How to Find Your Internal & External IP Address on a Mac

When your Mac is connected to a network, it is assigned an address on the network called an IP address. The IP address is four sets of digits separated by periods, with up to three digits per set. If the Mac is connected to a local network as well as the internet, then it will have an internal IP address which marks its location on the local network, and an external IP, which is the IP address of your internet connection. Follow this guide to find both.

Quick Steps

Go to Apple Menu > System Settings > Network .
Select your connection type, then click Details next to your current network.
Locate your Mac’s private IP address next to the IP address header.

Section 1 of 3:

Finding Your Internal IP in System Settings

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To find your internal (or private) IP address, you can simply look in your Mac’s settings. To get started, open the

Apple menu .
In older versions of macOS, click System Preferences instead.

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3
Click Network . You’ll see this option in the menu bar on the left side of the window.
- In older versions of macOS, look for Network in the main System Preferences window.
4
Select your connection. Typically, you will be connected to the network via Wi-Fi (wireless) or Ethernet (wired). The connection you are using will say Connected next to it. Click on your connection to see more information.
- In older versions of macOS, your IP address will be listed directly beneath your connection status, in smaller print. You’ll see this as soon as you select your connection.
Once you click your connection type, a new menu will open listing your available networks. The one you’re currently connected to will appear at the top. Click the Details button next to it.
6
Locate your IP address. Near the bottom of the Details menu, you’ll see two headers: one that says IP address and another that says Router . The numbers next to these headers are your Mac’s private IP address and your router’s private IP address, respectively.
- You can also see your IP address by clicking on the TCP/IP tab on the left side of the Details window. This tab displays additional information too, such as your IPv6 address (a longer IP address that contains a mixture of numbers and letters).
- For earlier versions of macOS, find your IP address by going to
  
  Apple menu > System Preferences > Network > Your Connection > Advanced > TCP/IP . You’ll see your Mac’s IP address next to the IPv4 header and your router’s address next to Router .

Section 2 of 3:

Finding Your Internal IP Using the Terminal

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1
Open the Terminal . This can be found in the Utilities section of your Applications folder.
- You can also find it by clicking the
  
  Spotlight search icon at the top of your screen and typing in terminal .
2
Use the ipconfig command. The correct command will depend on whether your connection is wireless (Wi-Fi) or wired (e.g., Ethernet or cable).
- Wi-Fi connection: Type or copy and paste the command ipconfig getifaddr en0 , then press Return .
- Wired connection: Type or copy and paste ipconfig getifaddr en1 and press Return .
Your Mac’s local IP address will be displayed directly below the command you entered.

Section 3 of 3:

Finding Your External IP

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You can even just type in “ip address.” One of the first results will be a box displaying your public IP address.
There are several websites that allow you to easily look up your public IP address. Try a service like Can You See Me or What Is My IP Address to check your external IP address.
3
Try the ifconfig command in Terminal. Like ipconfig, the ifconfig command will show you your IP address. However, this command shows your public IP rather than your internal or private one. To do it:
- Launch the Terminal app.
- Type in curl ifconfig.me and press Return .
- Copy your public IP address. It may look like an IPv6 address (a long string of numbers and letters in groups separated by colons).

Community Q&A

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Question

Can my computer be hacked through my IP address?

Community Answer

Depending on how your computer is connected to the Internet and the type of security in place, your computer may vulnerable for a hack. In reality, chances of your computer being hacked from your known IP address is very unlikely. The trouble of hacker trying to gain access to your computer doesn't justify hacking into your computer unless you have billions of dollars in your bank account accessible from your personal computer. The most easiest way for hackers to gain access to your computer is through virus, not by attacking an IP address.

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how to find the iP address on IOS?

Joseph Bill

Community Answer

If you want to find the IP Address go to Settings>Wi-Fi> Then look for your current network. It should tell you the IP address.

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Tips

If you want the Terminal window to be handier, drag it to the dock.

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When you are finished with the terminal, press Command + Q to quit.

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If you’re concerned about privacy, you can hide your IP address using a VPN, proxy server, or private web browser (such as Tor ).

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Warnings

When using an IP information site from an ISP that uses a transparent web proxy (such as AOL), be aware that the reported IP address may be that of the ISP's web proxy and not your actual IP address.

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For security and privacy reasons, don’t give out your IP address to people you don’t know and trust.

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How to Find Your Internal & External IP Address on a Mac

Quick Steps

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Finding Your Internal IP in System Settings

Finding Your Internal IP Using the Terminal

Finding Your External IP

Community Q&A

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Tips

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