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How to Hide My IP Address in 2025: 3 Best Ways
Enhancing your privacy is easier than you think.
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Last Updated: March 9, 2025
Hit enter to show more results
Enhancing your privacy is easier than you think.
Last Updated: March 9, 2025
Table of Contents:
Your IP address is a unique identifier for your device and can reveal your approximate location to websites and online services. Since it is visible to everyone on the Internet, it can be tracked and potentially misused. While it is impossible to browse the web without an IP address, you can hide or change it to enhance your privacy and security.
These are the three best methods you can use to hide your IP address:
In the following section, I will provide detailed instructions for hiding your IP address using the above methods, along with key differences to help you choose the best option for your needs. Read on to learn how to change or hide your IP address to enhance your location privacy.
IP stands for Internet Protocol. Every device connected to the internet has a public and a private IP address. Private IP addresses are unique to each device and serve to identify devices within your own network. On the other hand, public IP addresses are used on the public internet to send and receive traffic.
Public IP addresses are similar to physical addresses. Like a mailman, a website also needs an address to deliver data. However, your public IP address is indeed public, which has its downsides.
Your device’s information and real location are visible to the websites you visit, so you get ads customized to your location, language, and even personal interests.
If you’re not interested in learning about each different way to hide your IP address and just want to get it done right now, here’s my recommendation for the safest and most efficient way to hide your exact location and protect your privacy online.
1. Download a premium VPN like ExpressVPN.
2. Sign up and pick a plan that’s best for you.
3. Download and launch ExpressVPN, then hit the power button. You’ll automatically be connected to the fastest VPN server, and your IP address will be replaced with the VPN server’s.
Hundreds of VPNs are available online, but not all are safe. Some, especially free VPNs, even track your internet activity and sell your data to advertising networks.
A good VPN hides your IP address and encrypts your online data, preventing others from seeing your physical location or browsing activity (except for the VPN server itself). This ensures that the websites only detect the IP address assigned by the VPN, not your real one.
Many VPNs offer global server networks with thousands of servers. When you connect to a VPN server, your actual location is masked and replaced with the VPN server’s IP address. This allows you to switch virtual locations easily.
Additionally, VPNs enable multiple device connections simultaneously, with each device appearing to operate from a different location. Surfshark, for example, allows unlimited device connections.
Here are my top three recommendations for secure, fast, and user-friendly VPNs that hide your IP address from other internet users, your internet provider, and the websites you visit.
To help you browse the internet anonymously, each of these VPNs uses the gold-standard AES 256-bit encryption, which governments also use to secure sensitive data. Additionally, all three VPNs have additional features like a kill switch and DNS leak protection to keep your IP address hidden even if your VPN unexpectedly disconnects.
All the VPNs on my list offer excellent speeds. While using a VPN may slightly reduce your connection speed due to encryption and server routing, I have selected the ones that performed best in speed tests.
I haven’t included free VPNs, but all of the listed options come with a money-back guarantee, allowing you to try them risk-free. They’re all easy to use and install on various operating systems to hide your IP address on almost any device.
ExpressVPN is the best-performing VPN overall. It’s simple and intuitive to use, providing exceptional speeds on 3,000+ servers worldwide. It will hide your IP address and keep your internet activity fully protected.
Each ExpressVPN server contains multiple IPs, and your IP address is frequently rotated so you can avoid IP bans and make your real IP even more difficult to discover.
ExpressVPN uses TrustedServer technology, which prevents data exposure by ensuring your online data won’t ever be written to a hard drive. Its servers run entirely on RAM memory, and all your online information is wiped clean each time you reboot your device.
ExpressVPN’s only flaw is that it’s a bit more expensive than most other premium VPNs. However, there are often discounts on long-term plans.
You can also claim a refund within the first 30 days after purchase or get a 7-day free trial on your mobile device.
Surfshark offers 3,200+ servers in 100 countries. Whenever you establish a VPN connection to a specific location, Surfshark will give you a different IP address. This follows a Round-Robin-like system, where IP addresses are distributed in a rotating manner. Once you disconnect, your IP is reassigned to another user, and you will receive a new one the next time you connect.
Surfshark also provides 36 Static Servers that allow you to use the same IP address each time you connect. I prefer using them to avoid frequent CAPTCHAs and other identity verification prompts while connecting to a server or visiting certain websites.
Surfshark’s MultiHop servers, also known as Double VPN, enhance your privacy by routing your traffic via two VPN servers. Surfshark also offers a Rotating IP feature, which automatically changes your IP address every 5–10 minutes while keeping your server location the same. This makes it even more challenging to discover your actual IP address.
Like ExpressVPN, you can get your money back within the first 30 days after subscribing. Surfshark also gives you unlimited device connections, and at the time of writing this article, its yearly plan was half the price of ExpressVPN’s.
CyberGhost has a vast network of 11,000+ servers across 100 countries, which means you can change IP addresses as frequently as you want and never use the same IP twice. Remember to turn on CyberGhost’s Block Content feature so you can browse and stream without ads, trackers, and other distractions.
If you want to hide your IP address, you’re most likely concerned about your online privacy. So, you’ll be glad to know that CyberGhost offers a Security Suite for Windows, which includes an antivirus, app scanner, and privacy guard. Additionally, the VPN comes with cutting-edge security features and a strict no-logs policy to keep your online data private.
CyberGhost offers a simple, well-designed app that is easy to navigate. At the time of writing, it was the most affordable VPN on my list, starting at $2.19/month for a 2-year subscription, plus an additional 2 months free. However, if you want to connect multiple devices, Surfshark might provide better value, as it allows unlimited simultaneous connections, which is an excellent choice for larger households.
One of CyberGhost’s standout features is its 45-day money-back guarantee on annual plans, which is one of the longest refund policies available among premium VPNs. If you decide to get a monthly plan, you’ll only get a 14-day refund period.
If you want to hide your original IP address and browse anonymously without connecting to a VPN or proxy server, Tor is a great option. It is an open-source software that allows you to browse without revealing personal details, unlike VPN, which often requires payment information. The Tor browser is also completely free.
It takes less than 5 minutes to install and access Tor. Just follow these simple steps to use it on your device and hide your actual IP address:
1. Visit the Tor Project website and click on Download.
2. Choose your operating system.
3. Open the installation file and start the installation. Once it is finished, you’ll be ready to run the Tor browser.
4. After clicking on Connect, Tor will mask your IP address by routing it through multiple servers known as nodes.
Similar to a VPN, a proxy routes your internet traffic through an intermediary server, masking your IP address. However, unlike a VPN, it does not encrypt your data or offer additional security features. This means your online activity and personal information may still be visible to internet service providers and third parties.
Connecting to a proxy server will drastically reduce your speeds unless you use a premium proxy provider. If you’re already paying or considering paying for a proxy server, in that case, I recommend getting a VPN, as it’s a more secure option that will hide your browsing activity.
Some VPNs offer free proxy extensions for Chrome and Firefox. However, these proxies provide limited features compared to VPNs. For example, with CyberGhost’s free proxy extension, you can hide your IP address by connecting to a proxy server in only four countries: the US, Romania, the Netherlands, and Germany.
There are a few other ways to obtain a different IP address, but they do not guarantee complete privacy or effectively hide your online activity. While they may be useful in specific situations, such as troubleshooting connection issues on a particular website, they offer minimal security and do not protect your data.
If you need to change your IP address immediately, switch to mobile data. Whenever you turn your mobile data on and off, your carrier assigns a new IP address every time. Note that your mobile data speed may be worse than your Wi-Fi and doesn’t offer data encryption. However, your mobile data is a bit more secure than Wi-Fi, and it can still get you a different IP address than you’d get on other networks.
Connecting to public Wi-Fi can assign you a different IP address, but this method comes with significant risks. Public networks are often insecure, making them easy targets for cybercriminals who can steal your password or infect your device with malware. So, I don’t recommend using public Wi-Fi or public IP addresses to hide your IP address, as doing so can expose you to even more dangers than protecting your privacy.
We always recommend using a VPN when you connect to public Wi-Fi. However, getting a VPN just to use public Wi-Fi to change your IP address is not practical. Instead, a VPN allows you to obtain an IP address almost anywhere in the world, eliminating the need to rely on public WiFi. Therefore, using a VPN is a much better solution, not to mention that a VPN has additional features that enhance your privacy and security online.
There are many reasons to hide your IP address. You might also want to hide your physical address to protect your privacy or bypass internet censorship and geo-restrictions.
Certain people, like online activists and journalists, may be worried about their safety if they share controversial information, so they may not want anyone to know their location or other information.
I find it uncomfortable that so much private information is visible to people I have never met, so I always prefer to use a VPN for privacy.
You can just Google “What’s my IP,” and your IP address will be displayed.
This is the easiest way, but you can visit a website like ipleak.net or whatismyip.com to check your IP address.
If you’re using a VPN or a proxy, visiting the websites I just linked is a simple way to test if your connection is secure and if there are any IP or DNS leaks. Suppose you see your actual location among the listed DNS addresses. In that case, your VPN or proxy provider leaks your data so other parties can discover your approximate location and associate your activity with you. To prevent this, use a VPN from my list above, as they’re all thoroughly tested and do not leak data.
While various ways exist to hide your IP address, a VPN is the most secure option. However, not every VPN is safe, so I suggest you only get a provider that uses military-grade AES 256-bit encryption and a kill switch. It’s also crucial that the VPN you choose doesn’t log your IP address or browsing activity. ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost all fulfill these requirements.
If you don’t want to pay for a subscription, you can use the Tor browser, free proxy servers, or a free VPN. However, as I mentioned, this isn’t nearly as safe as a premium VPN with robust security features. For those who want to be careful with their budget, several VPNs with a tested money-back guarantee are listed above, so there’s no risk in trying them out.
You can hide your IP address using the Tor browser, a free proxy, or a free VPN. However, these options are not entirely safe, so your location might still be discoverable to interested third parties.
If hiding your IP is very important to you, I recommend getting a premium VPN like ExpressVPN instead. It has a strict no-logs policy and robust security features, so your location, identity, and browsing habits are safe from hackers and spies.
Hiding your IP address isn’t illegal unless you live in a country that has banned VPN usage, like North Korea, Belarus, or Iraq. While hiding your IP address is legal in most countries, read up on your local rules and regulations to avoid getting in trouble if you're unsure about it.
Yes, your IP address is visible to every website and app you use, so hackers can discover it in the blink of an eye. But without encryption, even if you hide your IP address and hackers cannot locate you, they can still discover what you do online and steal your sensitive data, such as your passwords and credit card information.
The only way to stay fully protected is to use an encrypted VPN. This way, not only can you make it seem like you're browsing from a different country or continent, but everything you do online will be encrypted into unreadable code that's currently virtually impossible to crack.
Yes, the police can track IP addresses. Although your IP address only reveals your geolocation, don’t think the police and other third parties, like cybercriminals, haven't figured out how to get on track with your physical location. Also, your internet service provider (ISP) knows your actual address, as it's stored while signing up for your internet plan.
Yes, your IP address will change when you connect to a different Wi-Fi network. This is why connecting to public Wi-Fi might be a good way to hide your original IP address if that's your only option. However, if you really want to remain private, I recommend using a secure and trustworthy VPN like ExpressVPN, as it will also shield your online activity.
Yes. It doesn’t matter what device you use—you get an IP address when you connect to the internet. It's essential to establish an online connection and become recognizable by websites and online services.
Yes. Any action that requires you to restart your internet connection will get you a different IP address when you get online again. You get a new IP address even by toggling your mobile data off and then on.
No, two devices can't have the same private IP address, which identifies individual devices. Since the Internet uses two-way communication, every device with internet service has a unique IP address allowing data exchange with websites and online services.
However, if you use a wireless router, all devices connected to its network will have the same public IP address. This is made possible by network address translation (NAT). This process assigns private IP addresses to all devices connected through the same network, but your public IP address will be the same across the devices on your router.
No. Although Incognito is a private mode, it will only prevent your online activity from appearing in your browsing history. Incognito doesn’t hide your real IP address or make any changes to your online connection. Your ISP will still be able to see everything you do online.
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