How to Find Your IP Address on Mac

Method 1: Find your public IP (easiest)

Your public IP is what websites see — not what macOS System Settings displays. To find it:

1. Open Safari (or any browser).
2. Go to scanmyipaddress.com.
3. Your public IP, location, ISP, browser, and connection details are shown immediately.

This works whether you're on Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB tethering, or any other connection method.

Method 2: macOS System Settings (Ventura, Sonoma, Sequoia)

For your private IP on macOS Ventura (13) or newer:

1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner.
2. Choose System Settings.
3. Click Wi-Fi in the sidebar (or Ethernet/Network if wired).
4. Click the Details… button next to your connected network.
5. Click the TCP/IP tab.
6. Your IPv4 Address is shown along with the router (gateway), subnet mask, and any IPv6 addresses.

Method 3: System Preferences (older macOS — Monterey and earlier)

If you're on macOS Monterey (12) or earlier, the interface is different:

1. Click the Apple menu → System Preferences.
2. Click Network.
3. Select your connected network from the sidebar.
4. Your Status section shows your IP address.
5. For more detail, click Advanced… → TCP/IP tab.

Method 4: Terminal commands (fastest for power users)

If you live in Terminal, here are the fastest commands. Open Terminal first (Cmd+Space, type "Terminal," press Return).

Get your IP for the active Wi-Fi connection

ipconfig getifaddr en0

This outputs just your private IP, nothing else. en0 is typically Wi-Fi on Apple Silicon Macs.

Get your IP for Ethernet

ipconfig getifaddr en1

en1 is usually Ethernet, but it can vary. Try both if one returns nothing.

See all IP addresses on all interfaces

ifconfig | grep "inet "

This shows every IPv4 address on every interface, including loopback (127.0.0.1) and any active VPN tunnels.

See IPv6 addresses too

ifconfig | grep "inet6"

Get your public IP from Terminal

curl ifconfig.me

Or our service:

curl scanmyipaddress.com/api/ip

This returns a JSON object with your IP, location, and ISP — useful for scripting.

Pro tip: Find out which interface is which by running networksetup -listallhardwareports. It maps device names (Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB Ethernet, etc.) to their interface identifiers like en0 or en4.

Method 5: Wireless Diagnostics (advanced)

For detailed Wi-Fi diagnostics, including IP info plus signal quality and channel data:

1. Hold Option and click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar.
2. Click Open Wireless Diagnostics….
3. From the menu bar at the top: Window → Info.

You'll see detailed connection info including your IP, signal strength, channel, and security mode. This is most useful for troubleshooting Wi-Fi issues.

Note: Apple removed the standalone "Network Utility" app in macOS Big Sur (2020). The legacy guides you might find online referencing it no longer apply.

Troubleshooting

Terminal command returns nothing

You may be using the wrong interface name. Try ifconfig alone to see all interfaces and their addresses, then identify which one has an IP in the 192.168.x.x or 10.0.0.x range — that's your active connection.

IP shows as 169.254.x.x

That's a "link-local" auto-assigned IP, used when DHCP fails. Try:

• Toggle Wi-Fi off and on (click Wi-Fi icon in menu bar)
• Renew DHCP lease: System Settings → Wi-Fi → Details → TCP/IP → click Renew DHCP Lease
• Restart your router

Two different IP addresses showing

This is normal if you have multiple connections active (Wi-Fi + Ethernet, or Wi-Fi + VPN). Each interface has its own IP. Use networksetup -listallhardwareports to identify them.

My VPN is on — which IP shows?

Active VPNs create a virtual network interface. Our homepage tool will show the VPN's exit IP, not your real one. ifconfig in Terminal shows both: your real Wi-Fi IP plus the VPN-assigned IP (usually on utun0, utun1, etc.).

Self-Assigned IP error message

This is macOS telling you DHCP failed and it auto-assigned a 169.254.x.x address. Reset network settings: System Settings → Network → click your network → remove it (minus button) → re-add it. Then reboot.