Can Someone Find Me? – What Is My IP Address
You probably don’t think too much about your IP address, but maybe it’s time you did.
Most people (and maybe you) know their IP address is a digital address of some sort that helps the Internet deliver content to your computer.
And perhaps you know that 99% of the time, no one else knows or cares to know what your IP address is.
But there’s more you need to know.
See, your IP address is something like a beacon on the Internet.
Your IP address is like a beacon on the Internet
Your IP address gives websites, and people that you have connected with online, more than just a number—more than your IP address.
It also gives them the ability to trace that IP address back towards you if they wanted to.
To be clear, they can trace it back to your geographical location.
Okay. It’s likely that 99% of the time no one (and no websites) are running your IP address through an IP lookup site to see where you’re located.
But you’ll never know if it does happen one percent of time, five percent, or more.
Here’s the point:
Anyone can find out where you are.
Even though a website, or even a person (maybe some acquaintance you once sent an email too) can’t find your home address from your IP address, they most definitely could get a clear picture of where you are.
• Even if you don’t tell them what city you’re in, they could use your IP address to get an idea of where you’re connecting from.
• Even if you only contacted them once, they can analyze your IP address anytime after that…it doesn’t need to be in real time.
• Even if you didn’t make a transaction of any kind with the site, they could still capture, analyze and trace your IP address back to your network.
It’s perfectly legal, yet most people aren’t even aware of this.
Are you?
Is this all hype, or fact?
You could be thinking this is just an exaggeration to scare you.
Well, here’s a true story that illustrates firsthand what we’re talking about.
Recently an office manager (we’ll call him John) decided to see what would happen if he analyzed his own IP address on He shared his story with us.
I know all about, but hadn’t explored the geolocation aspect of it—the map that drops a pinpoint on where the Internet says I am. I wanted to see how precise that might be. So, on the map on the homepage, I clicked on ‘Show me more about my IP. ’ And on the next screen, I clicked ‘Update my Location. ’ What I saw—and realized—sent a chill down my spine.
As I zoomed in as close as it would go, the map become a Google Earth image. And I the image I saw on my laptop screen was a satellite view of the kitchen window of my condo! And my street name was visible on the map too. Not my address, but the map was definitely where I lived. I was a little startled, and then it hit me—anyone who knew my home IP address had the ability to see the same map. I could imagine someone knocking at my door who tracked me (or my wife! ) just by knowing my IP address.
Here’s the bottom line…
It radically changed how John looked at his IP address. It also changed the way he used the Internet at home and when traveling.
When privacy hits close to home.
Here’s why the geolocation aspect of your IP address is important.
Most people use the Internet from just a few locations, primarily at home.
You shop mostly from home
You send emails to friends mostly from home
You game or join chatrooms and forums from home
With a simple device (that someone can find on Amazon) a stranger or criminal can peer inside your home through the front door peephole!
That means the majority of your online activity is probably coming from your home IP address—the IP address that could be traced back very close to you. Maybe even your kitchen window.
I can guess what you might be thinking:
“Who wants to know where I am anyway? ”
The true answer is, “who knows? ” That’s not meant to be cute.
There’s just no way of knowing who is running your IP address through any type of IP lookup service. It could be your bank, your real estate agent, or a tech-savvy teenager who’s also a hacker.
However, one thing is clear…
It is possible to be traced by someone—a stalker, an investigator or even a criminal—via your IP address. And that clever stranger might just wind up right at your door.
Also, if a person (hopefully not you! ) were going online and doing something illegal (according to the laws in place wherever you are in the world), a law enforcement or government agency might seek legal permission to contact your Internet Service Provider for information.
With a subpoena in hand, investigators would ask the ISP to provide the online account holder’s name and address.
The ISP would have no choice but to provide it for them.
Thankfully, for just about everyone that’s an extreme case.
But don’t feel too safe quite yet.
You must admit, it’s unsettling news to know that anyone who has captured your IP address in the past can come close to zeroing in on your front door, depending on where you live.
Here’s some good news:
You can stop IP trackers cold, if you know how.
Hide your real IP address. Hide your real location.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could somehow pull the “old switcheroo” and go online with a different IP address—an IP address that, when anybody tried to trace it, would send them off to some other location, miles from where you actually are?
Guess what? You can.
Here are a few ways you can do that:
Use the Internet away from home. Go to the library or the local coffee bar. You’ll have a different IP address. The drawback: It still close to home and public networks aren’t always safe from other eavesdroppers.
Use the Tor network. Tor is an entirely different kind of network that is free and available to all. The drawback: It doesn’t offer great security and there are some very odd characters in some corners of Tor.
Use a proxy. They’re a touch old-fashioned and tricky to use, but a proxy hides your actual IP address. The drawback: Many websites block proxy access.
Here’s the best way to hide your public IP address.
Go online and sign up for a Virtual Private
Network (VPN) account.
A VPN is a service that redirects your Internet requests through a secure “tunnel” that is hacker proof. But more importantly, a VPN service assigns your live connection a different IP address, then reroutes your Internet request to the world.
Here’s why using a Virtual Private Network is a good thing:
No person or website you connect with knows your actual IP address…which your VPN masks for you when you are online.
You can use your VPN at home, at hotels and airports, and especially at free Wi-Fi hot spots with unsecured networks.
Is it hard to find a good VPN?
Nope. We’ll help you out.
Click below and you can sign up with a top VPN provider right now. It’s fast, safe and easy.
And once you do, you can stop worrying about strange people potentially showing up at your front door.
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Can Someone Find Me With My IP Address?
People are concerned with finding me with IP address simply by someone and the following outlines how this is not possible. However only with one exception that this may happen.
Someone has my IP address, can they find me?
When you connect to the internet through your Internet Service Provider(ISP) you are assigned an IP address. Your IP address is similar to your mailing address, but for your computer, on the internet. The IP address routes internet traffic to your computer. To clarify, it does not reveal your location. If someone was able to get your IP address they could learn a bit about your internet service, such as which provider you use to connect to the internet, but they really can’t locate you, your home, or your office.
In some circumstances they may locate the city you are in, or perhaps a nearby city, but they will not have your physical address. Once they trace you back to your ISP they will lose your trail. While strangers may not be able to find you, your ISP knows where you are. ISPs will generally go to great lengths to protect you and your privacy but they do keep logs of your connections.
To clarify, with one big exception found. If you were to participate in illegal activities then a law enforcement agency can get a court order and submit it to your ISP to request your information. One way you can be found is with the involvement of law enforcement.
In the end, the simple answer is no. If someone was to get your IP address they can not find you. There are other ways you can be located but this isn’t one of them. Posting your name and town online to social media would more likely tracked than by your IP address.
My IP Info
Hide My IP
11 Ways People Can Spy On Your IP Address
(You don’t want to hear the last one…)
We took a poll. Most people say that the only people out there who know your IP address is your Internet Service Provider…the Cox Cables and Verizon’s of the world.
Those people are wrong.
The fact is, anybody with a little know-how can find, view and “capture” your IP address.
You need to understand this:
With the right technical know-how and a computer trick here and there, companies, government institutions, and the typical nerdy IT guy—and even your annoying teenage neighbor—can uncover your IP address.
I’m sure you wondering, “don’t they need my permission? ”
The answer is no. They can sniff out your IP address without your permission.
But you shouldn’t lose any sleep over that.
Still, it makes you wonder why someone would even care to know your IP address.
Well, people have different reasons for wanting to know it.
And different ways to get it.
Here’s why they want your IP.
A business may want to know your IP address because they simply want to run in through an IP lookup service to find out where “you” are located.
Fraudsters try to hide behind
an IP address.
They actually have a pretty good reason.
Let’s say an online retail customer whose mailing address says, “New York, NY” and buys thousands of dollars of fancy merchandise from a company. However, when that company captures the customer’s IP address, it figures out his location is really Russia or China. That’s a real problem.
It gets better.
In fact, it’s common for advertisers, companies, and service websites to “grab” your IP addresses if you’re visiting their site or if you click on ads on their website.
What they can find out is pretty interesting.
What country or state you’re in
What city you’re in…within a few miles (sometimes city blocks)
They can piece together a profile of your interests or online behaviors
There are ways to block your IP like you block a phone number…I’ll cover that a little bit later.
That’s only step one:
By knowing your IP address, an online Forum could “block” access to their chat room.
By knowing your IP address, an online subscription service could block you from accessing their content, because a sporting/special event is otherwise blacked out in your area.
It’s not that people can “use” your IP address, it’s more that by knowing it they can track you, target you, or block you.
Finally, you might want to sit down for this one.
With a subpoena and your IP address, law enforcement can ask your Internet provider for your name and home address and gain permission to hack into your emails.
But all this is just part of the story.
Now you need to know HOW people get your IP address—every day, with ease.
Get hidden now. »» I want to hide my IP
How Someone Might Get Your IP address.
Here are nearly a dozen ways people on the Internet can get YOUR IP address:
1
By borrowing your computer or smart device. If somebody uses or borrows your computer, they can find out your IP address simply by going to It pops right up.
2
By tapping into your wireless network. If your home network isn’t well secure, a stranger can tap into your wireless network. Also, if you let a guest use your network (you provide the password) they will know your IP address.
3
They pluck it out of your email. Relax: Most Internet/email providers today no longer include the IP address of someone sending an email. But smaller Internet Service Providers or people who set up their own email server which might still be revealing their IP address. Try our trace email tool to see.
4
Through an email HTML Bug. Thanks for your interest. This bug isn’t a virus or malicious. It’s simply a piece of code embedded in an image that’s included with an email you read. If you view the image (often just be opening the email), the bug simply tells the sender that you read the email…and it also provides your IP address. There are even services that help people set up email bugs like this. Check out
5
From web server logs. Here’s how the Internet works: Every time you visit a website, you leave your IP address. After all, it’s your digital pass to connect online. A website can (if they wish) scour their Web-server computers to review all the IP addresses, just to see the reach of their message or who’s a repeat visitor.
Who knew? But hang on, there’s more…
6
In Internet Forums. Joining a forum to share ideas or contribute to a discussion is getting more popular, especially in online education. Your “handle” may identify your voice and opinions, but your IP address identifies your computer to the administrator. (That’s how they ban you if you break their rules. )
7
From Blog Comments. Bloggers write in part to hear the opinions of their readers. Not only can the blog administrator read what you have said, but they can also uncover your IP address with a few keystrokes.
8
Through social media. Social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. ) do not reveal IP addresses between users, but the site administrators indeed know your IP address. Also, if you click on an ad or link on the site, they will capture your IP address.
9
Out of messaging Apps. Your mobile phone uses an IP address every time you engage someone through a messaging app, such as WhatsApp and Viber. Messaging app usage is growing incredibly fast. Your IP address is invisible to the person you message, but if-and-when you click on a link in a message, the website you sent it to has access to your IP address. There are sites like and that you can use to create trackable links.
10
Via your work email. The email header on your office’s email could reveal your IP address, and a clever IT-minded person can easily use it to find the location of your workplace. Try our trace email tool.
11
Through a court order. In late 2016, a new law went into effect that sent chills down the spines of millions of people. Revisions to a U. S. federal security measure called Rule 41 gave the FBI and others more leeway while investigating online activity. The request for subpoenas to get IP addresses (and home addresses) is much easier now.
Let’s put it this way…
You’re fighting a losing battle when it comes to preventing someone from capturing your public IP address. But that doesn’t mean all is lost. You can get the upper hand in this cat-and-mouse game of shielding your IP address from the world.
Fight back (and win! ) with an alternative IP address.
As you can see, your IP address is “capturable” most of the time while you’re online. But you can make sure that the IP address they capture isn’t traceable back to you by 99% of the time.
How?
By using a Virtual Private Network, or VPN. A VPN, which is an affordable, fee-based online service networking that masks your actual IP address and routes you through another network with a different IP address.
Real IP address
Spoofed IP address
And you want to know the best part?
That “borrowed” IP address is the only one anyone in any of the above categories will see.
There’s no time to waste.
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Frequently Asked Questions about can someone get your ip address
Can someone find my IP address?
The IP address routes internet traffic to your computer. To clarify, it does not reveal your location. If someone was able to get your IP address they could learn a bit about your internet service, such as which provider you use to connect to the internet, but they really can’t locate you, your home, or your office.
How easily can someone get my IP address?
How Someone Might Get Your IP address. By borrowing your computer or smart device. If somebody uses or borrows your computer, they can find out your IP address simply by going to WhatIsMyIPaddres.com. It pops right up.
Is getting someone’s IP address legal?
We’ll start by easing your mind – for B2B purposes, IP address tracking is legal! Many data regulations are not inclusive of business data, such as business name, business address and contact number – this is all considered public.