How to change your IP address: 50 practical privacy tips

01Decide what you want to protect

This guide covers ordinary privacy protection and authorised network use. Our VPN explainer covers the underlying mechanism. Here the focus is checking the complete setup.

1. Identify the observer. Advertising tracking and exposure on an unfamiliar Wi-Fi network are different problems. State who you want protection from and which information matters before choosing a tool.

2. Distinguish public and local IP. Your device’s address on a home network is not necessarily the address websites see. Changing local configuration may leave the externally visible address completely unchanged.

3. Record the starting point. Check your public IP and active connection before changing anything. A testing website also receives your address, so avoid random services requiring software installation or an account.

4. Separate location from identity. A different IP can alter a network-based location estimate. It does not change account details or location information an application receives through a permission you granted.

5. Decide the acceptable trade-off. Everyday privacy, company access and sensitive browsing call for different choices. Speed, compatibility and protection scope vary; the setup with the most options is not automatically the best.

02Choose a real way to change your public IP

A VPN moves some trust to its operator, as the FTC explains. The Tor Project describes Tor Browser’s different approach.

6. Check with your internet provider. A dynamic connection may receive another address after reconnecting, but restarting the router does not guarantee it. Ask the provider about your specific connection and any fixed address.

7. Switch to mobile data. Disable Wi-Fi and compare the address over the mobile network. This changes the connection, not your identity; the mobile operator still provides a service associated with your subscription.

8. Use another authorised network. A connection through a different provider may change your public IP. Verify the result and network security; an unfamiliar hotspot is not inherently anonymous or trustworthy.

9. Use an appropriately configured VPN. Traffic carried through the tunnel generally reaches websites from the VPN exit address. Check application scope and exceptions before assuming every connection on the device is covered.

10. Consider Tor Browser for separate browsing. It routes browsing through Tor and includes protections against certain tracking techniques. Allow for compatibility and speed trade-offs; it does not secure the entire computer.

03Recognise what does not change public IP

Compare the documented scope of Firefox private browsing, DNS over HTTPS and local IP settings on a Mac.

11. Do not guess a manual local address. Manual IP settings configure the local network. An arbitrary value can break connectivity or conflict with another device without changing the public address websites receive.

12. Do not expect private mode to change IP. A private window limits some locally retained browsing data. It does not itself hide your public IP or account identity and is not an encrypted tunnel.

13. Do not confuse encrypted DNS with a VPN. Encrypted DNS protects queries on their way to the resolver. It does not itself replace the source IP of ordinary web connections or tunnel all device traffic.

14. Understand private Wi-Fi addresses. Private hardware addresses help limit device tracking on local networks. They operate at a different layer from public IP addresses and do not automatically create a new web identity.

15. Clear cookies with realistic expectations. Removing cookies can end sessions and remove stored identifiers. It does not erase server records or eliminate every other way of recognising a browser.

04Configure a VPN for your purpose

The EFF VPN guide discusses selection and limitations. This checklist does not recommend a paid provider or claim a hands-on comparison test.

16. Investigate the VPN operator. Identify the owner, data practices and support arrangements. A no-logs slogan alone is insufficient; examine what the policy actually covers and what evidence supports it.

17. Install from the official source. Use the operator’s website or verified app-store listing and check the publisher. A similar name or icon is not proof that an application is legitimate.

18. Distinguish an app from an extension. A browser extension may proxy only that browser. Read its actual scope; email software and other applications may continue using a different connection path.

19. Test connection-loss protection. If the VPN provides a kill switch, test it using the documented procedure. Tunnel failure, manual disconnection and device restart may not trigger identical behaviour.

20. Review split-tunnelling exceptions. List which applications or destinations bypass the VPN. An exception may be useful, but it must not become an invisible assumption when assessing privacy protection.

05Verify the actual connection path

IETF RFC 8828 explains WebRTC address exposure. Interpret a test against your configuration rather than relying only on its red or green status.

21. Check both IPv4 and IPv6. Test both where available. A changed address on one protocol does not prove the other follows the same protected route; interpret results using the service’s documentation.

22. Inspect DNS routing. Compare the resolver in use with the intended configuration. An unfamiliar company name in a test does not automatically prove a leak; first check the provider’s documented arrangement.

23. Check WebRTC in the browser you use. Real-time communication can expose additional network addresses. Distinguish a local address from your actual public IP and test the specific browser and VPN combination.

24. Retest network changes. Move from Wi-Fi to mobile data and test sleep and wake. Confirm protection resumes; a successful check immediately after manually connecting does not cover everyday usage.

25. Recheck after major updates. Review essential settings when the VPN, operating system or browser changes. Keep a dated result rather than relying indefinitely on an old screenshot showing a successful connection.

06Reduce browser tracking

The FTC describes additional identifiers in its guide to how websites and apps collect information.

26. Enable tracking protection. Use supported browser settings and test important websites. Stricter protection can affect functionality; add exceptions for a specific need and review them periodically.

27. Review third-party cookie controls. Check the browser’s protection settings. Blocking these cookies is not equivalent to blocking every form of tracking; the website’s own account and other identifiers can remain effective.

28. Remove unnecessary extensions. Review add-ons and their permissions. An extension allowed to read page content may see information you successfully conceal from the network provider.

29. Separate work and personal profiles. Separate profiles help avoid mixing accounts and cookies. They are not a strong anonymity boundary and do not conceal activity from someone administering the device.

30. Notice when you are signed in. A service recognises its account holder after login even through a different IP. Decide in advance whether sensitive browsing needs a personally identifying account at all.

07Understand Tor Browser’s scope

Follow Tor’s guidance on add-ons, identity management and safe use.

31. Get the genuine Tor Browser. Download through the official Tor Project and use the appropriate version for your device. A random browser carrying the Tor name may lack the project’s protections.

32. Avoid extra Tor Browser add-ons. The Tor Project discourages them. Customisation can make your browser distinctive or undermine protections; use the documented built-in controls instead of assembling an unverified combination.

33. Distinguish a new circuit from a new identity. A new circuit for a site does not clear its cookies. New Identity closes sessions and clears related data, so consider unfinished forms and downloads first.

34. Do not assume other apps use Tor. Running Tor Browser does not redirect email, cloud synchronisation or another browser. Assess each application according to its actual network configuration.

35. Treat external documents carefully. A file opened in another application may fetch resources outside Tor. Respect browser warnings; downloading through Tor does not protect everything that happens after opening the file elsewhere.

08Protect accounts and shared information

36. Share only necessary information. Consider whether a service needs each requested detail. Voluntarily providing your phone number or home address can identify you far more directly than a network address.

37. Use separate contact addresses. Email aliases can reveal the source of unwanted messages and make an address easier to retire. They do not guarantee anonymity from the alias provider or a service receiving other identifying details.

38. Secure account access. Use unique passwords in a password manager and supported multifactor authentication or passkeys. A new IP will not stop someone who has obtained usable access to your account.

39. Review location permissions. Check website and app permissions and remove unnecessary persistent access. A VPN does not alter GPS information an application is permitted to receive from the operating system.

40. Prepare account recovery. A different network or country may trigger a login challenge. Maintain secure recovery and backup authentication so an account lockout does not force rushed decisions about privacy settings.

09Secure devices and networks

Consult the FTC’s guide to public Wi-Fi safety. An encrypted connection and a trustworthy website are separate checks.

41. Use HTTPS and check the domain. An encrypted connection protects content in transit. It does not establish that a website is honest or prevent its operator from identifying a signed-in visitor.

42. Verify public Wi-Fi details. Ask the operator for the correct network and do not install a certificate from an unfamiliar sign-in page. Switch connections when a request seems inappropriate rather than approving it automatically.

43. Disable unnecessary sharing. Review file sharing and the network profile on unfamiliar networks. Hiding your public IP does not fix services unintentionally exposed to nearby devices on the local network.

44. Keep devices supported and updated. Maintain the operating system, browser and network equipment. Changing an address is poor compensation for leaving software with access to your data unpatched.

45. Account for managed work devices. A company computer may include device and activity management. Neither private mode nor a personal VPN establishes privacy from its administrator; follow the agreed working arrangements.

10Build a sustainable privacy routine

46. Inspect files before sharing. Check document authorship, comments, hidden sheets and photo location metadata. A different IP does not remove identifying information you publish inside an attachment.

47. Notice personalised links. Newsletter and invitation URLs may contain recipient identifiers. Avoid sharing them as generic links and remember that opening one can link activity to a known account.

48. Review advertising privacy settings. Check personalisation controls in services and the operating system. Changing one service’s setting is not a universal opt-out from tracking across the internet.

49. Keep a short configuration record. Document the tool, its protection scope and essential exceptions. When something fails, consult that record instead of adding another application whose behaviour you do not understand.

50. Verify a scenario, not a slogan. Check the address, account state, permissions and particular application. A successful test confirms that specific behaviour at that moment; it never certifies complete anonymity.

11Frequently asked questions

For a business, start with devices, access rights and network rules. If you need to review the security of a website or application, tell us about your project.