Where Is Your IP Address? 5 Easy Ways to Check It on Any Device

When your internet feels slow, a game won’t connect, or IT asks “What’s your IP address?”, you don’t want to sit there confused.
In the world of networks, web hosting, and online services, knowing how to check your IP address is a basic survival skill.
This guide walks you through simple, step‑by‑step ways to see your IP on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, plus the difference between internal and external IPs so you can troubleshoot faster and stay more in control of your connection.

1. What Is an IP Address, Really?

Think of an IP address like a home address, but for your device on a network.

• It tells other devices where to send data.

• Without it, your laptop or phone is basically invisible online.

• Every device on a network gets its own IP address, whether that network is your home WiFi, office LAN, or a server in a data center.

You don’t need to become a network engineer. But knowing where to find your IP address makes things like remote work, online gaming, and server hosting a lot less mysterious.

2. External vs Internal IP: Two Addresses, Two Jobs

You usually deal with two kinds of IP addresses:

• External (public) IP
  This is the IP address your internet provider gives to your router.
  The outside world (websites, online games, remote servers) sees this one.
  
  

• Internal (private) IP
  This is the IP address your router gives to each device inside your network: your phone, laptop, smart TV, etc.
  Devices use these to talk to each other on your local WiFi.
  
  

So:

• Want to share your network with others, host a game server, or access your home network from outside? You care about the external IP.

• Want to troubleshoot why your laptop can’t see the printer, or why your phone can’t reach a local device? You care about the internal IP.

You’ll learn to check both.

3. How to Check Your External IP Address

The external IP is the easy one.

On any device with a browser (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS):

1. Open your browser (Chrome, Safari, Edge, etc.).

2. In the search bar, type what is my IP address and hit Enter.
   Google, Bing, and others often show your IP right at the top.

3. Or open a site like whatismyip.com.
   The page will scan your connection and show IPv4 and sometimes IPv6.

That public IP is what the internet sees when your traffic goes out.

Once you start playing with things like VPNs, self‑hosted apps, or game servers, your external IP suddenly becomes very important. At that point you might even want a stable, always‑on IP from a proper hosting provider instead of a home connection that changes now and then.

👉 Try a GTHost dedicated server and get a real public IP online in minutes

With that kind of setup, your new IP isn’t just something you “check” anymore—it becomes the front door to your websites, apps, and game servers.

4. How to Check Internal IP on Windows

On Windows, your internal IP lives just a few keystrokes away in Command Prompt.

1. Click the Start button (bottom‑left, Windows logo).
   
   

2. Type cmd.
   
   

3. Hit Enter to open Command Prompt.
   
   

4. In the black window, type:
   
   bash
   ipconfig
   
   

5. Press Enter.
   
   

You’ll see a lot of text. Don’t panic. Look for the line that says:

• IPv4 Address (or similar)

The numbers next to it (something like 192.168.0.12) are your internal IP address on that network.

That’s the one you use when:

• Your IT team asks “What’s your IP on this network?”

• You’re trying to reach this PC from another device on the same WiFi/LAN.

• You’re troubleshooting why some local service isn’t reachable.

5. How to Check Internal IP on macOS

On a Mac, you find your IP address in System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions).

1. Click the Apple logo in the top‑left corner.
   
   

2. Choose System Settings (or System Preferences).
   
   

3. Click Network.
   
   

4. On the left, select your active connection:
   
   

   • Wi‑Fi if you’re on wireless

   • Ethernet if you’re plugged in by cable

5. Make sure it’s marked as Connected (you’ll usually see a green dot).
   
   

6. On the right side, macOS will show something like:
   
   
   Wi‑Fi is connected to YourNetworkName and has the IP address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx.
   
   
   

Those numbers at the end are your internal IP.

Once you know it, you can:

• Connect to your Mac from another device on the same network.

• Use it in remote desktop apps that work over LAN.

• Check whether your Mac actually got an IP from the router or not.

6. How to Check Internal IP on Android

On Android, you have two simple ways to see your IP address. Menus vary slightly by brand, but the idea is the same.

Method 1: Through Wi‑Fi Settings

Use this when you’re connected to Wi‑Fi.

1. Open Settings.

2. Tap Connections or Network & Internet (name may differ).

3. Tap Wi‑Fi.

4. Tap the Wi‑Fi network you’re currently connected to.

5. Look for details like IP address in the network info.

You’ll typically see a number like 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x. That’s your internal IP.

Method 2: Through About Phone

This works even if you’re not focused on Wi‑Fi details.

1. Open Settings.

2. Scroll down and tap About phone (or About device).

3. Tap Status or Status information.

4. Here you’ll see:

   • IP address

   • MAC address

   • Other device details

Again, the IP shown here is your internal IP address on the current network.

7. How to Check Internal IP on iPhone or iPad (iOS/iPadOS)

On iOS, your IP address sits inside the Wi‑Fi settings for your current network.

1. Open Settings.

2. Tap Wi‑Fi.

3. Make sure you’re connected to a network.

4. To the right of your connected network, tap the small “i” inside a circle.

5. Scroll a bit, and you’ll see:

   • IPv4 Address

   • IPv6 Address (if used)

The IPv4 address (something like 192.168.1.23) is the internal IP most people need for basic troubleshooting.

If an app or a game on another device needs to connect to your iPhone or iPad over the local network, this is the address it will use.

8. Why Bother Learning This Stuff?

At first, “What’s my IP?” feels like a boring technical question. But once you know how to check your IP address, a few things change:

• You stop guessing when the network misbehaves.

• You can actually follow what support or your IT team is asking for.

• You’re more comfortable with remote access, online gaming, and small self‑hosted tools.

• You’re better prepared if you ever move into things like VPNs, self‑hosting, or server management.

And if you’re in the hosting or infrastructure world—working with servers, microservices, or APIs—understanding IP addresses is just baseline knowledge. It’s the first step before you start mapping domains, setting up firewalls, or deploying to real hardware in a data center.

Conclusion

You’ve just seen how to find your IP address on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, plus the difference between external and internal IPs, so you can troubleshoot issues and connect devices with more confidence.
Once you’re comfortable with that, stepping up to things like remote access, self‑hosting, or running apps on real servers becomes much easier—and that’s exactly why GTHost is suitable for always‑on servers and developer environments: you get fast deployment, a stable public IP, and infrastructure built for serious, always‑connected workloads.