What's My IP

Free IP Address Lookup — See Your Public IP Instantly

The What's My IP tool instantly detects and displays your public IP address, approximate geographic location, ISP information, and connection details. It works entirely in your browser, fetching data from trusted public APIs without logging or storing anything. Whether you need your IP for network troubleshooting, VPN verification, or server configuration, this tool provides the answer in seconds.

Understanding IP Addresses

Every device connected to the internet is assigned an IP (Internet Protocol) address by its Internet Service Provider. This address serves as a digital identifier, allowing websites and services to send data back to your device. There are two versions in use today:

• IPv4 — The original format using four groups of numbers separated by dots (e.g., 203.0.113.42). With only about 4.3 billion possible addresses, IPv4 addresses are becoming scarce.
• IPv6 — The newer format using eight groups of hexadecimal numbers separated by colons (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334). With 340 undecillion possible addresses, IPv6 provides practically unlimited capacity.

Most ISPs now support dual-stack configurations, assigning both an IPv4 and IPv6 address to your connection simultaneously.

How IP Geolocation Works

IP geolocation maps an IP address to a physical location by consulting databases maintained by organizations like ARIN, RIPE, and APNIC. These databases contain information submitted by ISPs when they are allocated IP blocks. The accuracy varies significantly: country-level detection is typically 99% accurate, city-level detection is around 70-80% accurate, and street-level precision is generally not possible with IP geolocation alone.

The location shown reflects where your ISP routes your traffic through its network infrastructure, not necessarily your physical position. Mobile network users often see the nearest metropolitan hub, while VPN users see the VPN server's location.

What Your IP Reveals About You

Your public IP address reveals limited but meaningful information: your approximate geographic region, your Internet Service Provider, and whether you are likely using a VPN or proxy. It does not reveal your name, exact address, or browsing history. However, websites can use your IP for rough geolocation (showing local content), rate limiting, and security measures like blocking suspicious traffic.

Common Use Cases

• VPN Verification — Confirm that your VPN is active and masking your real IP address by checking if the displayed location matches the VPN server's location.
• Network Troubleshooting — Identify your public IP when configuring firewalls, port forwarding, or remote access tools like SSH or RDP.
• Server Configuration — Whitelist your current IP address in server access control lists or cloud security groups.
• Privacy Awareness — Understand what information your IP address reveals to every website you visit.
• DNS Leak Testing — Compare your displayed IP with your expected VPN IP to check for DNS leaks.

Privacy and VPN Detection

The tool includes a basic security check that hints whether your connection might be going through a VPN, proxy, or hosting provider. This detection is based on the IP's registered organization and AS (Autonomous System) number. Datacenter IP ranges often indicate VPN or proxy usage, while residential ISP ranges suggest a direct connection. Note that this is not a definitive test — advanced VPN providers use residential IP addresses that are difficult to distinguish from direct connections.

Technical APIs Used

This tool uses two free, public APIs. The ipify API (api.ipify.org) returns only your IP address with no additional tracking. The ip-api.com service provides geolocation data including country, region, city, ISP, AS number, and timezone. Both APIs are called directly from your browser using JavaScript fetch requests. No data passes through our servers, and no cookies or tracking pixels are involved.

Browser Compatibility

This tool works in all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, and Opera on desktop and mobile. It requires JavaScript and an active internet connection. Some browser extensions or strict privacy settings may block the API calls; if detection fails, try disabling ad blockers temporarily or checking your browser's content security settings.