How to find your IP address in any operating system – and why you'd want to

I often have to find the IP address of a machine I’m working on (or need to work on). Sometimes, I need to unblock an IP address of a machine on my network, so the machine can reach a network share I’ve created (or get past SSH firewall rules). Or maybe I need to know a device’s address so I can connect to it from another device.  

In short, there are numerous reasons why you might need to know the IP address of a machine on your local network. I want to show you how to find that information on most operating systems. Relax! It’s not all that challenging. Anyone can find an IP address in seconds.

Also: How to change your IP address, why you’d want to – and when you shouldn’t

Here’s how.

Note: The first section below is about finding your local IP address. Then I’ll show you how to find your public-facing IP address.

How to find your IP address 

Android

As with any mobile device, your IP address will change, depending on the wireless network you’re connected to (or if you’re using your carrier’s network). But these steps will demonstrate how you locate the IP address. 

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Network & Internet.
3. Tap Internet.
4. Tap the gear icon associated with the wireless network to which you are connected.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and look for the IP Address.

iOS

As on Android phones, an iPhone’s IP address will change depending on what network you are using. Finding the address in iOS is just as simple as in Android.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Wi-Fi.
3. Tap the “i” icon associated with the wireless network to which you are connected.
4. Locate the IP address on that page

Linux

Some Linux desktop environments make it possible to view the IP address via a GUI. Because that isn’t consistent, I’ll show you how to find the IP address in a way that is universal to all distributions.

1. Open a terminal window.
2. Issue the command ip a and hit Enter.
3. Look for the wireless or wired connection you are using (which will be listed in the form of wlp15s0).
4. Make a note of your IP address.

MacOS

You can locate your IP address on MacOS in the same way you did with Linux. If you don’t like the idea of the command line, here’s an alternative method.

1. Click on the network icon in the top bar.
2. Click Details associated with the connection you are using.
3. View the IP address in the resulting window.

Windows

Windows offers a command line option, just like Linux and MacOS do. Yes, you also can do so from a GUI, but those steps will vary, depending on which version of Windows you use. Therefore, I want to show you a method that works for any Windows version.

1. Click the Start button and select Windows Terminal.
2. From the terminal, issue the command ipconfig and press Enter.
3. View your IP address.

How to locate your public IP address

This one is really easy and works the same, regardless of what operating system you are using. All you have to do is open a web browser and point it to What Is My IP Address. This will present you not only with your public-facing IP address but also your ISP and your location.

Also: The best VPN services: Expert tested and reviewed

There you have it. You can now locate the IP address of any machine or device you use. Although why you might need this information will vary, how you get it should not change (unless you switch to a different operating system).