How to Find Your Local IP Address: A Guide for Computers and Phones

When you run ipconfig on a Windows PC, you might see an IP address like 192.168.1.105. But when you open a browser to check your IP, it shows something like 120.xxx.xxx.xxx. Same computer, same network—why the difference? This is actually quite normal.

The term "local IP" can refer to different addresses depending on context. After your computer or phone connects to a router, it gets an IP for local network communication. But when your device actually accesses the internet, websites see the public egress IP assigned to your broadband, mobile network, or proxy line.

So before checking your local IP, it's best to clarify what you actually want to know: the address of your computer on your home Wi-Fi, or the IP shown to the outside world when you access the internet. Below, we'll cover the most common scenarios, including online lookup, Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android methods, and clarify the differences between public IP, local IP, IPv4, and IPv6.

1. What Is a Local IP? Public vs. Local IP

Before checking your IP, figure out which address you're looking for.

Suppose your home computer and phone are both connected to the same Wi-Fi. The router might assign them:

Computer: 192.168.1.10
Phone: 192.168.1.11
Tablet: 192.168.1.12

These are local IPs within your current LAN.

But when these three devices access the internet through the router, external websites might all see:

120.xxx.xxx.xxx

You can think of the relationship like this:

Computer 192.168.1.10 ─┐
                    │
Phone 192.168.1.11 ─┼── Router ── Public IP ── Internet
                    │
Tablet 192.168.1.12 ─┘

So, local IP and public IP serve different purposes: Local IP is mainly for communication between devices within the same LAN, such as accessing your router, NAS, printer, or other devices. Public IP is the address presented to the internet for your current connection. If you want to know what IP a website server actually sees, you should usually check the public egress IP.

This is why the address you see in your system settings often differs from online IP lookup results.

2. How to Quickly Check Your Current Local IP

If you just want to know "What's my IP?" or "What's my current IPv4 address?", you don't need to dive into system settings or type any commands.

Simply open the Chahu IP Lookup page.

Once the page loads, it will directly display the IP address of your current network. No manual input or extra clicks required. For users who just want to quickly confirm their public egress IP, this is much more convenient than opening a command line.

For example, if your computer is connected to home broadband, the page will show the IP used by that connection. If you switch to a different Wi-Fi, reconnect, or join another network, the displayed address may change.

Chahu can also be used to check your current IPv4 or IPv6 address.

For instance, the page might show:

120.230.xxx.xxx

This type of address, consisting of four groups of numbers each ranging from 0 to 255, is a typical IPv4 address.

Online lookup is suitable for the following situations:

• Quickly find out your current public IP.

• Check your IPv4 address.

• Confirm whether your IP changes after switching Wi-Fi.

• Compare egress IPs when switching from Wi-Fi to 4G/5G on your phone.

• Verify if your external address changes after connecting to a proxy or VPN.

• Troubleshoot access issues across different network environments.

Note that the IP shown on the online page may differ from the 192.168.x.x you see in Windows ipconfig, because the former reflects your internet egress, while the latter is typically your computer's LAN address.

3. How to Find Your Local IP on Windows

Finding your LAN IP on a computer is easy on both Windows and Mac; it just depends on whether you prefer the command line or a graphical interface.

Windows: Find Local IP

If you're comfortable with commands, the fastest way is:

• Press Win + R to open the Run dialog, type cmd, and press Enter.

• In the black window, type ipconfig and press Enter.

You'll see a bunch of network information. Look for the adapter you're currently using: if you're on Wi-Fi, find "Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi"; if you're using an Ethernet cable, find "Ethernet adapter Ethernet".

You only need these lines:

• IPv4 Address: e.g., 192.168.1.105—this is your computer's identity on your home LAN.

• Subnet Mask: usually 255.255.255.0.

• Default Gateway: e.g., 192.168.1.1—this is typically your router's admin address.

If you prefer not to use the command line, go to Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi (or Ethernet), click on your current network, and scroll down to see these details in the properties section.

4. How to Find Your Local IP on Mac

On a Mac, it's even more straightforward—just check System Settings:

• Click the Apple icon in the top-left corner and open System Settings → Network.

• Select the Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection you're using, then click "Details" or check the connection status.

• In the panel that appears, click TCP/IP to see your IPv4 address and router address clearly.

Of course, if you're comfortable with the terminal, you can open Terminal and type ifconfig. The tricky part is finding the right network interface (Wi-Fi is usually en0), then look for the number after inet (e.g., 192.168.0.23).

A quick note: whether it's 192.168.1.105 on Windows or 192.168.0.23 on Mac, these are private addresses. They only work within your home or office LAN, useful for troubleshooting router, printer, or gateway issues. To see the IP that websites see when you browse, you'll need to check your public IP online.

5. How to Find IP Address on iPhone and Android

Finding your IP on a phone is even easier than on a computer—just a few taps. But again, clarify whether you want the local IP assigned by Wi-Fi or the public egress IP when using mobile data.

iPhone: Find Local IP

Once your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings → Wi-Fi.

2. Find the Wi-Fi network you're connected to and tap the blue "i" info icon on the right.

3. Scroll down to see the "IPv4 Address", Subnet Mask, and Router.

For example, 192.168.1.108 is your iPhone's temporary address on your home LAN, only useful within your own Wi-Fi.

Android: Find Local IP

Android menus vary by brand (Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, etc.), but the path is generally similar:

• Common method: Go to Settings → WLAN / Wi-Fi, tap the connected network name, or tap the arrow/settings icon next to it to enter "Network details", where you'll see the IP address.

• Alternative path: Some phones also show the IP under Settings → About phone → Status.

This will also show a private address like 192.168.x.x.

How to Find Your Phone's Public IP

If you want to know the real IP your phone uses when browsing or streaming, you won't find it in system settings. Use a browser:

• Open a browser and go to the Chahu IP Lookup page.

• As soon as the page loads, your current public IP will be displayed—no manual input needed.

The most practical use of checking your public IP via browser is to compare networks: check once while on home Wi-Fi and note the address, then turn off Wi-Fi and use 5G/4G data, refresh the page, and you'll see the IP change immediately.

The reason is straightforward: when on Wi-Fi, your traffic goes through your home broadband; when on mobile data, it goes through the carrier's base station, so the public IP is different.

6. Why Do My Computer and Phone Show the Same Public IP?

This is a common question when checking local IPs.

Suppose your computer's local IP is:

192.168.1.10

And your phone's local IP is:

192.168.1.20

They look different, but when you open an online IP lookup page on both devices, they might show the same public IPv4.

This isn't contradictory.

Home and office networks typically use NAT (Network Address Translation) to let multiple devices share a single internet egress.

In simple terms:

Computer 192.168.1.10 ─┐
                    │
Phone 192.168.1.20 ─┼── Router ── Public IP 120.xxx.xxx.xxx
                    │
TV 192.168.1.30 ─┘

On your home LAN, they are three different devices with their own IPs. But when accessing the internet, external websites see the same egress address.

Therefore, different local IPs do not necessarily mean different public IPs.

Conversely, if your phone switches to 5G (bypassing your home router), its public IP will likely be different.

7. Why Does My Local IP Change?

Many people notice their IP changes after a few days.

This is usually normal.

1. Home Broadband Uses Dynamic IP

Typical home broadband does not guarantee a permanent public IPv4.

Reconnecting, restarting your modem or router, or the ISP reassigning addresses can all cause your public IP to change.

So, if you see a different IP today than a few days ago, it doesn't necessarily indicate a problem.

2. Phone Switched Networks

When your phone is on Wi-Fi, the traffic path is:

Phone
 ↓
Wi-Fi Router
 ↓
Home Broadband
 ↓
Internet

When you switch to 4G or 5G, it becomes:

Phone
 ↓
Carrier Base Station
 ↓
Mobile Network
 ↓
Internet

Different egress, different IP.

3. Changed Wi-Fi Networks

Switching from home to a coffee shop, hotel, airport, or office Wi-Fi means using a different internet egress, so your public IP will usually change.

4. Using VPN or Proxy

When a VPN or proxy is active, your requests may go through a proxy server first, then to the target website.

In that case, the website sees the proxy's egress IP, not your broadband's direct IP.

To quickly check if your proxy switched successfully, open an IP lookup page before and after connecting, and compare the results.

However, a change in public IPv4 alone doesn't confirm that all traffic goes through the proxy; you also need to consider proxy mode, IPv6, DNS, etc.

8. Why Does Online Lookup Differ from ipconfig?

By now, this should be clear.

Different methods show addresses at different network layers.

For example, Windows shows:

192.168.1.105

While online lookup shows:

120.230.xxx.xxx

Neither is wrong.

Think of it this way:

192.168.1.105 is "your computer's address at home," while 120.230.xxx.xxx is "your home network's address on the internet."

Once you understand this, most "why do I see two IPs" questions are resolved.

9. How to Interpret Common Local IP Addresses

After finding your IP, you can make a quick judgment based on its format.

192.168.x.x

This is one of the most common private IPv4 ranges.

Home routers often assign addresses like:

192.168.0.10
192.168.1.20
192.168.31.100

Seeing this IP doesn't mean your public IP is the same.

10.x.x.x

10.0.0.0/8 is also a private IPv4 range, common in corporate networks, large LANs, and some virtual network environments.

For example:

10.0.0.25

This is generally not a public address.

172.16.x.x to 172.31.x.x

This range is also private.

Note that not all 172.x.x.x addresses are private; the private range is only:

172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255

So don't assume an IP starting with 172 is private.

fe80:: Prefix

If you see an address like:

fe80::xxxx:xxxx:xxxx

This is an IPv6 link-local address, used for communication on the same link.

Having a fe80:: address doesn't mean you have proper public IPv6 connectivity.

"Local IP lookup" seems simple, but the real confusion often comes from mixing up public and local IPs. If you just want to know the IP you're presenting to the internet, open the Chahu IP Lookup page—no commands or system menus needed. If you're troubleshooting connectivity between your computer, phone, and router, check the LAN IP from Windows, Mac, iPhone, or Android. When you encounter issues like websites not loading, IPv6 not working, proxy IP not changing, or ISP line problems, combine IP lookup with DNS, Ping, and Traceroute to pinpoint the problem layer.

FAQ

Q1: Why do my phone and computer show the same public IP when connected to home Wi-Fi?

A: Because they share the same broadband egress. The router uses NAT (Network Address Translation), which acts like a mailroom: although your computer, phone, and tablet have unique private IPs on the LAN (e.g., 192.168.1.X), when they access the internet, they all use the same public IP assigned to the router by your ISP.

Q2: When using a proxy or VPN, which IP is real—the local IP or the online one?

A: Both are real, but they represent different layers. The command line (e.g., ipconfig) shows your device's physical LAN IP, representing the connection between your device and the router. The online lookup shows the public egress IP after traffic is forwarded through the proxy or VPN. If the online IP matches the proxy's IP, your public traffic is successfully going through the proxy.

Q3: My broadband public IP changes every few days. Is that normal? Do I need to do anything?

A: Completely normal, no action needed. Most home broadband uses dynamic public IPs. ISPs reassign IPs when your modem restarts, reconnects, or periodically to conserve address space. Only business lines or paid static IP services guarantee a permanent address.

Q4: What is the fe80:: address in my system settings? Is it IPv6?

A: That's an IPv6 link-local address, similar to a private IPv4 address. It's automatically generated when IPv6 is enabled and is only used for communication within the same LAN. Seeing it does not mean you have public IPv6 connectivity. To check your public IPv6, use an online lookup.

Q5: Is it a security risk if someone knows my public IP?

A: The risk for typical home users is very low. First, a public IP only reveals your city or ISP, not your exact address. Second, home routers have built-in firewalls, and home IPs are usually dynamic (they change on reconnect). As long as you haven't enabled port forwarding (e.g., exposing port 3389 for Remote Desktop), outsiders cannot directly hack into your computer.