Your IP address is shown above. If your ISP uses carrier-grade NAT (common on cable and mobile connections), you may not see an IPv6 address.
A VPN masks your real IP, encrypts your traffic, and lets you appear to browse from a different location.
Get NordVPNAn IPv4 address is the four-number identifier (like 192.0.2.14) that every device on the internet has used since the 1980s. There are only about 4.3 billion possible IPv4 addresses, and that pool ran out years ago — which is why your home network usually shares one public IPv4 address across every device behind your router.
IPv6 is the newer addressing system built to replace IPv4, with a vastly larger address space (2128 addresses instead of 232). Most modern ISPs and phone carriers now assign IPv6 alongside IPv4, though some older routers and cable connections still don't support it — which is why the IPv6 box above sometimes comes back empty.
Most home and mobile connections use a dynamic IP address: your ISP assigns it from a shared pool and it can change periodically, for example when you restart your router or reconnect to a different cell tower. A static IP address stays fixed and is typically used for servers, business connections, or anyone who needs a consistent address to point a domain or service at. If you refresh this page tomorrow and see a different IPv4 address, that's normal dynamic addressing at work, not a problem.
IP-based geolocation isn't GPS — it estimates your location from which ISP owns your IP address block and where that ISP has registered it, which is often the city where the ISP's regional hub is, not your actual street address. That's why the map above might show a location in a nearby city or even a different part of your state. Mobile connections and VPNs make this even less precise, since carriers and VPN providers route traffic through a small number of hub locations.
A few common ways people change what IP address the internet sees:
VPN: Routes your traffic through a VPN provider's server, so websites see the VPN's IP instead of yours, and your traffic is encrypted in transit. This is the simplest option for most people and works on phones, laptops, and routers.
Restart your router: With a dynamic IP, power-cycling your modem/router can sometimes get you a new address from your ISP, though many ISPs now hold the same address for days or weeks regardless.
Mobile data: Switching from Wi-Fi to your phone's cellular connection puts you on a completely different IP, since it comes from your carrier's network instead of your home ISP.
Of these, a VPN is the only option that also encrypts your traffic and works consistently — see the NordVPN box above.
It can reveal your approximate city and your ISP, but on its own it doesn't identify you by name. Combined with other data (like account logins), it can be used to narrow down who you are, which is why some people choose to mask it with a VPN.
Knowing your IP alone isn't enough to break into your devices — a competent firewall and up-to-date software block most direct attacks. It can, however, be used for things like DDoS attacks against your connection or narrowing down your rough location, which is why gamers and streamers in particular often use a VPN.
Some speed loss is normal since your traffic takes a detour through the VPN server, but with a good provider and a nearby server location it's usually small. Run the speed test on this page before and after connecting to a VPN to see the real difference on your own connection.
They're often routed and registered by different systems within your ISP, so the geolocation databases can place them in different cities. Neither one is "more correct" — both are estimates.