How to Find IP Address on Mac: A Step-by-Step Guide

There are many reasons for you to know your Mac’s IP address. For example, you might have to connect to a printer. Other scenarios can be getting to network settings, solving connectivity problems, or administering network security. The IP address Mac is just an identification number given for each device on the network.

In this complete guide, we will cover different ways you can find both your public and private IP addresses on your Mac. Regardless of your preferred method—whether System Settings, Terminal commands, or anything else in between—we've outlined simple step-by-step instructions on how to find IP address on Mac regardless of your use case. Read on to learn how.

Can I Find My IP address with My Mac Address?

You might be wondering if I can find my IP address Mac. Indeed, you can find your IP address with your Mac address. It is important for you to know the difference between your device’s IP address and its Mac address. The network interface controller (NIC) manufacturer assigns each one of them a unique identifier, which is called a Mac address. It's impossible to change the Mac address, which is static for that hardware.

Instead, your router's Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server assigns an IP address. A Mac address stays the same, but an IP can change. While it’s useful to know either type of address in specific situations, the two are for different purposes. Moving to the next section, let’s take a look at how to find my IP address on Mac.

How to Find IP Address on Mac?

Finding your Mac's IP address is simple using the System Settings menu. Here are the steps for how to find Mac IP address:

1. Open System Settings

To get started, click the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen and select System Settings from the dropdown menu. This opens the system preferences panel.

2. Select Network

In the Internet & Wireless section on the left side of the System Settings window, click on Network. This will display information about your connected network.

3. Check Network Name

Under the Network section, you will see the name of the Wi-Fi or ethernet network you are currently connected to. Verify it is the correct network name.

4. Click Advanced

Now click the Advanced button in the bottom right corner to view more detailed network information.

5. Select TCP/IP

In the Advanced Settings menu, choose TCP/IP at the top to display the IP address configuration.

6. View IP Address

Under Configure IPv4, you will find the IP Address listed for your Mac on that network. The number beside "IPv4 Address" is your Mac's local private IP address, which you can reference.

How to Find IP Address on Mac Terminal?

More tech-savvy users can also find IP addresses through the Mac Terminal app. Follow these steps for Mac get IP address:

1. Open Terminal

Use Spotlight search or navigate to Applications > Utilities and launch Terminal. This opens a command line interface window.

2. Enter ‘ipconfig getifaddr en0’

At the Terminal prompt, type in “ipconfig getifaddr en0” and press Enter. This will return your Mac's local private IP address.

3. Enter ‘curl ipconfig.me’

To find your Mac's public IP address, enter this command: “curl ipconfig.me”. Once the curl command is run, the Terminal will display the current public IP address your Mac is using to connect to the internet after running that curl command.

How to Find Your Public IP Address on Mac?

If you don't want to use Terminal commands, here is another way for how to Mac find IP address:

1. Access System Settings

First, you need to access the system settings. To do so, click the Apple menu and select System Settings.

2. Open ‘Network’

Now, click Network in the left sidebar to open the available Networks on your Mac.

3. Select the Type of Connection

There are two main types of connections: WiFi and Ethernet. Choose either Wi-Fi or Ethernet, depending on your active connection.

4. Look for Details

Now, you need to click Details next to the connected network name.

5. Check Public IP Address

Scroll down to see the IP Address listed publicly.

How to Find Printer’s IP Address on Your Mac?

Finding the printer’s IP address is much easier than finding a private or public IP address. Here are the simple steps you can follow for how to find printer IP address on Mac:

1. Click the Apple icon menu and choose System Preferences

2. Click Printers & Scanners

3. Select your target printer on the left side panel

4. The printer’s IP address will be displayed beside its Location

How to Keep Your Mac’s IP Address Secure?

Here are some tips to keep your IP address safe and prevent issues like hacking or DDoS attacks:

• Use a VPN to mask your IP address traffic

• Enable a firewall like iptables on Mac to monitor incoming network connections

• Be careful when torrenting files or accessing risky sites to avoid exposing your IP publicly

• Regularly monitor internet-exposed devices like security cameras that use port forwarding rules

• Don't click suspicious links in emails that could execute IP-revealing scripts

• Disable remote login access to minimize external control over your Mac

FAQs

Where to find IP address on Mac?

You can find your Mac's local private IP address in System Settings > Network > Advanced > TCP/IP. Or use Terminal commands like “ipconfig getifaddr en0” to display local IP addresses.

What is the shortcut to find IP address on a Mac?

There are no shortcuts on a Mac to directly surface IP address information. But you can quickly open System Settings with the command + shortcut and navigate to Network status and configuration details.

How do I locate my IP address?

To locate your public IP address on a Mac, choose Apple Menu > System Settings > Network > Details > IP Address. For all local private network IP addresses on a Mac, go to System Settings > Network > Advanced > TCP/IP.

Conclusion

Finding your Mac computer's IP address is simple using the System Settings menu, built-in Terminal commands, and other methods outlined here. You can locate both private local network IPs and public internet-facing IPs.

We covered multiple straightforward ways to find IP addresses on Mac OS, including Wi-Fi and ethernet connections. Follow the step-by-step instructions provided above to locate IP addresses on your Apple computer whenever needed.