Your IP address

An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a unique numerical label assigned to every device on a network that uses the Internet Protocol.

Most addresses are still IPv4, written as four numbers separated by dots such as 192.0.2.1. Because those ran out, newer connections use IPv6, which is longer and separated by colons. Some connections carry both.

It points to the network you connect through, not to you personally. A website can usually tell your country, a rough region, and which internet provider you use.

That location comes from the registry that assigned the address, so it is approximate and often points at a city you are nowhere near. It does not reveal your name, your home address, or what you do on other websites.

Most home connections use a dynamic address, so your provider may give you a different one after a restart or when the lease renews. Mobile networks change it more often still, and moving between Wi-Fi and mobile data changes it immediately.

On a phone, switching airplane mode on and then off usually reconnects you with a different address, and switching between 5G and 4G often has the same effect.

On a home connection, unplugging the router for a few minutes can pick up a new address when the lease renews. Moving between Wi-Fi and mobile data changes it straight away, and a VPN or proxy replaces it with the address of the server you connect through.

None of these are guaranteed: if your provider gave you a static address, it stays the same until they change it.

Sharing it is normally harmless, because every website you open already sees it. It identifies a network rather than a person, and on its own it cannot be used to read your files or messages.

Avoid publishing it next to details that identify you, and keep in mind that anyone running a server you connect to can see it.