How to Hide Your IP Address

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If you have ever wondered how to hide your IP address, the short answer is that a handful of well-understood tools — a VPN, a proxy, or Tor — can change the public IP address that websites see when you connect. This guide walks through how each method actually works, how to set one up on Windows, iPhone, and Android, and how to verify it is genuinely working using Etemora’s free IP checker, before comparing VPN providers you can choose from.

This is written as a practical, technically accurate guide first. We avoid exaggerated privacy claims throughout — hiding your IP is useful, but it is one layer of privacy among several, not a switch that makes you invisible online.

Quick Answer: What Is the Easiest Way to Hide Your IP?

A VPN can hide your usual public IP from the websites you visit by routing your connection through a VPN server, so the site sees the server’s IP address instead of yours. In practice, that means:

1. Install a reputable VPN app.
2. Connect to a server.
3. If it was already connected, disconnect and reconnect (or switch servers) to refresh the assigned IP.
4. Open Etemora’s IP checker and note the IP shown.
5. Compare it with your normal public IP (checked with the VPN off) to confirm it changed.

Editor’s Note

What Is an IP Address?

An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a numeric label assigned to a device on a network so it can send and receive data. Every device connecting to the internet — a phone, laptop, router, or smart TV — needs one, whether it is using Wi-Fi, mobile data, or a wired connection.

There are two addresses worth knowing about:

• Public IP: assigned by your internet service provider (ISP), visible to the websites and services you connect to.
• Private IP: assigned by your router to devices inside your home network; it is not visible to the outside internet.

IP addresses also come in two formats: IPv4 (the older, more common four-number format like 203.0.113.42) and IPv6 (a newer, longer format designed to support far more devices). Most of what follows in this guide applies to hiding either type. If you want to see your own current public IP address and what it reveals right now, Etemora’s What Is My IP Address? tool shows it instantly and explains public vs. private IPs and IPv4 vs. IPv6 in more depth.

Why Would You Want to Hide Your IP Address?

There are several ordinary, legitimate reasons people look into hiding their IP address:

• Privacy: reducing how much of your everyday browsing can be tied back to one address.
• Reducing exposure of your approximate location to sites that use IP-based geolocation.
• Avoiding having your normal public IP visible to every website and service you use.
• Using a different network location, for example when testing how a website or service behaves from another region.
• Reducing IP-based tracking across sites that log or share connection data.
• Accessing services where permitted from a different network address.
• Public Wi-Fi privacy, since traffic on shared networks can otherwise be easier to observe.

None of this requires assuming the worst about having a visible IP address in the first place — every device on the internet has one, and that alone is normal. These are simply reasons someone might prefer that fewer parties see their usual address.

How a VPN Hides Your IP Address

Without a VPN, your connection to a website is direct:

With a VPN connected, your traffic is routed through an encrypted tunnel to a VPN server first:

Websites you visit generally see the VPN server’s public IP rather than your usual public IP, because the server is now the last stop before the destination. The connection between your device and the VPN server is encrypted, so your ISP can see that you are connected to a VPN but not the content of your traffic or which sites you are visiting through it.

Exactly how much is encrypted, and how the tunnel behaves, depends on the VPN protocol and app in use — not every VPN connection works identically, and a VPN does not encrypt traffic that never enters the tunnel (for example, if an app is set to bypass it).

How to Hide Your IP With a VPN

The general process is similar across most VPN apps and platforms:

1. Choose a reputable VPN provider.
2. Download the official app for your device.
3. Install it.
4. Open the app and sign in.
5. Select a VPN server (often by country or city).
6. Connect.
7. Open Etemora’s IP checker.
8. Compare the new public IP with your normal IP.

How to Hide Your IP With a Proxy

A proxy acts as an intermediary between a client (your browser or app) and a destination service. Your request goes to the proxy first, and the proxy forwards it on your behalf. Depending on the type of proxy and how it is configured, the destination website may see the proxy’s IP address instead of your normal public IP.

Common proxy types include:

• HTTP proxy: handles web traffic, typically configured per browser or application.
• HTTPS proxy: similar, used for encrypted web traffic.
• SOCKS proxy: a more general-purpose proxy that can handle a wider range of traffic types, often used by specific applications.

Not all proxies encrypt traffic — whether a connection is encrypted depends on the protocol and how the proxy is set up, so a proxy should not be assumed to provide the same protection as a VPN tunnel.

Proxy Advantages and Limitations

How Tor Hides Your IP

Tor is free, volunteer-run software designed around routing traffic through multiple relays before it reaches its destination:

Because traffic passes through several independently operated relays, it becomes harder for the destination website to directly associate the connection with your original public IP address. The website generally sees the exit relay’s IP, not yours.

Tor comes with real tradeoffs:

• Slower performance than a typical VPN connection, since traffic passes through multiple relays.
• More friction — some sites block or challenge Tor exit-node traffic.
• Different website compatibility, with some services behaving differently or restricting access.
• Anonymity properties depend on how Tor is used — logging into personal accounts, or changing default browser behavior, can undermine it.
• User behavior can still reveal identity, regardless of the network layer.

Tor is not a guarantee of complete anonymity; it is a specific tool designed around a particular routing and threat model, and its protections depend heavily on how it is used.

Other Ways to Change Your IP Address

Use a Different Wi-Fi Network

Connecting through a different internet connection normally has a different public IP, since the address is tied to the network and ISP you are using at that moment, not to your device permanently.

Use Mobile Data

Switching to a mobile network can assign a different public IP, since mobile carriers typically use separate address ranges from home broadband ISPs.

Restart Your Router

On some networks, restarting your router may result in a different public IP being assigned, particularly if your ISP uses dynamic IP addressing. This is not guaranteed — many ISPs assign the same address back, or keep it stable for long periods regardless of restarts.

Use a Public Network

Connecting through a public network (like a café or library) will typically show a different public IP than your home connection. Public Wi-Fi carries its own security considerations, since traffic on shared, unencrypted networks can be easier for others on the same network to observe — it should not be treated as a privacy solution on its own.

VPN vs Proxy vs Tor: What’s the Difference?

None of these is universally “best.” The right method depends on what you need: everyday convenience across all your apps points toward a VPN, specific browser-only use cases suit a proxy, and strong anonymity design with a speed tradeoff points toward Tor.

How to Hide Your IP on Windows or PC

Method 1: VPN

1. Choose a VPN.
2. Download the official Windows, macOS, or Linux application.
3. Install it.
4. Sign in if required.
5. Select a server.
6. Connect.
7. Check your IP again.

Method 2: Proxy

Windows and macOS both include system-level proxy settings, and most browsers offer their own proxy configuration as well. Exact menu locations change between operating system versions, so rather than list steps that can go stale, we recommend checking your current OS documentation (or your proxy provider’s setup guide) for the precise path in your version before configuring one.

How to Hide Your IP on iPhone

The easiest general method on iPhone is using a reputable VPN app from the official App Store.

1. Install the VPN app from the App Store.
2. Open it.
3. Allow the requested VPN configuration when prompted.
4. Connect to a server.
5. Return to Etemora’s IP checker.
6. Refresh the page.
7. Compare the displayed IP with your normal one.

Apple also offers privacy features such as iCloud Private Relay for eligible iCloud+ subscribers, which can route some Safari browsing through two separate relays so no single party sees both your IP address and the sites you visit. Its availability and scope are set by Apple and can change, and it is not a like-for-like replacement for a VPN in every situation — check Apple’s current documentation for exactly what it covers before relying on it for a specific use case.

How to Hide Your IP on Android

1. Install a reputable VPN app from Google Play.
2. Open it.
3. Allow the VPN permission when prompted.
4. Select a server.
5. Connect.
6. Refresh Etemora’s IP checker.
7. Compare the displayed IP.

Android also includes built-in support for configuring VPN connections at the system level, which most VPN apps use automatically once you grant the permission — you generally do not need to configure this manually unless you are setting up a personal or corporate VPN profile by hand.

Free VPN vs Paid VPN

Free and paid VPNs both vary a lot provider to provider — it is not accurate to say all free VPNs sell your data, or that every paid VPN is trustworthy. Before choosing either, it is worth examining the specific provider’s privacy policy, ownership, logging claims, independent audits where available, jurisdiction, protocol support, kill switch, DNS leak protection, IPv6 handling, and general reputation.

How to Check if Your IP Address Is Hidden

1. Disconnect your VPN.
2. Open Etemora’s IP checker.
3. Record your public IP.
4. Connect your VPN.
5. Refresh the page.
6. Check the displayed IP.
7. Compare the result with what you recorded before.

If the displayed IP changes, the website is seeing a different public IP than your normal one. That said, a changed public IP does not by itself prove there are no DNS leaks, IPv6 leaks, WebRTC leaks, or application-specific routing issues — those are separate things worth checking if privacy from your VPN is important for your use case.

What If My VPN Is Connected but My IP Still Shows?

If your public IP does not appear to change after connecting a VPN, a few things are worth checking:

• The VPN failed to connect, even though the app shows “connected.”
• Your browser cached an earlier result — try a hard refresh.
• Split tunneling is enabled for the browser or app you are testing with.
• IPv6 traffic is bypassing the VPN tunnel while IPv4 is routed correctly (or vice versa).
• DNS requests are being resolved outside the VPN tunnel.
• WebRTC in your browser is exposing your real IP separately from the main connection.
• An app-specific routing rule is sending certain traffic outside the tunnel.
• The VPN connection dropped shortly after connecting.

Troubleshooting steps:

1. Reconnect the VPN.
2. Refresh the IP checker.
3. Try another VPN server.
4. Check whether split tunneling is enabled and turn it off for testing.
5. Run separate DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leak tests where appropriate.
6. Update your VPN software to the latest version.

Etemora’s IP checker confirms what public IP a website currently sees — it is a useful first check, but it does not on its own detect every possible type of leak.

Does Hiding Your IP Make You Completely Anonymous?

No. Hiding an IP address addresses only one part of how you can be identified online. Other signals can still identify you, including:

• Account logins
• Cookies
• Browser characteristics (fingerprinting)
• Device information
• Other tracking technologies
• Payment information
• Email address
• Phone number
• General user behavior

A VPN can change the public IP a website sees, but if you log into an identifiable account through that connection, the service can still associate your activity with that account regardless of which IP address you connected from.

Can a VPN User Still Be Tracked?

A VPN can hide your normal IP address from the websites you visit, but the VPN provider itself operates the infrastructure your traffic passes through. Whether a VPN user can still be tracked in some way depends on:

• Provider trust — what the company actually does with your traffic.
• Logging policies — what connection or usage data, if any, the provider keeps.
• Legal obligations — laws in the provider’s jurisdiction that may require data retention or disclosure.
• Account information — what you provided when signing up.
• Payment information — which can potentially be linked back to an identity.
• Technical metadata — connection timestamps, bandwidth use, and similar data some providers retain.

Not every VPN keeps logs, and not every VPN is completely anonymous — this varies by provider, which is why policies, jurisdiction, and independent audits matter when choosing one.

Does a VPN Change Your IP Address?

Your normal public IP does not necessarily disappear from existence when you connect a VPN — it is still assigned to your connection by your ISP. Instead, websites reached through the VPN generally see the VPN server’s public IP:

This is a more technically accurate way to describe it than saying the VPN permanently changes your ISP-assigned IP — it changes what the destination sees for that connection, not your underlying assignment from your ISP.

Can You Hide Your IP Without a VPN?

Yes, depending on what you mean by “hide.” Methods that do not require a VPN include:

• A proxy
• Tor
• Connecting through another internet connection
• Using a mobile network instead of your home connection

Each of these has different privacy, speed, compatibility, and trust tradeoffs compared with a VPN — there is no single method that is automatically better for every situation; it depends on what you are trying to achieve.

Best VPNs for Hiding Your IP

The VPNs below are ones Etemora has covered in detail in our full VPN comparison guide. Pricing changes frequently, so always check the provider’s site for current offers.

VPN Comparison

For full feature breakdowns, independent notes, and side-by-side pricing, see our complete Best VPN Services guide, or use our VPN comparison tool to compare providers directly.

What to Look for in a VPN

• Transparent privacy policy that clearly states what is and is not logged.
• Trustworthy ownership — know who operates the service.
• Independent audits where available, which can corroborate a provider’s claims.
• Strong, modern protocols for the encrypted tunnel.
• Kill switch, which blocks internet access if the VPN connection drops.
• DNS leak protection, keeping DNS requests inside the tunnel.
• IPv6 handling, so IPv6 traffic is not left exposed outside the tunnel.
• Broad device support across the platforms you actually use.
• Server availability in the regions you need.
• Performance that fits your everyday use.
• Support if something goes wrong.
• Pricing that fits your budget over the full term, not just an introductory rate.
• Refund policy, in case the service does not meet your needs.
• Jurisdiction, which can affect what a provider may be legally required to disclose.

No single feature on this list proves that a VPN is completely private — it is the combination that matters, and it is worth weighing them against what you specifically need a VPN for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

There are several ways to hide or change the public IP that websites see:

• VPN: usually the simplest general-purpose method, covering most or all of a device’s traffic.
• Proxy: useful in specific browser or application scenarios, but privacy and encryption depend on setup.
• Tor: designed around multi-relay routing and anonymity, but generally involves more speed and compatibility tradeoffs.
• Other networks: changing connections can result in a different public IP but does not provide the same privacy model as a VPN or Tor.