Change Your IP Address in Tor: 4 Steps to Hide Your IP & Location

PDF download Download Article
Hide your IP by browsing the web with Tor
PDF download Download Article

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

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/5e\/Change-the-IP-Address-in-the-Tor-Browser-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Change-the-IP-Address-in-the-Tor-Browser-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/5e\/Change-the-IP-Address-in-the-Tor-Browser-Step-1.jpg\/v4-728px-Change-the-IP-Address-in-the-Tor-Browser-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    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.
  2. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e1\/Change-the-IP-Address-in-the-Tor-Browser-Step-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Change-the-IP-Address-in-the-Tor-Browser-Step-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e1\/Change-the-IP-Address-in-the-Tor-Browser-Step-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Change-the-IP-Address-in-the-Tor-Browser-Step-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    It's at the top-right corner of Tor.
    Advertisement
  3. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/2b\/Change-the-IP-Address-in-the-Tor-Browser-Step-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Change-the-IP-Address-in-the-Tor-Browser-Step-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/2b\/Change-the-IP-Address-in-the-Tor-Browser-Step-3.jpg\/v4-728px-Change-the-IP-Address-in-the-Tor-Browser-Step-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    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]
      • 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.
  4. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/0f\/Change-the-IP-Address-in-the-Tor-Browser-Step-4-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Change-the-IP-Address-in-the-Tor-Browser-Step-4-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/0f\/Change-the-IP-Address-in-the-Tor-Browser-Step-4-Version-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Change-the-IP-Address-in-the-Tor-Browser-Step-4-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    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]
    • If you want to specify which country your IP address is in, you can specify a region using Strict Nodes .
    5. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      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]
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • Tor recommends not installing any browser add-ons to avoid accidentally compromising your anonymity. [4]
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Clear Your Web Browser Cache on Any Platform
      How to
      Download Any Video for Free: 5 Step-by-Step Methods
      How to
      Recover Deleted History from Your Browser
      How to
      Allow Pop–ups
      How to
      Enable Cookies in Your Internet Web Browser
      Clear Your Web Browser Cache and Cookies on Any Platform
      8 Easy Ways to Fix reCAPTCHA Not Working in All Browsers
      How to
      Set a Specific Country in a Tor Browser
      3 Simple Ways to Make the Taskbar Transparent in Windows 10/11
      How to
      Block Cookies in Chrome, Safari, & More
      How To Refresh a Webpage: Desktop & Mobile
      How to
      View Your Web Browser History
      How to
      Bookmark a Website in Any Browser
      Easy Ways to Figure Out the Browser You're Currently Using
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.torproject.org/tbb/tbb-29/
      2. ↑ https://support.torproject.org/faq/staying-anonymous/
      3. ↑ https://tb-manual.torproject.org/security-settings/
      4. ↑ https://support.torproject.org/tbb/tbb-14/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Click the three-line menu at the top-right.
      2. Click New Identity .
      3. Click Yes .

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 43,363 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement