Where to find your IP address on a Mac

Your Mac's IP address lives in System Settings under Network. Open System Settings, click Network in the sidebar, select your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet), and look for the IP Address field — it's the string of four numbers separated by periods, like 192.168.1.5. That's your local IP address, the one your home or office network uses to identify your computer.

If you're connected to Wi-Fi, you'll see the IP address next to "IP Address" in the Wi-Fi details. If you're plugged in with Ethernet, the same field appears under the Ethernet section. The address changes each time you connect to a new network, and sometimes even on the same network if your router reassigns it.

You also have a public IP address — the one websites see when you visit them — but your Mac doesn't display that in System Settings. To find your public IP, you'll need to visit a website like whatismyipaddress.com or open Terminal and type curl ifconfig.me, then press Enter.

Key Takeaways

  • Your local IP address appears in System Settings under Network, next to "IP Address" in whichever connection type you're using.
  • Local IP addresses start with 192.168 or 10.0 and change when you switch networks or restart your router.
  • Your public IP address (what websites see) is not shown in System Settings and requires visiting a third-party website or using Terminal to find.
  • You need your local IP address to connect to shared printers or access your Mac remotely from another device on the same network.

The difference between local and public IP addresses

Your local IP address is what devices on your home or office network use to talk to your Mac. It usually starts with 192.168 or 10.0 and is assigned by your router. Every device on your network gets one — your phone, your laptop, your printer, your smart TV. These addresses only work inside your network; they're invisible to the outside internet.

Your public IP address is what the internet sees. It's assigned to your router by your internet service provider, and every device behind that router shares it. When you visit a website, the website logs your public IP, not your local one. Your public IP changes periodically (sometimes daily, sometimes monthly, depending on your provider), while your local IP can stay the same for years.

Most of the time, you need your local IP address — to print wirelessly, to access your Mac from another computer on the same network, or to set up port forwarding. You rarely need your public IP unless you're troubleshooting a connection problem or checking whether a website has blocked your address.

Using Terminal to find your IP address

If you prefer the command line, Terminal shows your IP address in one command. Open Terminal (find it in Applications > Utilities or search for it with Spotlight), type ifconfig, and press Enter. You'll see a lot of text — look for the section labeled "en0" (Ethernet) or "en1" (Wi-Fi), and find the line that starts with "inet" followed by a number. That number is your local IP address.

For your public IP address in Terminal, type curl ifconfig.me and press Enter. Terminal will display just the IP address, nothing else. This method is faster if you need to check your public IP repeatedly or if you're writing down the address to share with someone.

Terminal also shows you other useful information, like your subnet mask and router address (the "gateway" line). Most people don't need these details, but they're there if you're setting up a network printer or troubleshooting a connection.

When you need to know your Mac's IP address

You'll need your local IP address when you're setting up a wireless printer. Most printers ask for the IP address of the computer sending the print job, or they need to be on the same network and reachable by address. You also need it if you're accessing your Mac remotely using a tool like Apple Remote Desktop or TeamViewer — you give the other person your IP address so their computer knows where to find yours.

Your public IP address matters if you're troubleshooting why a website won't load, or if you suspect a service has blocked your connection. Some websites restrict access by IP address, and knowing yours helps you figure out whether you're on a blocked range. It's also useful if you're setting up a VPN or checking whether your internet provider is throttling your speed.

If you're just browsing the web or using email, you don't need to know either address. Your Mac handles all of that automatically. But if something isn't working the way it should — a printer won't connect, a remote access tool can't find your computer — your IP address is usually the first thing to check.

Why your IP address changes

Your local IP address can change if you restart your router, if your Mac goes to sleep and reconnects, or if you manually release and renew your connection. Most home routers use DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), which means they hand out addresses temporarily rather than permanently. Your router typically remembers which device gets which address and gives you the same one each time, but it's not may provide.

If you need your IP address to stay the same — for example, if you're running a server on your Mac or setting up port forwarding — you can assign a static IP address in System Settings. Go to Network, select your connection, click Details, and look for the TCP/IP tab. Change the Configure IPv4 dropdown from "Using DHCP" to "Manually" and enter an address in the same range as your router (usually 192.168.1.x, where x is a number between 2 and 254).

Your public IP address changes on your internet provider's schedule, not yours. Some providers change it every 24 hours, others every few months. If you need a stable public IP for remote access or hosting, you can pay your provider for a static public IP, though this costs extra and isn't available everywhere.

Sharing your IP address safely

Your local IP address is safe to share with anyone on your network — your family, your coworker, your printer manufacturer's support team. It only works inside your network, so someone outside your home or office can't use it to reach your Mac.

Your public IP address is more sensitive. Websites and services you visit already know it, so there's no harm in sharing it with a tech support person who's helping you troubleshoot. But don't post it publicly online or share it with strangers, because it can be used to look up your approximate location and internet provider. If you're concerned about privacy, a VPN masks your public IP address by routing your traffic through another server.

Never share your IP address if someone contacts you claiming to be from Apple or your internet provider asking for it. Apple and your provider already know your address — this is a common scam tactic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my IP address start with 192.168 instead of 10.0?

Both are valid local IP ranges, and your router chooses which one to use. Most home routers default to 192.168, but some use 10.0 or 172.16. The choice doesn't affect how your network works — it's just what your router's manufacturer decided. You can't change it without accessing your router's settings, and there's no reason to.

Is my public IP address the same on all my devices?

Yes. Every device on your network — your Mac, your phone, your tablet, your smart TV — shares the same public IP address because they all go through the same router. Your internet provider assigns one public IP per household or office, not per device. Your local IP addresses are different for each device.

Can someone hack my Mac using my IP address?

Not directly. An IP address alone doesn't let someone access your Mac — they'd also need to know which port your Mac is listening on, and you'd have to have remote access enabled. Your Mac's firewall blocks incoming connections by default, so even if someone knows your IP address, they can't reach you unless you've specifically opened a port or enabled a service like Remote Desktop.

What should I do if my IP address keeps changing?

If your local IP address changes frequently, your router is reassigning it. This is normal and usually not a problem. If you need it to stay the same, set a static IP address in System Settings as described above. If your public IP changes and that's causing problems, contact your internet provider about a static public IP option.

How do I find my router's IP address?

Your router's IP address appears in System Settings under Network — look for the line labeled "Router" in your connection details. It's usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. You can also find it in Terminal by typing netstat -nr | grep default and looking at the gateway column. You need your router's IP address to log into its settings page to change your Wi-Fi password or port forwarding rules.