How-to

How to Find Your IP Address on a Mac

Last updated July 4, 2026

To find your IP address on a Mac, open System Settings → Network, select Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and click Details to read the IPv4 address. In Terminal, ipconfig getifaddr en0 gives the same answer in one line. Your public IP, the one websites see, shows instantly on our checker.

Those are two different addresses: the local (private) IP your router assigns inside your network, and the public IP your ISP assigns to the router itself (public vs private IP addresses explains the split). This guide covers both on macOS Ventura, Sonoma and later, and notes the older System Preferences paths where they differ.

Find your public IP address (instant)

The fastest way to see the address your ISP assigned, the one websites actually see, is to open our What Is My IP Address tool. It shows your public IPv4 and IPv6 address, location and ISP instantly, with no logging and nothing to install. macOS has no built-in screen that displays this address.

Find your local IP address via System Settings

Open the Apple menu → System Settings.
Click Network in the sidebar.
Select your active connection: Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
Click Details… (Wi-Fi) and open the TCP/IP tab to read your IPv4 Address.

On older macOS versions the path is System Preferences → Network, where the IP address is shown directly next to the selected connection.

On macOS Monterey and earlier, holding Option (⌥) and clicking the Wi-Fi icon showed your IP and signal directly. On Ventura and later this menu shows router and signal diagnostics, so for your own IP use System Settings → Network → Details, or the Terminal command below.

Find your local IP address via Terminal

For a one-line answer, open Terminal (Applications → Utilities) and run:

ipconfig getifaddr en0: your Wi-Fi IP address (use en1 if en0 is empty).
ifconfig: full details for every interface; look for the inet line under en0.
curl ifconfig.me: prints your public IP straight from the command line.

Find your IPv6 address on a Mac

If your network supports IPv6, the same Details… → TCP/IP screen in System Settings lists your IPv6 addresses below the IPv4 fields. In Terminal, run ifconfig en0 | grep inet6 to print every IPv6 address on your Wi-Fi interface.

Expect several lines: an address starting with fe80:: is link-local and only valid inside your network, while globally routable addresses usually start with a 2 or 3. macOS also generates rotating temporary IPv6 addresses for privacy (marked temporary in the ifconfig output) and prefers them for outgoing connections. To see which public IPv6 address websites receive, open our IP checker.

Find your router's IP address (default gateway)

Your router's local address appears as the Router field in System Settings → Network → Details → TCP/IP, or you can run netstat -nr | grep default in Terminal. It is usually 192.168.1.1 or 10.0.0.1. See our how to find your router's IP address guide for the details.

Troubleshooting: wrong or confusing addresses

Which interface is which? On modern MacBooks en0 is Wi-Fi, but USB-C hubs, Thunderbolt docks and Ethernet adapters register as en5, en6 and so on, each with its own address. Run networksetup -listallhardwareports to map interface names to physical ports, and check System Settings → Network to see which connection is actually active (green dot).

"Self-assigned IP" warning. If Network settings shows a yellow warning and an address like 169.254.x.x, your Mac could not reach the router's DHCP server and invented an address, so nothing will load. Restart the router, rejoin the network, or open Details… → TCP/IP and click Renew DHCP Lease.

Private Wi-Fi Address changed your IP. Recent macOS versions can rotate the Wi-Fi hardware (MAC) address per network, just like iPhones. When the MAC rotates, your router sees a "new" device and may hand out a different local IP, which breaks MAC-based DHCP reservations. You can set the Private Wi-Fi Address option to Fixed or turn it off for your home network in the network's details.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find my IP address on a Mac using Terminal?

Run ipconfig getifaddr en0 for your Wi-Fi address, or ifconfig to list every interface in detail. For your public IP, run curl ifconfig.me, which asks an outside server what address your traffic arrives from.

What is en0 on a Mac?

en0 is the name of your Mac's primary network interface. On modern MacBooks it is the built-in Wi-Fi; USB-C and Thunderbolt Ethernet adapters get higher numbers like en5. Run networksetup -listallhardwareports in Terminal to see which name belongs to which port.

Why does my Mac say it has a self-assigned IP address?

A self-assigned address (169.254.x.x) means your Mac asked the router for an IP via DHCP and got no answer, so it made one up. You are effectively offline. Restart your router, rejoin the network, or click Renew DHCP Lease under Details → TCP/IP.

Is the IP address in System Settings my public IP?

No. System Settings shows the local address your router assigned, usually 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x. Your public IP belongs to the router itself and is only visible from outside, which is why you check it with a web-based tool.

Does Option-clicking the Wi-Fi icon still show my IP address?

On macOS Monterey and earlier it did. On Ventura, Sonoma, and later, the Option-click menu shows signal and router diagnostics but not your own IP, so use System Settings → Network → Details or the Terminal command instead.

How do I find my IPv6 address on a Mac?

Open System Settings → Network, select your connection, click Details and open the TCP/IP tab, where IPv6 addresses appear below the IPv4 fields. In Terminal, ifconfig en0 | grep inet6 lists them; fe80:: addresses are link-local only.