Whether you are trying to set up a wireless printer, configure a smart home device, or troubleshoot a network issue with your internet service provider, you will eventually be asked for your computer’s IP address.
Your local IP address is a unique string of numbers (typically looking something like 192.168.1.5 or 10.0.0.12) that your home Wi-Fi router assigns to your Mac so it can send data to the correct machine.
Finding this number on macOS takes just a few clicks in your System Settings.
How to Find Your IP Address (macOS Ventura and Later)
If you are running a modern version of macOS (Ventura, Sonoma, or Sequoia), Apple redesigned the settings menu to look more like an iPad.
- Click the Apple Logo in the top-left corner of your menu bar.
- Click System Settings…
- In the left-hand sidebar, click on Wi-Fi (or Network, if you are plugged in with an Ethernet cable).
- Look for the Wi-Fi network you are currently connected to (it will have a green dot next to it) and click the Details… button next to it.
- A small window will pop up. Scroll down slightly until you see the section labeled IP Address.
The sequence of numbers listed there is your Mac’s local IP address on your home network.
How to Find Your IP Address (macOS Monterey and Older)
If you are using an older Mac that cannot upgrade to the newer operating systems, the settings menu looks a bit different.
- Click the Apple Logo in the top-left corner.
- Click System Preferences…
- Find and click on the Network icon (it looks like a blue globe).
- In the left-hand sidebar, select your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet). It will have a green dot next to it.
- Look at the right side of the window. Right under your connection status, you will see a sentence that reads something like: “Wi-Fi is connected to HomeNetwork and has the IP address 192.168.1.5.”
Public vs. Private IP Addresses
It is important to note that the IP address you find in System Settings is your Local (Private) IP Address. This is the address your home router uses to talk to your Mac.
If a remote IT technician asks for your IP address so they can remote into your computer over the internet, they need your Public IP Address. This is the address your internet service provider assigns to your entire house.
To find your Public IP address, you don’t use System Settings. Simply open your web browser, go to Google, and search for “What is my IP”. Google will display your public IP address at the very top of the search results.