How To Hide Your IP Address

Why should you hide your IP address?

Every device connected to the internet—from smartphones to printers—has an IP address, which is used to communicate with websites and other devices. Your IP address is more than just a string of numbers; it’s a unique identifier that can reveal a lot of information about you and your online activities.

Unfortunately, this information can be used against you in various ways. Advertisers can use your IP address to track your online behavior and bombard you with targeted ads. Hackers and cybercriminals can exploit it to launch attacks on your devices and steal your sensitive data. According to the FTC, even your own Internet Service Provider (ISP) can use your IP address to monitor your internet traffic and share your real-time data.

Hiding your IP address is important. By masking your IP address, you can protect your online activities and enjoy a wider range of benefits, such as:

Keep your online activities private

Websites can use your IP address to track every store you visit and every purchase you make. They monitor the pages you visit, how long you stay, and the links you click, creating a profile that can be sold to advertisers.

Encrypt your data from your ISP

Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can track your online activities and sell your browsing data without consent. While you can’t hide the assigned IP address from your ISP, you can encrypt your network traffic, so your ISP won’t see what you’re browsing or downloading.

Stay off the government’s radar

In some countries, governments closely monitor online activities. In countries with strict privacy laws, law enforcement can even access your IP address records. By masking your IP address, you can largely avoid this surveillance.

Protect against hackers and cybercriminals

Hackers and cybercriminals are constantly scanning IP addresses for easy targets. Hiding your IP address can make it much harder for them to identify and infiltrate your local network, offering you extra protection from cyber attacks.

Unblock geo-restricted content

Frustrated by messages like “This content is not available in your region” while streaming on YouTube or Netflix? By hiding your IP address, you can make websites “think” you’re in a different location, allowing you to access content that might otherwise be blocked.

Enhance security on public Wi-Fi networks

Public Wi-Fi networks are convenient but can be a major security risk. When you connect to a public hotspot, like in a café, you’re sharing the network with many others. This means any data you send or receive can be intercepted by others, including hackers and cybercriminals.

Different ways to hide your IP address

VPN

Tor

Proxy server

Hide your IP address with a VPN

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is one of the easiest and most effective tools for hiding your IP address and protecting your online privacy. When you connect to a VPN, it creates a secure, encrypted tunnel between your device and the VPN server, all your network traffic will be rerouted to the server before reaching the actual destination.

This means that any website or online service you visit will only see the IP address of the VPN server, not your real one. VPNs not only hide your IP address but also encrypt your internet traffic, making it virtually impossible for anyone to intercept your data or track your online activities.

PRO

Easy setup.

Encrypts your internet traffic and hides your real IP address.

Provides strong encryption for security.

Allows access to content and services blocked in your region.

Hides your online activities from your ISP.

Connection could be more stable if your local network is glitching.

CON

Quality services often require a subscription.

Some websites may block VPN traffic.

Hide your IP address with Tor

Tor (The Onion Router) is a free, open-source network that anonymizes your internet traffic. When you use Tor, your data is routed through a series of volunteer-operated servers, each adding a layer of encryption. This makes it very hard to trace your activities back to your original IP address.

To use Tor, you’ll need to download the Tor Browser, a modified version of Firefox that automatically connects to the Tor network.

Using Tor can be slower than regular internet due to its multiple encryption layers and routing through various nodes. Some websites may block Tor traffic, and there are risks of government monitoring. Additionally, be aware that the Tor network, like the regular internet, contains malicious websites. You should be particularly wary of scams, phishing attempts, and potentially malicious downloads, especially if you’re new to using Tor.

PRO

Multi-node encrypted routing for anonymity.

Free and open-source.

CON

Encryption and routing can slow down your connection significantly.

Some sites may block Tor traffic.

Risks include scams, phishing sites, and malware.

Only protects browser traffic.

Free usually means no guarantee for performance.

Hide your IP address with a proxy server

Proxy servers are a lightweight solution to change your IP address, as it requires no extra software.

The common proxy servers we refer to are the ones we can configure in desktop or mobile application settings, using mostly http or socks network protocol. Neither of these protocols encrypts network traffic, meaning every node in the transmission process can see what you’re browsing, if the data is not already encrypted.

You may be safe surfing without encryption, as major websites now have standard encryption (https) in place. But the major problem with proxy servers is they usually rely on insecure network protocols that are easily flagged or censored by ISPs, especially when you’re connecting to another country. This could also lead to various connection problems. In general, they are less reliable compared to Tor and VPN.

PRO

Makes your traffic appear to come from the proxy server’s IP address.

Lightweight solution to get a new IP address.

Requires no or minimum setup.

CON

Does not encrypt traffic, so data can be intercepted.

Some websites block known proxy IP addresses.

Free proxies can be unreliable or malicious.

Typically works for a single application

Can slow down your connection.

Best VPNs to hide your IP address

Hiding your IP address is important. By masking your IP address, you can protect your online activities and enjoy a wider range of benefits, such as:

	BEST SECURITY	BEST SECURITY	BEST SECURITY
	NordVPN Visit Site	ExpressVPN Visit Site	Surfshark Visit Site
Price	From $3.69 /month	From $8.32 /month	From $2.49 /month
30-day money-back guarantee	Yes	Yes	Yes
Server Network	6,000+ servers in 60+ countries	3,000+ servers in 100+ countries	3,200+ servers in 100 countries
Speed loss	11%	25%	17%
Simultaneous connections	6	8	Unlimited
Encryption AES-256 encryption offers high security, making it nearly impossible for third parties to access your personal data.	256-bit AES	256-bit AES	256-bit AES
No-logs policy A no-logging policy states that the provider will not collect or store any personal data or activity logs of its users.	Yes	Yes	Yes
Kill Switch If the VPN connection fails, the automatic kill switch automatically cuts off all connections to the internet on your device, preventing your data from being leaked without encryption protection.	Yes	Yes	Yes
5 Eyes, 9 Eyes and 14 Eyes Member 5 Eyes, 9 Eyes, and 14 Eyes are alliances for sharing intelligence, mainly focused on surveillance and data collection. If a VPN provider is based in these countries, users’ online activities might be more closely monitored and collected.	No	No	Yes
Supported platforms	Windows macOS Linux iOS Android Chrome(via extension) Firefox(via extension) Opera(via extension) FireTV(via sideloading)	Windows macOS Linux iOS Android Chrome(via extension) Firefox(via extension) Opera(via extension) FireTV(via app)	Windows macOS Linux iOS Android Chrome(via extension) Firefox(via extension) Opera(via extension) FireTV(via app)
24/7 support	Yes	Yes	Yes

Can IP addresses really be hidden?

All of these methods share one thing in common: they don’t actually hide your IP address, they just change it. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can still see the new IP address, and so can every website you visit. When you use a VPN or proxy, websites, apps, and services will see the public IP address of the VPN or proxy server instead of your own. Think of these alternate IP addresses as masks—they hide your face, but the mask itself is still visible. However, with a trusted VPN or proxy server, not only is your IP address masked, but your internet traffic is also encrypted, making it much harder for anyone to track your online activity.

To check if your IP address is hidden, visit our IP Address Lookup page. Compare the IP address displayed at the top of the page with your actual IP address. If they don’t match, congratulations! You’ve successfully hidden your IP address. If they do match, your IP is not hidden, and you should use one of the methods we described to change your IP address.

Methods that don’t work

Many so-called ‘methods to hide your IP address’ float around the internet. While these solutions may seem appealing at first glance, they often fail to provide the level of protection needed to truly hide your IP address and keep your online activities private

Here, let’s take a closer look at some of these methods and why they may fall short

Connect to a Different Network

Switching to a different network, like moving from home Wi-Fi to a public hotspot or mobile data, gives you a new IP address. However, this new IP is still visible to websites and services and can be traced back to your device, much like changing outfits but remaining recognizable.

Ask Your ISP to Change Your IP Address

Contacting your ISP to request a new IP address is another option. While this may provide a temporary change, the new IP will still be tied to your ISP’s network and can be traced back to you. Constantly requesting changes can also be inconvenient and impractical long-term.

Unplug Your Modem

Unplugging and reconnecting your modem or router may change your IP address, but this is not a reliable method for hiding your online activity. The new IP is still assigned by your ISP and can be traced back to their network and you.

Use a NAT Firewall

Network Address Translation (NAT) firewalls can hide your device’s private IP address by using a shared public IP address. However, this only hides your private IP and not the public one assigned by your ISP, so your activities can still be traced to this public IP.

Renew Your IP Address

Some operating systems allow you to “renew” your IP address, which might assign a new IP to your device. This new IP is still provided by your ISP and can be traced back to your location and network.

The common theme among these methods is that they merely change your IP address, not hide it. While you may receive a new IP address, it’s still visible to websites and services you visit, and it can often be traced back to your location and ISP.

If you really want to hide your IP address and protect your online privacy, you need to use a tool that’s specifically designed for the job. A good VPN or proxy server will mask your IP address and encrypt your internet traffic, making it virtually impossible for anyone to track your online activity. Tor, the popular anonymity network, is another great option for those who want to take their online privacy to the next level. But whatever you do, don’t rely on these half-baked “methods” that do little more than give you a false sense of security.