present.
This provides an easy way to confirm whether a VPN connection is active:
- Check your public IP before connecting to the VPN.
- Connect to the VPN.
- Check your public IP again.
If the VPN is operating as expected, the visible address will normally change.
Why does my public IP keep changing?
Many internet connections use a dynamic public IP address.
A dynamic address is not guaranteed to remain the same permanently. Your provider may assign a different address after:
- reconnecting your internet service,
- restarting equipment,
- an address lease change,
- network maintenance,
- or other provider-side changes.
The exact behavior depends on the internet provider and connection type.
What is a static public IP?
A static IP address is intended to remain consistent rather than changing regularly.
Static public IP addresses may be useful for:
- hosting services,
- remote access,
- business networks,
- VPN servers,
- and systems that benefit from a predictable address.
Some internet providers offer static addresses as an optional or business service.
Can I check both IPv4 and IPv6?
Yes, if your internet connection supports both protocols.
Many modern networks use dual stack, which means IPv4 and IPv6 can be available at the same time.
Depending on the lookup service and the connection used by your browser, you may see an IPv4 address, an IPv6 address, or information about both.
Why does my public IP change when I switch networks?
Your public IP is associated with the network path you use to reach the internet.
If you move from:
- home Wi-Fi to mobile data,
- home internet to workplace Wi-Fi,
- one public hotspot to another,
- or your normal connection to a VPN,
you are using a different network path, so the public IP address can also change.
Can an IP lookup show my exact location?
Usually not.
Public IP information can often be associated with an approximate country, region, city, or internet provider, but IP geolocation should not be treated as GPS-level location information.
The location associated with an IP address may represent:
- an internet provider's network,
- a routing location,
- a regional allocation,
- a VPN server,
- or another network endpoint.
Accuracy varies considerably.
Does checking my IP expose private information?
Websites you connect to already need network addressing information in order to communicate with your browser.
An IP lookup tool displays information associated with the network connection being used.
A public IP address by itself should not automatically be treated as a precise home address or as proof of a particular person's identity.
Public IP vs local IP
| Feature | Public IP | Local / Private IP |
|---|---|---|
| Used across the internet | Yes | Normally no |
| Commonly assigned by | Internet provider | Router or local administrator |
| Visible to online services | Usually | Not through normal internet routing |
| Example | 203.0.113.25 | 192.168.1.25 |
When is checking your public IP useful?
Knowing your current public IP can be useful when:
- checking whether a VPN is connected,
- troubleshooting network access,
- identifying whether your ISP changed your address,
- configuring remote access,
- investigating connectivity problems,
- comparing IPv4 and IPv6 connectivity,
- or checking the network used by your current connection.
How often should I check my public IP?
For ordinary browsing, there is usually no need to monitor it continuously.
It is most useful to check the address when you are troubleshooting a network, testing a VPN, configuring a service, or determining whether your public IP has changed.
An online IP lookup is the simplest way to check the public IP address your current connection presents to the internet. The result may differ from your device's private address and can change when you switch networks, use a VPN, reconnect to your provider, or access the internet through CGNAT.
Related IP guides
Start with What Is an IP Address? for an introduction to IP addressing.
Learn why the address on your device may differ from the address visible online in Public vs Private IP .
For the differences between the two major Internet Protocol versions, read IPv4 vs IPv6 .
