Finding your IP address on a Mac is a fundamental task for anyone managing a network, troubleshooting connectivity issues, or setting up applications that require network identification. Every device connected to a network, whether local or on the internet, uses this numerical label to communicate. On Apple computers, this identifier is not a single value but exists in different formats depending on whether you need to identify your device on the local network or how it appears to the outside world.
Understanding Local vs. Public IPs
Before diving into the "how," it is essential to understand the "what." Your Mac typically has two distinct IP addresses serving different purposes. The Local IP, often referred to as the private IP, is used for communication within your home or office network. This address is usually assigned by your router via DHCP and allows other devices like your iPhone or printer to find your Mac. The Public IP, on the other hand, is the address your internet service provider (ISP) assigns to your router. This is the identifier the rest of the internet sees when you browse websites or stream videos.
Finding Your Local IP Address
The most common reason users search for an IP address is to connect to a shared drive, screen share with a colleague, or set up a local server. To find this internal address, you can use the built-in System Settings application. This method provides a visual interface that displays all active network connections clearly.
Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen and select "System Settings."
In the sidebar, click on "Network."
Select your active connection from the list on the right, which is usually Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
The right-hand panel will display your "IP address" field. The number listed here (usually starting with 192.168 or 10.10) is your local private IP.
Using Terminal for Advanced Lookup
For users who prefer command-line efficiency or need to script network diagnostics, the Terminal application provides direct access to the system's networking stack. The ipconfig command with specific arguments allows you to filter out the noise and display only the IP address you are interested in, bypassing the graphical interface entirely.
Open the Terminal application, which is located in the Utilities folder within your Applications directory.
To find the IP for your Wi-Fi, type the command ipconfig getifaddr en0 and press Enter.
To find the IP for a wired Ethernet connection, use the command ipconfig getifaddr en1 .
The terminal will return a clean, unformatted result showing only the numerical IP address, which is ideal for copying into other applications.
Finding Your Public IP Address
When you need to know how the internet sees your network, checking the public address is necessary. This is particularly important for configuring port forwarding, setting up a VPN, or verifying if your connection is static or dynamic. Because this address is assigned by your ISP, it cannot be found in the local network settings of your Mac; instead, you must query an external server designed to report this data back to you.
Open your preferred web browser, such as Safari or Chrome.
Navigate to a reliable IP checking service like "whatismyipaddress.com" or "ipinfo.io."
The page will automatically detect and display your public IP address at the top of the page.
Take note of this number, as it is the gateway for all incoming internet traffic to your network.
