Can an IP address show someone's exact location?
No. IP geolocation estimates a general area, often a city or region. It does not show someone's home address or precise, real-time location.
Your address, mapped
IP address lookup on a live map.
Every connection has a story. Find yours. Enter any IPv4 or IPv6 address, or leave the field blank, to see its approximate location, internet provider and timezone on a live map.
IP address location
Finding your public IP address…
Approximate location
Interactive mapIP locations are approximate. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
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Connection details
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The essentials
What is an IP address?
A simple guide to the numbers that help the internet find its way.
What is an IP address used for?
An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a number assigned to a device or network so it can send and receive data across the internet or a local network.
When a browser requests a website, IP addresses route data between that website and your network. This lookup shows the public IP address that internet services see.
What is the difference between a public and a private IP address?
A public IP address is the one the internet sees; a private IP address is used only inside your home or office network.
Many devices in one home or office share a single public address through the router. A private address is not normally reachable from the public internet.
What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?
IPv4 and IPv6 are the two formats of IP address: IPv4 has a limited pool, and IPv6 was introduced to support far more connected devices.
| IPv4 | IPv6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Looks like | Four numbers separated by dots | Groups of hexadecimal characters separated by colons |
| Example | 74.116.186.22 | 2001:4860:4860::8888 |
| Address pool | Limited | Far larger, built for more devices |
| Works in this lookup | Yes | Yes |
What does an IP address lookup tell you?
An IP lookup shows the estimated country, region, city, internet provider and timezone linked to an address, not the location of a specific person or device.
| Detail | What it means | How precise |
|---|---|---|
| Country, region, city | Where the network is registered or routed | An estimate, often a city or region |
| Internet provider | The company that runs the network | Depends on the provider's data |
| Timezone | The local time zone of that area | Follows the estimated location |
| Map marker | An approximate network location | Not a home address or real-time position |
How accurate is IP location tracking?
IP location is an estimate of a general area, often a city or region, and it can be off.
Things that can move the result away from where a device really is:
- Providers routing traffic through equipment in another town or region
- Mobile networks and corporate gateways
- VPNs and proxies
- IP location databases that differ or are out of date
Use the map as a general indication, not for navigation, emergency response or identifying a person.
Is my IP lookup private?
The address you search, or your own public IP on an automatic lookup, is sent to a geolocation provider to return results, and this page keeps no account or lookup history.
Map images are supplied by OpenStreetMap's tile servers.
Quick answers
IP address lookup FAQs
Is this my public or private IP address?
The automatic lookup detects the public IP address used to reach the geolocation service. A device can also have a separate private address on its local Wi-Fi or office network.
Why is my IP address location inaccurate?
Provider routing, VPNs, proxies, mobile networks, and shared connections can all affect an estimate. IP location databases can also vary or be out of date.
Does this tool support IPv4 and IPv6?
Yes. You can enter an IPv4 or IPv6 address. Whether map and provider details are available depends on the geolocation service's data for that address.