How to find IP address on Mac: local vs. public IP explained

Use the network service you are actually connected through. The current macOS path is:

1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select System Settings.

2. Select Network, then select the connected Wi-Fi or Ethernet service.

3. Open Details > TCP/IP and read the IP address, subnet mask, and router information. If several services are connected, check each relevant service rather than assuming the first address is the one your application uses.

Terminal is another way to inspect the same network information. First identify the interface you need; network device numbers depend on the Mac and its adapters.

Method 1: Run networksetup -listallhardwareports and find the Device listed for Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Then run ipconfig getifaddr with that device name. For example, ipconfig getifaddr en0 is correct only when the selected interface is en0; do not assume an Ethernet adapter is en1.

Method 2: Run ifconfig to inspect interface sections and their addresses. Read inet for IPv4 and inet6 for IPv6. Keeping the section headers makes it easier to tell which interface owns each address; an address from a VPN or loopback interface is not necessarily your Wi-Fi address.

Method 3: Run curl -s https://api.ipify.org to ask an external service for the public IPv4 address it sees. This contacts ipify and shares your request with that service. A VPN, proxy, or browser relay may make the address differ between Terminal and a browser.

Understanding when to use your local IP versus your public IP prevents common security mistakes and routing errors. The following reference matrix outlines the essential differences:

For a service reached over the public internet, check the source address that service actually sees. Private cloud connections and VPN tunnels can use different routing. Do not change firewall rules merely because a web checker returned an address.

When learning how to find IP address on Mac, users often encounter unexpected network behavior caused by modern privacy protections and dynamic routing:

1. iCloud Private Relay & VPN Masking: If you have iCloud+ Private Relay enabled in macOS System Settings > Apple Account > iCloud, Safari routes your traffic through two secure relays. As a result, web-based IP checkers will display an Apple proxy IP rather than your real ISP public IP.

2. Self-Assigned IPv4 (169.254.x.x): This link-local address often means the interface did not obtain a DHCP lease. It does not prove that the router refused a request. Check the connected network and use Renew DHCP Lease in TCP/IP settings if that network is meant to provide DHCP.

3. Dynamic DHCP Drift: Most home and office routers assign local IP addresses dynamically. If your development server was running on 192.168.1.42 yesterday, waking your Mac up tomorrow may assign 192.168.1.55. For permanent home lab servers or network file shares, configure DHCP IP Reservation inside your router admin console.

Knowing how to find IP address on Mac solves your immediate connection questions, but network statuses change constantly. IP addresses rotate when switching between office Wi-Fi and mobile hotspots, VPNs drop silently, and public gateways drift.

Constantly opening Terminal or digging through System Settings creates unnecessary cognitive overhead when managing remote servers or testing cloud deployments. Critical network parameters deserve glanceable, persistent desktop visibility.

Select Check connection to make an HTTPS request to ipify. The service sees the address used by that request. Its duration is not an ICMP ping, a speed test, or proof that every website is reachable. The tool does not poll automatically or read private Mac network settings.