MyIP.dogFind your Mac IP address without changing settings
To see the public address used by this browser, open the IP checker on the Mac. To find the local Mac IP address, open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, select Network, open the connected service, then choose Details and TCP/IP. Read the existing values. Finding an address does not require a network reset, a new application or a change from DHCP to manual configuration.
The Mac IP address shown in settings and the one seen by a website answer different questions. Your local value belongs to an interface such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet. The public Mac IP address observation describes the request arriving at a remote service, potentially after translation, a VPN or a relay. Decide whether you are setting up a local device or troubleshooting an internet connection before copying either value.
Check your Mac IP address in System Settings
In current macOS releases, choose Apple menu, System Settings, then Network. Select the active connection, open Details and choose TCP/IP. This path is documented in Apple's DHCP and manual addressing guide. Read the address, subnet information and router values without editing them. Older releases may use System Preferences rather than System Settings.
For a wireless connection, the network's Wi-Fi details also display an IP address and router information; see Apple's Wi-Fi settings reference. Make sure the Mac IP address belongs to the network currently connected. A saved network you used yesterday can have different settings and does not describe today's route.
If an Ethernet dock and Wi-Fi are both connected, inspect each service separately. A Mac IP address on the wired interface does not establish that every application uses it. Routing and tunnel configuration still matter. Keep the service name beside the copied Mac IP address so another person can reproduce your observation instead of guessing which adapter you inspected.
Inspect a Mac IP address in Terminal
For an interface-level view, open Terminal and run:
ifconfig
This read-only command lists interfaces and their addresses. Look for inet for IPv4 and inet6 for IPv6. The full output can include loopback, tunnels and other interfaces in addition to physical hardware. Do not assume the first number printed is the Mac IP address you need. Match the interface to the connection you are investigating.
To identify hardware interface names, run networksetup -listallhardwareports. After matching the desired hardware port to its Device name, inspect that interface with a command such as ifconfig en0. The name en0 is an example, not a guarantee that Wi-Fi uses that name on every Mac. Your installed man ifconfig and man networksetup pages document the commands available on your macOS version.
Another common query is ipconfig getifaddr en0, which asks for the IPv4 address associated with that interface. Replace en0 with the actual device name. An empty result does not prove that the Mac is offline: the selected interface may not have IPv4, or you may have selected the wrong one. Check the wider interface view before drawing a conclusion about your Mac IP address.
Distinguish the Mac IP address from the router
Suppose a local network assigns the computer 192.168.20.30 and shows a router at 192.168.20.1. In this example, the Mac IP address identifies the computer within that LAN. The router value identifies the next hop used to reach other networks. Copying the gateway into a form asking for the computer's local address refers to a different device.
Neither example tells you which public address a remote server sees. Home IPv4 networks commonly translate traffic at a router, and a provider may translate it again. This is why the public versus private explanation belongs beside any Mac IP address check. Local and public observations can disagree without either observation being wrong.
Read IPv6 alongside a Mac IP address
IPv6 uses colon-separated notation and can assign several addresses to one interface. You might see link-local, stable global and temporary global values together. A suffix such as %en0 identifies a local interface scope in contexts that require it; it is not an extra globally routable part of an IPv6 address. Keep scope information when discussing a local connection.
A globally scoped Mac IP address does not by itself demonstrate working internet access. The interface also needs a usable route, and the destination must be reachable. Conversely, a website showing IPv4 does not prove that IPv6 is absent. The IPv6 test observes each available protocol separately and reports failed or unavailable requests without declaring the entire network broken.
Why a Mac IP address differs in Safari
Safari traffic can pass through iCloud Private Relay when the feature is active and available. A destination then observes a relay address for the covered traffic. Apple describes its operation and scope in About iCloud Private Relay. It should not be interpreted as a universal VPN for every application or every protocol.
As a result, comparing Safari with a command-line program may produce different public values. That does not automatically mean the Mac IP address in System Settings is stale. The tests may use different paths. Record the application, relay state and address family when comparing them. Do not disable a privacy feature merely to make unrelated observations display the same number.
A Mac IP address on a work VPN
A VPN can introduce another interface and another visible internet exit. A work network may route only selected destinations through its tunnel. In that arrangement, there is no single Mac IP address that describes every application connection. Start with the destination that is failing and the company's intended access path. A browser's successful public check is only one observation.
When support asks for a Mac IP address, clarify whether it needs the local Wi-Fi value, the tunnel interface value or the public source in its own logs. Those distinctions are especially useful for remote access and allowlists. Change VPN settings only when appropriate for that network, and keep a record of the original state so comparisons remain meaningful.
A missing or unexpected Mac IP address
If the selected service has no expected address, confirm that it is connected and that you are inspecting the right interface. A disconnected dock is not evidence that wireless connectivity failed. If an IPv4 value begins with 169.254, it is link-local. On a network that normally supplies DHCP configuration, investigate assignment and the local link before assuming an internet provider outage.
A private Mac IP address can also change after joining another network or receiving a different lease. The same-looking private value on two unrelated networks does not mean the devices are the same. If addresses keep changing during an actual fault, record the times and connection events. Repeatedly rebooting equipment first can erase the pattern you need to understand.
Use your Mac IP address for the correct task
For a local printer or file share, use the Mac IP address and network relevant to that local service. For an external support allowlist, provide the public source that the destination actually sees. A Mac IP address alone cannot show that a service is listening, a firewall permits it or the remote client has a route. Test those layers separately when a connection still fails.
Share the smallest useful report: address, family, interface, observation method, time and symptom. Remove unrelated internal names from screenshots you intend to post publicly. Once you have recorded the local Mac IP address, compare it with the public browser result and follow the explanation matching your situation. You can complete this entire information-gathering step without altering a working connection.