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When you first open Tor, you're prompted to connect to the Tor network. This connects you to a relay and assigns you a browsing IP address that's different than your current home, work, or school IP address. If you just want to browse the web from a new IP address, this is all you'll need to do to get one! But if you're already using Tor and want an IP address that's different from the one you were assigned upon connecting, you can create a new Tor identity. This wikiHow article teaches you how to generate a new IP address using the Tor web browser.
Using Tor to Change Your IP Address
When you open Tor and click "Connect," you'll receive a new IP address for browsing. If you decide you want to change the IP address Tor assigns you, click the menu and select "New Identity."
Steps
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Open Tor on your computer. You'll find it in your Windows Start menu or Mac's Launchpad. If you haven't installed Tor yet, you can download it from https://www.torproject.org/download .- If you haven't already connected to Tor for a session, click Connect when prompted. This assigns you a new IP address that's different from your actual IP address.
- If you already have a website open and want to change your IP address, read on.
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Click the hamburger menu ☰ . It's at the top-right corner of Tor.Advertisement -
Click New Identity . Choose this option if you want a new IP address everywhere on Tor and don't want your previous activity to be linked to the new IP address. A pop-up window will warn you that Tor will close all windows and tabs. If you have any downloads in progress, they'll also be stopped.- If you just want a new IP address for the current website but don't care if your previous browsing activity is linked to your new IP address, you can select New Tor Circuit for this site
instead. [1]
X
Research source
- Once Tor acquires a new IP address, it will refresh the current tab so you're loading it from your new IP address.
- Any tabs open to the same site will refresh the new IP address once you activate them, but other websites and active downloads won't be affected.
- If you just want a new IP address for the current website but don't care if your previous browsing activity is linked to your new IP address, you can select New Tor Circuit for this site
instead. [1]
X
Research source
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Click Restart Tor Browser to restart. Tor will shut down and re-open, acquiring a new IP address in the process. Now that you have a new IP, the sites you visit will see this IP rather than your previous one.- When changing your IP address in Tor, the change only affects Tor and not other programs on your computer. [2] X Research source
- If you want to specify which country your IP address is in, you can specify a region using Strict Nodes .
Expert Q&A
Tips
- Tor has three security levels—Standard, Safer, and Safest. To check and adjust your Tor security settings, click the hamburger menu, select Options , and then click the Privacy & Security tab. [3] X Research sourceThanks
- Tor recommends not installing any browser add-ons to avoid accidentally compromising your anonymity. [4] X Research sourceThanks
References
About This Article
1. Click the three-line menu at the top-right.
2. Click New Identity
.
3. Click Yes
.
