What's My IP?

Your IP address is the identifier your internet connection uses to communicate with the rest of the web. Every request you make — loading a page, sending a message, streaming a video — goes out with your IP attached, and responses come back to it. What's My IP shows you exactly what that address is, as seen from the outside.

The most common reason people check their IP is to verify a VPN connection. When a VPN is active, your traffic should appear to originate from the VPN server's IP rather than your actual location. Loading What's My IP while connected to a VPN confirms whether the tunnel is working correctly — if it shows your real IP, something is wrong with the connection. This check takes about five seconds and prevents the false confidence of thinking you're protected when you're not.

Network administrators and IT support staff use IP lookups when troubleshooting access issues. Many corporate systems, firewalls, and remote access tools are configured to allow connections from specific IP addresses. Knowing the current IP is the starting point for diagnosing why access is being blocked or for submitting an IP allowlist request.

The tool also displays whether you're connecting over IPv4 or IPv6. IPv6 adoption is ongoing, and some services handle the two protocols differently. Knowing which one your connection is using can be relevant when debugging connectivity issues with specific platforms. The result is instant, requires nothing from you, and works the same way regardless of your device or browser.