Guides
How to Change Your IP Address: 6 Methods
How to change your IP address: restart your router, use mobile data, a VPN, a proxy or Tor, change a private IP on Windows and Mac, and verify the result.
There are plenty of reasons to change your IP address: fixing a connection problem, improving your privacy, getting past a block a site applied by mistake, or resolving an address conflict on your home network. Which method works depends on whether you want to change your public IP or your private IP. This guide covers both step by step and explains how VPNs, proxies and Tor differ.
First: Which IP Address Do You Want to Change?
Your public IP is the address your internet provider assigns to your router and the one websites see; private IPs are the addresses such as 192.168.x.x that your router hands out to devices on your home network. We explain the difference in detail in our guide What is an IP address? Before you start, note your current public IP address from our home page so that you can easily tell whether the change worked.
1. Restart Your Router
On home connections with a dynamic IP, the simplest method is to switch the router off and on again. When it reconnects, your provider may give it a new address from its pool.
- Unplug the router or switch it off with its power button.
- Wait a few minutes. Some providers hand back the same address after a short outage; waiting longer improves your chances.
- Switch the router on and check your IP address again once the connection is up.
This doesn't always work: some providers keep an address assigned to the same subscriber for days, and with a static IP service the address never changes. If your router's admin page has a “disconnect / reconnect” or “renew IP” button, you can do the same without pulling the plug; our router login guide shows how to get there.
2. Change Your IP on Mobile Data
If you're using mobile data on your phone, turning airplane mode on and off again after a few seconds is usually enough to get a new IP address. Mobile carriers mostly use CGNAT, so you share the public address you get with other subscribers at the same time.
3. Connect to a Different Network
A public IP address belongs to the network you're connected to, not to your device. When you switch from home Wi-Fi to mobile data, tether your computer to your phone or join a network somewhere else, websites see a different IP address. It's the easiest route when you need a quick, temporary fix.
4. Use a VPN
A VPN (virtual private network) sets up an encrypted tunnel between your device and a VPN server. All your traffic goes through that tunnel, and the sites you visit see the VPN server's IP address instead of yours. Because you can choose which country the server is in, your apparent location changes too.
- Pros: covers traffic from every app, encrypts the connection and adds protection on public Wi-Fi.
- Cons: costs some speed; the VPN provider can now see your traffic, so it matters to pick a trustworthy service whose no-logs claims have been independently audited. Some sites block known VPN addresses.
After connecting to the VPN, open our home page to confirm that the address has changed. Use the WebRTC leak test as well to make sure your browser isn't leaking your real address through WebRTC.
5. Proxies and Tor
A proxy is an intermediate server that forwards requests on your behalf. It usually covers only the browser or a single app, and often doesn't encrypt the traffic. Free proxies run by unknown operators can monitor or alter your traffic; don't use them for anything that involves a password.
Tor encrypts your traffic and relays it through three separate volunteer-run servers; sites see only the address of the last one (the exit node). It provides strong anonymity but is noticeably slow, and many sites apply extra verification to Tor exit addresses. To use it, download Tor Browser from its official site.
| Method | Coverage | Encryption | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| VPN | Whole device | Yes | Good |
| Proxy | Browser or a single app | Usually none | Varies |
| Tor | Tor Browser | Yes (layered) | Slow |
6. Ask Your Internet Provider
If your address never changes and you need it to (for example, because it has ended up on a blocklist), you can ask your provider's customer service for a new IP. Conversely, if you want an address that never changes, the same people can sell you a static IP; see our static IP guide for details.
How to Change Your Private IP Address
Changing a private IP doesn't affect the address websites see; you do it to fix address conflicts on your home network or to give a device a fixed address.
Renew the address
On Windows, open Command Prompt and run these two commands in order; the device asks the router for an address again:
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renewOn macOS, go to System Settings → Network → your connection → Details → TCP/IP → Renew DHCP Lease. On phones, turning Wi-Fi off and on, or forgetting the network and reconnecting, does the same job.
Set an address manually
On Windows 11, go to Settings → Network & internet → your connection → IP assignment → Edit → Manual to enter the IPv4 address, subnet mask, gateway and DNS server yourself. The address you choose has to be in the same network as the range your router hands out, but outside its DHCP pool. If you're not sure which addresses fall inside the same network, check with the subnet calculator. In most cases a DHCP reservation on the router is the more practical route.
Why Change Your IP Address?
- Privacy: making it harder for sites and ad networks to track you by IP address.
- Troubleshooting: getting a fresh address when you have connection problems or an IP conflict on the local network.
- Mistaken blocks: hitting constant CAPTCHAs or a block on a site because of a shared address or one that somebody else used before you.
- Security on shared networks: encrypting traffic with a VPN on café, hotel and airport Wi-Fi.
Is Changing Your IP Address Legal?
Changing your IP address or using a VPN isn't illegal in itself; companies use VPNs every day to give their staff remote access. But changing your IP address doesn't make an unlawful act lawful, and the terms of the services you use still apply. Some countries restrict access to VPN services; complying with the law where you are is your responsibility.
How Do I Know My IP Address Has Changed?
Open the ipadresimne.net home page before and after the change and compare the two addresses. If you're using a VPN or proxy, the privacy section of the report also shows whether the connection is detected as a VPN, proxy or data center. On the command line, curl ipadresimne.net gives the same answer in a single line.