How to Change Your Mac Address on Windows, Mac, and Linux

What a Mac address is and why you might change it

Your MAC address (Media Access Control address) is a unique identifier assigned to your network card — the hardware that connects your device to Wi-Fi or ethernet. It looks like six pairs of numbers and letters: 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E. Every device on a local network has one, and your router uses it to recognize which physical device is which.

Changing your MAC address is called spoofing. The most common reasons to do this are: testing network security on your own devices, avoiding tracking on public Wi-Fi networks, connecting to a network that limits devices by MAC address (like a guest network that only allows one device), or troubleshooting connection problems by resetting how your device identifies itself to the router.

A MAC address change is temporary by default — it resets when you restart your device or disconnect from the network. Making it permanent requires changing your network driver settings or editing system files, which is less common and more involved.

Key Takeaways

MAC address changes are temporary unless you edit driver settings or system configuration files, and they reset when you restart your device.
On Windows, you can change your MAC address through Device Manager by editing your network adapter's advanced properties, or use third-party tools like TMAC or Technitium MAC Address Changer.
On macOS, use Terminal commands with ifconfig or networksetup to change your address temporarily, or edit network configuration files for permanent changes.
On Linux, use ip link set or ifconfig commands in Terminal, or edit your network interface configuration file for changes that survive a restart.
Changing your MAC address does not hide your activity from your internet service provider or websites you visit — it only affects how devices on your local network recognize you.

Changing your MAC address on Windows

The built-in method on Windows is through Device Manager. Open Device Manager (right-click the Start button and select it, or search for it in the taskbar), then expand "Network adapters" and right-click the adapter you want to change. Select "Properties," then go to the "Advanced" tab. Look for an option labeled "Locally Administered Address," "Network Address," or "MAC Address" — the exact name varies by network card manufacturer. Check the box next to it, enter your new MAC address in the field (use only numbers 0–9 and letters A–F, in the format 001A2B3C4D5E without colons), and click OK. The change takes effect immediately but resets when you restart.

If your network adapter does not have this option in Device Manager, you can use a third-party tool. Technitium MAC Address Changer is free and works on most Windows versions — download it from technitium.com, run it as administrator, select your network adapter from the dropdown, enter a new MAC address, and click "Change." TMAC (from macaddresschanger.com) is another option, though it is not free. Both tools change the address temporarily until restart.

To make a MAC address change permanent on Windows, you need to edit the Windows Registry, which carries risk if done incorrectly. This is rarely necessary for everyday use. If you need a permanent change, document your original MAC address first (you can find it in Device Manager under "Details" tab, property "Network Address"), and consider backing up your Registry before editing.

Changing your MAC address on macOS

macOS does not have a graphical interface for MAC address changes, so you will use Terminal. Open Terminal (search for it in Spotlight), then type the command ifconfig and press Enter to see all your network interfaces. Find the one you want to change — usually en0 for Wi-Fi or en1 for ethernet. Note its current MAC address (listed as "ether").

To change it temporarily, disconnect from the network first. Then type sudo ifconfig en0 ether 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E (replace en0 with your interface and the address with your new one), and press Enter. You will be asked for your password. The change takes effect immediately. Reconnect to your network. When you restart your Mac, the address reverts to the original.

To make the change permanent, you need to edit your network configuration files, which requires editing files in /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/ using a text editor like nano. This is more complex and beyond typical use cases. If you need a permanent change, research your specific macOS version first, as the process varies.

Changing your MAC address on Linux

Linux offers the most straightforward command-line method. Open Terminal and type ip link show to list all network interfaces and their current MAC addresses. Identify the interface you want to change (usually eth0 for ethernet or wlan0 for Wi-Fi).

To change the address temporarily, first bring the interface down with sudo ip link set dev eth0 down (replace eth0 with your interface name). Then type sudo ip link set dev eth0 address 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E (replace the address with your new one), and bring it back up with sudo ip link set dev eth0 up. The change takes effect immediately and lasts until restart.

To make the change permanent, edit your network interface configuration file. On Debian-based systems (Ubuntu, Linux Mint), edit /etc/network/interfaces or the files in /etc/netplan/ using sudo nano. On Red Hat-based systems (Fedora, CentOS), edit the file in /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/. Add a line like hwaddress 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E to the interface configuration. Save the file, then restart networking with sudo systemctl restart networking or reboot your system.

What a MAC address change does and does not do

Changing your MAC address affects only how devices on your local network (your router, other computers on the same Wi-Fi, devices on the same ethernet switch) recognize you. It does not hide your activity from your internet service provider, your employer's network monitoring, or websites you visit. Those systems track you by your IP address and the data you send them, not your MAC address.

A MAC address change is useful for testing network security on your own devices, bypassing a router's device limit (if a guest network allows only one device and you want to connect a second one), or troubleshooting by forcing your router to treat your device as new. It is not useful for privacy on public Wi-Fi or hiding from ISP tracking.

Troubleshooting when a MAC address change does not work

If you change your MAC address but your device does not connect to the network, the most common cause is that the new address conflicts with another device on the network, or the network has a whitelist of allowed MAC addresses. Try a different address. If the network uses MAC filtering (common on corporate or guest networks), you may need to register your new address with the network administrator.

On Windows, if Device Manager does not show a MAC address field, your network driver may not support it. Update your network driver from the manufacturer's website (search for your network card model and "driver download"). On macOS and Linux, if the Terminal command does not work, check that you are using the correct interface name and that you have administrator (sudo) access.

If the change reverts immediately after you make it, your system may be resetting the address automatically. This can happen if network management software (like NetworkManager on Linux) is running. Stop the service temporarily with sudo systemctl stop NetworkManager before making the change, or disable MAC address management in the software's settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my MAC address make me anonymous online?

No. Your MAC address only matters on your local network. Websites, your internet service provider, and online services identify you by your IP address and the data you send them. Changing your MAC address does not affect either of those.

Can I change my MAC address to match another device's to trick my router?

Technically yes, but it will cause problems. Both devices will have the same address, and your router will not be able to tell them apart. Data meant for one will go to the other. Use a unique address instead, or contact your network administrator if you need to bypass a device limit.

Does my MAC address change automatically when I restart?

Yes, unless you have edited your network driver settings (Windows) or configuration files (macOS and Linux) to make the change permanent. A temporary change always reverts on restart.

What MAC address should I use if I want to change mine?

Use any address in the format of six pairs of hexadecimal digits (0–9 and A–F). To avoid conflicts, make sure the second digit from the left is odd — for example, 02:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E — which marks it as a locally administered address rather than a real device address.

Can my ISP tell if I have changed my MAC address?

Your ISP cannot see your MAC address directly — they see your IP address. However, if you change your MAC address on a home network, your router still has the same IP address, so your ISP's records do not change. On a public network, changing your MAC address has no effect on what the ISP sees.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.