Free tool
What is my IP address?
This is the public IP address websites see for your connection right now, with the approximate location and internet provider it points to.
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Your browser asks our own endpoint for this address so we can show it to you here. Browser, device and time zone details are read in your browser.
In short
- Every website and app you use sees your public IP address; they couldn’t reply without it.
- It points to your internet provider and a rough location, not your name or street address.
- With a VPN connected, websites see the VPN server’s address instead of yours.
- It doesn’t stop sites you sign in to from knowing it’s you.
What your IP address reveals, and what it doesn’t
Your public IP address is the address the internet uses to send data back to you. Every website, app and service you connect to sees it, because it couldn’t reply without it. On its own, it usually reveals:
- Your internet provider, or whoever runs the network you’re on: a mobile operator, an office, or a café’s Wi-Fi supplier.
- An approximate location, usually a country and often a region or town. Location databases are estimates and are regularly wrong, especially on mobile networks.
- A way to link visits together. Sites and advertisers can use your address, alongside cookies and other signals, to recognise visits from the same connection.
It doesn’t reveal your name, your street address or what you do on other websites. Your internet provider does know which of its customers was using an address at a given time, and can be required by law to share that.
Public and private IP addresses
The address shown above is your public address. Your router has one, and the devices on your home network share it when they talk to the internet.
Inside your network, each device also has a private address, typically starting 192.168 or 10. Websites don’t normally see these. One exception is WebRTC, the browser feature behind video calls, which can expose a local address. Our WebRTC leak test checks for that.
IPv4 and IPv6
IPv4 addresses are four numbers separated by dots, such as 203.0.113.42. There are only around 4.3 billion of them, which is why homes and mobile networks share them between many devices.
IPv6 addresses are longer, written in hexadecimal with colons, such as 2001:db8::1. There are enough for each device to have its own public address.
Many connections now have both, and which one a website sees depends on your network and the site. That matters for VPNs: if IPv6 traffic isn’t handled, it could travel outside the tunnel. DarkMatter includes IPv6 leak protection, which is designed to stop that.
Why your IP address changes
Most home broadband and mobile connections use addresses that change from time to time, for example when your router restarts. Moving from home Wi-Fi to mobile data, or to a café’s network, gives you a different public address straight away, because you’re now using a different connection.
Ways to change the IP address websites see
There are three common ways to show websites a different address. They change the same thing, but they aren’t interchangeable.
| VPN | Proxy | Tor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Changes the IP address websites see | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Encrypts traffic between your device and the server | Yes | Often not | Yes |
| Covers the apps on your device, not just one browser | Yes | Usually one app | Usually Tor Browser only |
| Hides the sites you visit from your network and internet provider | Yes | Partly | Yes |
| Who can see where your traffic goes | The VPN network operator | The proxy operator | The exit relay, without knowing who you are |
A general comparison: individual services and configurations vary. For everyday use, a VPN is usually the simplest of the three, because it covers your whole device, encrypts the connection on networks you don’t control, and works with the apps you already use.
What changes when you connect to DarkMatter
- Websites and apps see the VPN server’s IP address and its approximate location instead of yours.
- Your internet provider and the network you’re on see an encrypted connection to a VPN server, not the sites you visit.
- The address at the top of this page changes, so you can check it for yourself.
What doesn’t change: sites you sign in to still know it’s you, cookies and other browser tracking still work, and a VPN doesn’t protect you from scams or malware. Our guide What is a VPN? covers the rest.
What this check can’t tell you
It shows the address websites see, not whether you’re connected to DarkMatter, and it doesn’t test for DNS leaks. The location comes from a database estimate, so treat it as approximate.
IP address questions
Can someone find my home address from my IP address?
Not from the address alone. It usually points to your internet provider and an approximate area. Your provider knows which customer used an address at a given time, and can be required by law to share that.
Why is the location shown wrong?
IP locations come from databases that estimate where an address is used. They’re often only accurate to a country or region, and mobile networks can route your connection through a different town or city.
Do all the devices in my home have the same IP address?
For IPv4, usually yes: devices behind one router share its public address, and each has its own private address inside your network. With IPv6, each device can have its own public address.
Does a VPN hide my IP address?
While you’re connected, the websites and services you use see the VPN server’s IP address instead of yours. Your internet provider can still see that you’re connected to a VPN server, but not the sites you visit through it.
Does private or incognito browsing hide my IP address?
No. Private browsing stops your browser saving history and cookies on your device. Websites still see your IP address.
Should I be worried that websites can see my IP address?
Not usually: websites need it to send you the page. It matters more on networks you don’t control, when you’d rather sites couldn’t link your visits to your location, or when you don’t want your internet provider to see which sites you visit. What is a VPN? explains the options.
Change what websites see
With DarkMatter connected, websites see the VPN server’s address instead of yours. Run this check again to see the difference.