What is An IP Address?
IP stands for Internet Protocol. Internet Protocol is the set of rules and standards that govern how traffic is sent and received on the Internet. An IP address is part of that set of rules. IP Addresses are assigned by your Internet Service Provider.
Every machine connected to the internet has an IP address, including your mobile phone. An IP address is a string of numbers that identifies a computer, smartphone, tablet, or other device to the network. It is how other machines know where to send data like webpages, chat messages, and other content.
There are 2 types of IP addresses: IPv4 addresses and IPv6 addresses. IPv4 is the more commonly recognized format: it consists of groups of 3 numbers separated by periods:
123.456.789:0000
IPv6 numbers are slightly longer and allow for more unique addresses. They look like this:
2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334
Why Do You Need to Find Your Phone’s IP Address?
Your phone’s IP address can be useful for several things. If you are having connection issues or need to troubleshoot network problems, knowing your IP address can be very helpful. If you are concerned about security, using a VPN to mask your public IP address is a great way to enhance privacy.
If you are contacting a remote support team for help with your phone, they may ask you for your IP address. Finally, if you are a developer working on an Apple, Windows, or mobile application, you will need to know your phone’s IP address in order to configure testing tools and test the app on your actual mobile device.
Public IP Address vs Private IP Address
Your private IP address is the address used by the WiFi router you are connected to. When your phone is connected to WiFi and makes network requests, those requests pass through the router. The router is responsible for sending the correct request to each device that is connected to the local network.
Your public IP address is the address that the rest of the world sees (outside the router, or if you are using cellular data.) There is a different process for finding your public IP address and your private IP address.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Find Your Phone’s IP Address
Now that we have a better understanding of what an IP address is and why it is useful, let’s learn exactly how to find it, step by step.
How to Find Your IP Address on iOS (iPhone)
Private IP Address
To find your private IP address on your iPhone, do the following.
- Go to the settings app on your iPhone
- Tap Wi-Fi
- If you are not connected to a network, choose a network and connect
- Tap the name of the network (it will have a blue checkmark next to it)
- Scroll down until you see “IPV4 Address".” This is your private IPv4 address
- Below that, you will see “IPV6 Address.” There will probably be a few of these
Public IP Address
To find your public iPhone’s IP address, take these steps.
- Open Safari or your preferred internet browser
- Navigate to https://www.abstractapi.com/what-is-my-ip-address-and-location
- Your public IP address will be shown on the webpage
How to Find Your IP Address on Android Phone
Private IP Address
To find your private IP address on an Android smartphone, do the following.
- Go to the Settings app on your phone
- Tap Network & Internet
- Tap Wi-Fi. If you're using Android 12, this is “Internet” instead.
- Connect to a Wi-Fi network if you are not already connected
- Tap the network's name and expand the Advanced section if needed.
- Scroll down until you see your IPV4 address and other information under Network Details.
- The IPv6 addresses will appear below IPV4
Public IP Address
To find your Android phone’s public IP address, follow these steps.
- Open your preferred internet browser
- Navigate to https://www.abstractapi.com/what-is-my-ip-address-and-location
- Your public-facing current IP will be displayed on the page
How to Find Your IP Address Using an API
One of the main things your IP address is used for is to geolocate your device. Geolocation is the process of determining a phone or computer’s location through information available online. Your IP cannot tell a site exactly where you are, but it can give the site a rough idea.
Geolocation is used for many things: to personalize advertisements, to serve content in the right language, to enhance security for online banking and other services, and to show your position on a map or location app.
Most websites use geolocation APIs to turn your IP address into data about your location. You can also use a geolocation API to figure out your IP address!
Use the AbstractAPI Geolocation API to Find Your IP Address (and more!)
We’ll use the AbstractAPI Geolocation API to find our IP address because it is a free service that is very quick and easy to use.
Open the web browser on your phone and navigate to the IP Geolocation API.
Tap “Get Started.” If you’ve never used AbstractAPI before you will need to create a free account using your email and a password.
Once you have logged in, you will land on a dashboard for the Geolocation API. You will see links to documentation, usage, pricing, settings, and support.
Scroll down until you see the “Try It Out” testing sandbox. You will see your API key. This identifies you with the API and allows you to make requests.
Tap “Make a Request” to send a test request from your phone to the API.
The response will come back in the box below. If it is successful, you will see a green “Success” label and a JSON object with information about your IP address. The first field is your public-facing IP. There is also information about your location, zip code, country, state, etc.
Conclusion
It is very easy to find your phone’s IP address! If you know how to find your phone’s settings or system preferences, you know how to find your IP!
Knowing your phone’s IP address can be incredibly useful for debugging network issues, building mobile apps, understanding how your device is identified to the network, and setting up a VPN to hide your identity and maintain your privacy.
Don’t forget that there are two types of IP addresses: your public IP address and your private IP address. Your public IP address is what the rest of the world sees when they look at your device. Your private IP address is used internally by the router when you are connected to WiFi.
FAQs
What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?
IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) and IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) are both protocols used for sending data over the internet across networks. IPv4 uses 32-bit numeric addresses (e.g., 123.456.789.0), and because of this, it can support a limited number of devices, around 4.3 billion. On the other hand, IPv6 uses 128-bit alphanumeric addresses (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334) and can support a virtually limitless number of devices. IPv6 is the successor to IPv4, designed to address the issue of IPv4 address exhaustion.
Why is it important to know your phone's IP address?
Knowing your phone's IP address is essential in several situations. For instance, if you're troubleshooting network issues, your IP address provides critical information about the device's network connection. If you're concerned about online privacy, knowing your public IP address is the first step towards using methods like VPNs to hide it. Additionally, certain remote support or development scenarios may require knowledge of your phone's IP address.
What is the difference between a public and private IP address?
A public IP address is an IP address that is assigned to your device by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and is used to communicate over the internet. On the other hand, a private IP address is assigned by your router to each device within your home or business network. These private addresses allow devices within your network to communicate with each other.
Why would a developer need to know their phone's IP address?
A developer might need to know their phone's IP address for a variety of reasons. For instance, when testing applications, the developer might need to configure their testing tools with their device's IP address to simulate real-world usage. It's also important when establishing secure connections for testing and development or when setting up and managing remote servers.
