How to hide your IP address

Your IP address tells websites roughly where you are and which internet provider you use. That is how they work out which language to show you, but it is also how they, and the advertisers they work with, can follow you from visit to visit. Hiding your IP address means sending your traffic through someone else's server, so websites see that server's address instead of yours.

Before you start, check your current IP address so you can compare it afterwards.

1. Use a VPN

A VPN (virtual private network) creates an encrypted tunnel from your device to a server run by the VPN company. Websites see the VPN server's IP address, and your internet provider and anyone else on your network only see scrambled data going to the VPN.

• Good for: everyday privacy, public Wi-Fi, appearing to be in another country.
• Downsides: good ones cost a few euros a month, and you have to trust the VPN company, which can see your traffic instead of your provider.

New to VPNs? Read what is a VPN? for how they work and how to choose one.

2. Use the Tor Browser

Tor sends your traffic through three volunteer-run servers, each of which only knows the one before and after it. No single server knows both who you are and what you are looking at. The free Tor Browser, from the Tor Project, sets this up for you.

• Good for: strong privacy at no cost.
• Downsides: noticeably slower, some websites block Tor or show extra captchas, and it only protects what you do inside the Tor Browser.

3. Use a proxy server

A proxy forwards your requests to websites on your behalf, so they see the proxy's IP address. Unlike a VPN, a proxy usually covers only your browser or a single app, and often doesn't encrypt anything on its own.

• Good for: quickly changing the IP address a single website sees.
• Downsides: little real privacy, and free public proxies are often slow, unreliable or run by people who want to read your traffic.

4. Use a privacy relay built into your browser or device

Some platforms include a relay that hides your IP address in the browser. Apple's iCloud Private Relay, part of a paid iCloud+ subscription, hides your IP address in Safari while keeping your rough location so local results still work. Some browsers include a free built-in "VPN", which in practice is usually a browser proxy.

• Good for: effortless everyday privacy if you already use the platform.
• Downsides: usually only covers the browser, and you can't always choose a country.

5. Switch networks

Connecting through your phone's mobile data or another Wi-Fi network gives you a different public IP address. It doesn't hide who you are from that network's provider, but it is a quick way to get a new address, for example to check whether a website is down for everyone or just for your connection.

Which method should you use?

For most people, a reputable paid VPN is the best balance of privacy, speed and convenience. Choose Tor when privacy matters more than speed.

How to check that it worked

1. Note your IP address and location on the IPLookr homepage.
2. Turn on your VPN, open the Tor Browser or connect through your proxy.
3. Reload IPLookr. You should now see a different IP address, and usually a different location and provider.
4. Check the Time zone row. If IPLookr says your browser's time zone differs from your IP's, websites can notice that too.

What hiding your IP address doesn't do

Your IP address is only one way websites recognise you. Cookies, being logged in to Google or social media, and browser fingerprinting (combining details such as your screen size, fonts and settings) can all identify you even with a new IP address. For better privacy, combine a VPN or Tor with a privacy-focused browser, clear cookies regularly, and log out of accounts you don't need.