On a Mac, you can surface your IP address in four different places — and each shows something slightly different. Here are the three you'll actually use, plus how to tell local IP from public IP.

Method 1: Option-click the Wi-Fi menu bar (fastest)

Hold Option and click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar. The expanded menu shows your current SSID, router IP, and your local IP inline — no settings to open, no commands to type. This is the shortcut to remember.

Method 2: System Settings

1. Apple menu → System Settings.
2. Click Wi-Fi (or Network on older macOS).
3. Click Details… next to the connected network.
4. Your IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, router, and DNS servers are all listed under TCP/IP.

Method 3: Terminal (scriptable)

Open Terminal and run:

ipconfig getifaddr en0

That returns just your local IPv4 on the Wi-Fi interface. For the wired Ethernet interface use en1. For a fuller dump of every interface, use ifconfig.

Local IP vs public IP on Mac

All three methods above show your local IP (usually starting with 192.168 or 10.). That's the address inside your home network. Websites never see it. To see your public IP — the one the rest of the internet sees — open our IP checker.

Seeing 169.254.x.x instead?

That's a self-assigned IP — macOS couldn't get a real address from your router. See our self-assigned IP fix guide for the usual causes and cures.

Try it now

Curious what your IP is showing the world right now? Check your IP address & location instantly with our free tool — no signup, nothing stored. Or trace any other IP to see its geolocation, ISP, and network details.