How to Hide Your IP Address in 2021 – Security.org
What Is An IP Address
How To Hide
Why Hide
What Is My IP Address
Recap
Think of IP addresses like mailing addresses for devices. They tell your Internet Service Provider, would-be hackers, and websites your devices’ approximate locations and could give away more information about your online activity. For these reasons, many people want to hide their IP addresses but aren’t sure where to start. We’ve got just the answers.
ExpressVPN is our #1 Pick to Hide Your IP Address
What Is An IP Address?
First, let’s take it back a notch and define what an IP address really is in the first place. IP stands for internet protocol, and it’s essentially a device’s identifying number that’s associated with a specific computer or network of computers. Using the IP address, computers can receive information. However, IP addresses can also be used to track the user’s approximate location and web activity, so hiding is a must if you want to remain private online.
How To Hide Your IP Address
Just like skinning a cat, there are a few different ways to hide your IP address, a process also known as IP masking.
VPNs
The easiest way to hide your IP address, in our opinion, is to use a VPN.
What it does: VPNs, which stands for Virtual Private Networks, hide a user’s IP address, replacing it with either a dedicated address, a static address that’s shared with multiple users, or a dynamic address that changes with each connection. Your Internet Service Provider will only be able to see these replaced addresses and not your device’s real IP address.
How to get it: Getting a VPN is easy.
Figure out which one you want (our best VPNs list is a great place to start).
Create an account.
Download the app.
Log in.
Connect to a server.
VyprVPN Server Info
Tor
Want to hide your IP address on a web browser for free? Meet Tor.
What it does: Tor is a web browser that blocks tracking, which is not the case for popular browsers like Chrome and Firefox. Rather, as soon as you’re off of a website, your cookies will clear, as will your browsing history. The website won’t see your real IP address, but instead the one that Tor has replaced it with. And the best part? Tor encrypts all of your information three times, so you know it’s secure.
How to get it: To download Tor:
Go to Tor Project’s website1.
Install the browser.
Note: Tor is available on the macOS X, Windows, Android or Linux operating systems. It is not currently available for iOS devices.
Proxy Servers
Many people put proxy servers head to head with VPNs, as we did in our VPN vs. proxy server comparison. And while it’s true that both options will hide and encrypt a user’s IP address, only VPNs also encrypt their web activity. However, proxy servers have the advantage of being free, typically, while most VPNs cost money. In sum, we’d recommend proxy servers if you need coverage on one website or app for a single use.
FYI: The reason proxy servers are free is usually because they sell user data, making VPNs a better choice for privacy. And don’t forget, there are some free VPNs out there, along with VPNs with free trials.
What it does: Proxy servers are single-use servers that users can connect to to encrypt and hide their IP address.
How to get it: How to get a proxy server to hide your IP address differs based on what operating system you’re using.
Mac:
In the Safari app, click on Preferences.
Click on Advanced.
Click on Change Settings.
Update your settings with the information that the Network Administrator provided. And you’ll get a new, protected window!
Windows:
In administrative templates, hit Windows Components.
Click on Data Collection And Preview Builds.
Configure Authenticated Proxy Usage.
Set it to Enable.
Click on Apply.
iOS:
In Settings, click Wi-Fi.
Click Network info.
Click on HTTP proxy section.
Choose the Manual option.
Click on Edit Proxy Settings.
Turn on Authentication.
Save by going back to the Wi-Fi Selection page.
Android:
Under Settings, click Wi-Fi.
Clock Network Name.
Choose Modify Network.
Click on Manual.
Enter in your Hostname and Proxy Port.
Don’t forget to click Save! 2
Public Wi-Fi
This method is by far the least effective, but you can technically hide your IP address by joining a public Wi-Fi network.
What it does: Your device’s private IP address will be changed to that of the network you’re connected to.
How to get it:
Simply go into your phone or computer’s settings.
Enter the Wi-Fi area.
Join the public network.
Why Should I Hide My IP Address?
Our research on VPN usage shows that for nearly half of VPN-users, general security and privacy were the greatest reasons for using the VPN. While VPNs aren’t the only way to hide your IP address, we’re guessing that if you want to hide it, it’s for similar reasons. Here are some other reasons why someone would want to hide their IP address:
Anti-tracking: Haunted by targeted ads that follow you around the internet? Or maybe you just don’t want to be added to a million different listservs everytime you go to a new website. By hiding your IP address, you’ll confuse websites and apps, warding off tracking.
Secure networks: With the rise of remote work, many people are turning to their home offices rather than their work cubicles. But for those of us handling sensitive information, hiding your IP address can be a great way to keep your web activity to yourself.
Bypass government restrictions: People in places with high levels of internet censorship might want to hide their IP address in order to access banned websites or apps.
More privacy: Journalists, activists, and anyone doing sensitive work online will appreciate the anonymity of hidden, private IP addresses.
Stream: Finally, hidden and replaced IP addresses allow users to stream content in other countries’ libraries, be it on Netflix, Hulu, or any streaming service. If you want to hide your IP address with a VPN so you can stream more freely, check out our lists of the best VPNs for Netflix, the best VPNs for Hulu, the best VPNs for Prime Video and the best VPNs for Disney+.
Can IP Addresses Really Be Hidden?
While VPNs, the Tor browser, proxy servers and public Wi-Fi networks can hide and replace your devices’ private IP addresses, ultimately, your Internet Service Provider will still be able to see the replacement, as will every website you visit. So while you can hide your device’s private IP address, the replacement will be visible. 3 We like to think of these replacement IP addresses like a Halloween costume; while a scary mask can hide your face, people will still be able to see the mask itself.
What Is My IP Address?
Each device comes with a unique IP address, but where in the world can you find it?
Windows 10
In the taskbar, select Wi-Fi network.
Click on Network.
Click on Properties.
Choose the IPv4 address.
iOS
Under Settings, click on Wi-Fi.
Look at the Network that you’re connected to.
Look at the right of the name of the Network, for a circular button with a lowercase “i” in it.
Click on that button to reach a new page specifically for that Network.
Scroll down to where it says IP address.
Mac
Under System Preferences, hit Network.
Select your Wi-Fi network.
Choose TCP/IP.
Check under where it says IPv4 address to find your IP.
Android
Last but not least, on your Android phone:
Hit Settings.
Click About.
Click Status.
Choose IP address.
Changing You IP – On Android, Scroll to IP address to see your IP address.
Summary
While you can’t truly hide your IP address from absolutely everyone, you can hide your device’s private IP address and mask your location. Even in the age of ever-present technology, privacy is still something to strive for, so hopefully this article helped you move towards that goal.
FAQs
Of course, if you’re still left with some questions, we’re happy to answer them as well.
How do I hide my IP address for free?
You can hide your IP address by either using the Tor browser, a proxy server, or a free VPN. You can also join a public Wi-Fi network.
Is hiding your IP address illegal?
In the U. S, hiding your IP address is not illegal.
How do I hide my IP address on Google Chrome?
How to hide your IP address on Google Chrome depends on what device you’re using it on. However, with the majority of devices you can hide your address on Chrome through a VPN, a proxy server or the Tor browser.
What does an IP address reveal?
An IP address reveals your Internet Service Provider and, in some cases, your approximate location.
Three Ways to Hide Your IP Address – AVG
What is an IP address?
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a string of characters that uniquely identifies your device on the web. Without this identifier, website servers wouldn’t know where to send the data that’s rendered as a website in your internet browser.
Just like your postcode, your IP address was created by a central authority — the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). Once created, the IANA assigns each IP address to one of five Regional Internet Registries (RIR), which hands them out in turn to internet service providers in their region.
At the moment, there are two versions of IP addresses called IP version 4 (IPv4) and IP version 6 (IPv6). Why do things need to be so complicated? Well, IPv4 addresses are just 32 bits long, which means there can only ever be around 4. 3 billion IPv4 addresses.
By September 2015, with just about everything connected to the internet, four out of five RIRs had completely run out of IPv4 addresses! At 128 bits, IPv6 addresses are the answer: 340 282 366 920 938 463 463 374 607 431 768 211 456 addresses means we won’t be running out any time soon.
Why hide your IP address?
Just as Amazon needs your address to send you a package, servers around the world need your IP address to send you data. That means your IP address needs to be public — any website you visit must be able to access it.
You can test this out for yourself by searching “what’s my IP” on Google. But who cares if someone knows this random string of characters? Try searching “where am I” instead and you’ll begin to understand the problem.
All around the world there are free and paid subscription geolocation databases that match IP addresses to a specific location. Accuracy can range from country level all the way down to within a few houses. That’s no problem if it’s just a website trying to serve you the right language, but governments and companies with questionable motives also have access to this location data.
See for yourself how easy it is. If you have an internet connection there are a number of public sites that can reveal you IP address location like HMA! IP Info or Much worse, your IP address is scattered around the web like a signature. Almost every site you visit will log your IP address, along with the pages you requested and the information you sent and received.
If a tyrannical government, litigious record company or pesky advertiser matches your IP address to your actual identity, which is all too easy, it’s open season on your online activity.
So if you care about internet privacy and anonymity, blocking your IP address is the very first thing you should do.
The best ways to hide your IP
Use a proxy server
A proxy server works by sitting between you and your final destination on the web, passing data back and forth as needed. When you connect through a proxy, you’re effectively rerouting your traffic through another computer before landing at your intended website.
As a result, the proxy will mask your IP address with its own, so those tricky website server logs will never know you’ve been there. And if anyone thinks to check the logged IP address against a geolocation database, all they’ll see is the location of the proxy server, which might be on the other side of the world to your own device.
However, there’s a catch. Most proxies don’t encrypt your data when connecting to a regular HTTP website. It’s more difficult, but powerful actors like governments can still figure out who you are. And when they do, everything you’ve been up to is visible.
For most people though, there’s a bigger issue: proxies are slow. Very slow. You can bypass basic geo-restrictions, but that’s close to useless if you spend more time gazing at a spinning wheel than catching up on your favorite YouTube content.
If that’s no problem, you can use a proxy by visiting a trustworthy web proxy site or by configuring a proxy server in your browser settings.
Use a VPN
A virtual private network, or VPN, works much like a proxy server — it’s the middleman between your device and a final web server. Once again, your IP address is masked by the IP of the VPN server you’re connected to.
But unlike a proxy, any decent VPN will also encrypt your traffic before it even leaves your computer. If someone does work out your real IP address, it won’t help them much — the sites you visited and what you did there will be hidden in a long string of meaningless characters.
Even better, when switched on, VPN services will anonymize all network activity from your device — not just your browser activity. So whether you’re gaming, torrenting, or using an email or photos app, your IP address is hidden and the data exchanged is encrypted. You can also hide your IP adress on mobile devices with a VPN service for Android or iPhone.
Though it is possible to configure some software with a proxy, it is usually a nightmare to setup and one misstep could leave you unprotected. For ease-of-use and top-level security, it’s difficult to beat a VPN.
Use Tor
One final option to block your IP address from prying eyes is Tor. Tor stands for “The Onion Router”, and with good reason. When you connect to the web using Tor, your traffic is wrapped up in an encrypted bundle and routed through several servers on its journey, with layers of encryption added at each stage like the layers of an onion.
Each server can only decrypt enough to know where to send your request next. And no single point on your journey knows where the request came from — even the first stop can’t be sure it is the first stop! It’s like a drunken man stumbling all around town, with no idea where he came from by the end of his journey.
All in all, it’s an incredibly secure system, which is why it’s favored by journalists and activists whose online activity could destroy lives.
Tor may seem safe, but every alphabet soup agency has active nodes hoping to read the exit of your encryption
But even Tor isn’t perfect: by the time your traffic hits the exit node — the last step before landing at your destination server — any encryption added by Tor is removed. If it wasn’t, there’d be no way for the final website server to understand the request. Though your IP address will be hidden by bouncing around the network, any unencrypted material in your request can be read.
As a result, law enforcement agencies like the NSA and FBI, and even more troubling agencies abroad, have been accused of setting up dozens of Tor exit nodes. As a tool so often used to commit cybercrime, you can bet Tor is a major target for intelligence services.
More importantly, though Tor can be unbeatable secure, it’s just not necessary for the average web user. It may even give a false sense of security to those without an understanding of the underlying technology.
If your online activism is putting your life at risk, we recommend using Tor. Otherwise, a VPN is probably all you need to hide your IP.
9 Easy Ways to Hide Your IP Address in 2021 (Some Are Free)
Hiding your IP address is the best way to enjoy total digital freedom and protect your identity online – and it’s also super easy.
There are lots of reasons to hide your IP address, from getting discounts on plane tickets to accessing content that’s not available in your region. It allows you to unlock different countries’ Netflix libraries and use platforms like Hulu and BBC iPlayer, which are blocked in many parts of the world.
It’s also a great way to protect your privacy and keep your personal information from falling into the hands of advertisers, hackers, and other third parties.
The best way to hide your IP address is to use a VPN. My all-time favorite is ExpressVPN, as it’s the fastest service and has over 3, 000 servers in 90 different countries, giving you 25, 000+ IP addresses to choose from. It also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it risk-free!
Hide Your IP With ExpressVPN Now!
What Is an IP Address?
An or IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique string of numbers and decimals used to identify every device that connects to the internet. Each device that’s connected to a computer network has its own, unique IP address. But if you have multiple devices connected through one WiFi router, their IP addresses are the same.
When you visit a website, your device sends out a request to the website’s server using the website’s IP address. The request comes back with the information you requested using your own IP address.
There are two types of IP addresses. IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) addresses consist of four two- or three-digit numbers separated by periods (123. 45. 67. 89, for example). IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) addresses are much longer and include both letters and numbers separated by colons.
IPv6 is being deployed because the number of available IPv4 addresses is running out. It also has more efficient routing and data flow than IPv4, and improved security. But most of the world still uses IPv4, and switching to IPv6 isn’t an easy process.
If you do want to change to IPv6, your ISP, router, and operating system all have to be compatible with it. Unfortunately, most internet service providers don’t support IPv6 yet.
If you want to see your own IP address right now, you can easily do so with our IP checking tool. I used it to check my IP address with and without a VPN:
Your IP address isn’t randomly assigned. A nonprofit organization called the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority creates IP addresses and gives them to the world’s five regional internet registries (RIRs), which then give IP addresses to internet service providers in their region.
This means that your IP address can be used to identify your location.
Since your computer and other devices need an IP address to access information online, there’s no way to avoid using an IP address altogether. The only way to hide your real IP address is to mask it with a different one.
Hide Your IP Address With ExpressVPN
Why Hide My IP Address?
Handing out your real IP address to every website you visit can threaten your privacy and anonymity online.
This is because your IP address can easily be used to figure out your location – sometimes with a scary level of accuracy. Hiding your IP address keeps this from happening. It’s especially important if you’re going to torrent or do any other activity that falls in a legal gray area.
But even if you’re just browsing, revealing your location has consequences. Websites and third-party advertisers can use this data to target you with specific content, in order to profit from your online activity.
For example, airlines and travel companies change their prices based on the location of your IP address. You might be shocked by how much plane ticket prices can vary because of this.
Another reason to hide your IP address is to bypass the restrictions of websites, service providers, government agencies, workplaces, and even schools. One common example is Netflix, which uses your IP address to determine the content you’re able to watch.
If you don’t hide your IP address, you’ll only be able to see the Netflix library for your actual location. But if you want to get around regional restrictions and access content from all over the world, hiding your IP address will do the trick.
Get a New IP Address Now
9 Ways to Hide Your IP Address
1. Use a VPN – The Fastest, Easiest, and Safest Option
This is the best and most reliable way to hide your IP address. All you have to do is pick one of the top VPN services, download it, and then choose which country you want to connect through. The VPN will assign you a virtual IP address associated with that country, effectively hiding your real location.
One of the biggest advantages of using a VPN is fast connection speed. Unlike with other methods, you won’t have to worry about super slow browsing, streaming, or downloading.
This is particularly important if you want to stream content on Netflix or other platforms. These sites are very good at detecting when users are trying to bypass their restrictions, and won’t hesitate to block you. But the best VPNs can easily get around even the strictest geoblocks.
VPNs are also the safest way to torrent. In addition to hiding your IP address and protecting your identity, some VPN providers offer dedicated torrenting and P2P profiles.
VPNs are incredibly safe in general, as long as you choose a reputable service that uses advanced encryption and security profiles, such as ExpressVPN. This keeps your real IP address from being leaked.
The best VPNs on the market require you to pay a subscription fee, but they’re absolutely worth it. Although there are some decent free VPNs available, they are very limited and will usually give you a slow connection and only a small amount of bandwidth and data transfer. Some free VPNs can even put you at risk of data theft, malware attacks, and other security threats.
In my opinion, investing in a premium VPN like the ones listed below is essential; a few extra bucks per month is a small price to pay when it comes to protecting your privacy. My recommended VPNs offer money-back guarantees, so you can test out their service risk-free.
The Best VPNs to Hide Your IP Address
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN has thousands of servers around the world and boasts incredible speeds. When we tested ExpressVPN, we found that it’s especially good at accessing platforms that don’t support VPNs, which means you can use it to watch content on Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and more.
ExpressVPN also supports P2P connections on all servers, making torrenting a breeze. Its advanced security features include TrustedServer technology, DNS leak protection, and more. You can try ExpressVPN risk-free before you decide. It offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can ask for a refund if you’re not happy with it.
Change Your IP With ExpressVPN
2. CyberGhost
CyberGhost is an incredibly stable and secure service, with over 7, 260 servers around the world. It’s super easy to set up, allowing you to connect in a matter of seconds. Our speed tests show that it’s not as fast as ExpressVPN, but its speeds are sufficient to stream in HD.
It’s also very affordable, but lower prices don’t mean less security; it has advanced encryption, zero logging, leak-proof apps, and an extra kill switch. One thing that sets CyberGhost apart is its 45-day money-back guarantee, which is much longer than most competitors’ offers.
Change Your IP With CyberGhost
2. Proxy – Slow and Not Safe for Torrenting
Proxies are commonly used to access geoblocked content. Let’s say you want to view something that’s only available in a certain country. Your computer sends a request to the website to view it, but the proxy intercepts the request and resends it using an IP address from that country. When the proxy server gains access, it sends it back to you — et voilà.
There are several downsides to proxies: they’re super slow and not very secure, as they don’t encrypt your traffic like VPNs do. They also don’t work well for torrenting, since they won’t hide all your activity from your ISP. And many popular sites, like Hulu, can easily tell when you’re using a proxy and block your access.
3. Tor – Mask Your IP for Free (Not for Streaming or Torrenting)
If you want to stay completely anonymous online without paying a cent, Tor is a solid solution. It consists of a large network of volunteer-operated servers around the world. When you use Tor, your traffic is routed through several of these servers and encrypted various times, making it nearly impossible for anyone to trace it back to your IP address.
However, all of that encryption and decryption makes Tor incredibly slow, so it’s not useful for streaming or downloading – and its developers advise against using it to torrent. If you just want to browse, you can use Tor Browser or download the Firefox extension. However, for the highest possible level of privacy, I recommend using Tor in combination with a VPN.
Hide Your IP With ExpressVPN
4. Public WiFi – A Risky Last Resort
Your IP address is assigned to you by your internet service provider, so if you connect to the internet through a different network, you’ll be assigned a new one. If you need to quickly and temporarily change your IP address, you can go to a café or other spot with public WiFi. Since it’s a shared connection, your activity can’t be traced back to you.
That said, public WiFi makes you vulnerable to hackers, malware, and all kinds of other security threats. I always suggest using a VPN when connected to public WiFi anyway. Plus, public WiFi won’t help you bypass geoblocks – so it’s more of a quick fix than a long-term solution.
5. Use Your Mobile Network – A Temporary Solution
If you don’t have easy access to a public WiFi connection – or prefer not to subject yourself to all of the risks it involves – you can also temporarily change your IP address by using data on your mobile device instead of WiFi.
The main downside of this method is that it can get expensive, especially if you want to stream or download a lot of content. Again, it’s far from a permanent solution, and I only recommend it if you think your regular IP address has been compromised. If that’s the case, using your mobile network is an easy way to immediately get a new IP address.
6. Unplug Your Modem – Reset Your IP Address
This may sound silly, but sometimes unplugging your modem for a while can actually change your IP address. When you disconnect from your ISP, the link with your current IP address is deleted – but only if your ISP uses dynamic IP addresses (which is likely).
Leave the modem unplugged for as long as you can stand, as this increases the chance that your IP address will be changed. When you plug it back in, you should receive a brand new one. However, this isn’t the most reliable method, so it shouldn’t be your first choice.
7. Renew Your IP address – Follow These Steps
I mentioned above that your main IP address is publicly visible, but if you’re using WiFi or an ethernet cable, you also have a private IP address. This method only works for replacing the private one, not the public one.
If you want to get a new private IP address, all you have to do is enter some commands on your computer.
On MacOS:
From the Apple menu, open System Preferences.
Open Network settings.
Click on the network you’re using.
Click “Advanced…”.
Choose the TCP/IP tab.
Click “Renew DHCP Lease. ”
On Windows:
Search for Command Prompt.
Right click on it, then select “Run as administrator. ”
Type in ipconfig /release.
Type in ipconfig /renew.
After following these steps, your device should have a new private IP address.
8. Use a NAT Firewall – Hide Your Private IP Address
Like the previous method, this option only applies to your private IP address. A NAT (Network Address Translation) firewall lets different devices keep their private IP addresses hidden by using the same public IP address. In other words, multiple devices that are connected to the same router can share a public IP address.
The main benefit of NAT is that it protects you from receiving unrequested communications from unknown internet users, which may be malicious. But it doesn’t hide your device’s public IP address, which is what matters most when it comes to online privacy. As I said before, the best way to do that is with a VPN.
9. Get Your ISP to Change It for You – Ask Nicely
Since your internet service provider assigns your IP address, you can simply ask them to change it. You’ll need to contact them directly and provide your account information. This is a fairly straightforward way to change your IP address, but it won’t solve any problems related to geoblocks or security, like a VPN would.
Don’t forget that if your ISP uses dynamic IP addresses, it will change again at some point in the future. If you want it to stay the same, you can ask for a static IP address – but this usually costs extra and requires additional effort.
How to Check Your IP Address
Once you’ve used a VPN or another method to hide your IP address, it’s important to check that it’s working. You should do this right after hiding it, and then periodically for as long as you need it to stay hidden. This will help you detect any errors that could compromise your privacy.
Our IP checking tool is the simplest way to ensure that your IP address is completely hidden. It will automatically display your IP address and the geolocation associated with it.
If your IP address has been hidden correctly, our tool will display the IP address and location of the VPN or proxy server you’re connected to. If not, it will display your own IP address and physical location – letting you know that something has gone wrong.
FAQ
What else can a VPN do?
In addition to hiding your IP address, the best VPNs allow you to access geoblocked content from all over the world. It can also get you past online restrictions put in place by service providers, government agencies, or other entities. Finally, it’s the best way to hide your identity and internet activity if you want to maximize your privacy and keep your data safe.
To learn more about what a VPN can do, read our beginner’s guide to VPNs.
How can I see my IP address?
The easiest way to see your IP address is by using our IP checking tool. All you have to do is click the link in the previous sentence, and you’ll see your IP address, browser, country, and city at the top of the page.
Can my IP address reveal my identity?
Technically, your IP address alone cannot reveal your identity. However, when combined with other easily accessible information like usernames, browsing activity, and the physical location associated with it, people can use your IP address to figure out who you are. This is why if you value your privacy, you should use a trustworthy VPN, like ExpressVPN, to hide your IP address.
Why would I need to hide my IP address?
There are lots of reasons why you might need to hide your IP address, but the most common ones are to bypass geoblocks to access online content (such as streaming sites like Netflix) and to protect your privacy online. Beyond that, if you’re traveling to a country with strict internet censorship (like China), a VPN is vital in order to stay connected and safe.
How can I hide my IP address for free?
There are a few ways to avoid paying to hide your IP address. You could use the Tor network, which is totally free – but also infamous for slow connection speeds. Or you could use a free VPN, but I don’t recommend this for security reasons.
Instead, I suggest downloading a premium VPN like ExpressVPN. If you’re not happy with it, you have 30 days to ask for your money back.
What is IP masking?
IP masking is just another term for hiding your IP address. Essentially, it means that you’re covering up your actual IP address with a different one from another server somewhere else in the world. This is the only way to use the internet without revealing your IP address.
The best way to mask your IP address is with a VPN, which makes it impossible for anyone to identify your location or identity based on your online activity.
Can I use a free VPN to hide my IP address?
Yes, there are some free VPNs that will allow you to hide your IP address. However, I don’t recommend using these services, as their lack of advanced security can make you incredibly vulnerable online.
If you really don’t want to pay, use a premium VPN’s money-back guarantee to try the service for a month, then cancel for a full refund. CyberGhost’s 45-day guarantee period is one of the longest on the market.
Is it illegal to hide my IP address?
No, it’s not illegal to hide your IP address – or to use a VPN to do so. Even in countries like China, where VPNs are strictly regulated, it’s not technically against the law to use one. Although some people may think that hiding your IP address is a sign that you’re doing something shady online, there are plenty of legitimate and totally legal reasons for it.
Is an IP address permanent?
Most IP addresses are dynamic, which means they’re not permanent. Some IP addresses are static, meaning they never change, but it takes extra effort and money to request a static IP address.
It’s important to remember that even if you have a static IP address, it does not move with you; if you switch to a different internet connection, you’ll have a different IP address.
Is there a way to hide my IP address from my ISP?
No, there is no way to hide your IP address from your internet service provider. Even when you use a VPN, your IP address is still being used to communicate with the VPN server. However, a VPN keeps your ISP from seeing what you’re doing online, while hiding your IP address from the apps and websites you’re using – so no one can see the whole picture.
What’s the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?
IPv4 and IPv6 are two different types of IP addresses. IPv4 addresses are more common and less complex, consisting of a string of numbers and periods. IPv6 addresses are much longer, and include both letters and numbers separated by colons. IPv6 is currently being deployed to provide more IP addresses and to resolve some issues associated with IPv4.
Bottom Line
While there are a few ways to mask your IP address, it’s hard to beat the safety and reliability of a VPN. High-quality VPN services like ExpressVPN are an easy way to hide your IP address, and they also protect your privacy and anonymity with strong security protocols.
VPNs also give you the fastest connection speeds, help you access and stream content from anywhere, support torrenting, and encrypt your data for maximum security.
If you want to learn more, read our guides about proxies vs. VPNs and Tor vs VPNs.
To summarize, the best VPNs to hide your IP address are…
Privacy Alert!
Your data is exposed to the websites you visit!
The information above can be used to track you, target you for ads, and monitor what you do online.
VPNs can help you hide this information from websites so that you are protected at all times. We recommend ExpressVPN — the #1 VPN out of over 350 providers we’ve tested. It has military-grade encryption and privacy features that will ensure your digital security, plus — it’s currently offering 49% off.
Visit ExpressVPN
Frequently Asked Questions about can i hide my ip
Can you hide your IP address?
Use a VPN. A virtual private network, or VPN, works much like a proxy server — it’s the middleman between your device and a final web server. Once again, your IP address is masked by the IP of the VPN server you’re connected to. … You can also hide your IP adress on mobile devices with a VPN service for Android or iPhone …Aug 26, 2021
Is it illegal to hide your IP address?
Is it illegal to hide my IP address? No, it’s not illegal to hide your IP address – or to use a VPN to do so. Even in countries like China, where VPNs are strictly regulated, it’s not technically against the law to use one.Sep 21, 2021
Is Hide My IP any good?
Final Verdict. Hide My IP isn’t user-friendly, and the Windows app is extremely unreliable. However, if you’re using the premium version of the browser extension, the Android app, or making use of the Smart DNS Proxy, it does a good job.