How to change your IP address, every method

The quick answer: six ways to change your IP

If you want to change your IP address right now, the fastest options are switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data, or connecting to a VPN. Both give websites a different address within seconds. Restarting your router sometimes works too, if your broadband uses a dynamic address. Asking your provider, using a proxy or using Tor are the other routes, each with its own trade-offs.

It helps to be clear about what a new IP achieves. It can get you past a temporary block, make you appear in a different location, or keep your home connection separate from the sites you visit. It does not sign you out of accounts, clear cookies or make you anonymous by itself. Those depend on how you browse as much as on the address.

Before choosing a method, it is worth knowing which IP address you are actually changing, because every device has more than one. The next section explains the difference between public and private addresses, and why only one of them matters to the websites you visit. After that, we go through each method in turn and finish with how to check the result.

Public vs private IP addresses

Your router gives each device in your home a private IP address, often starting with 192.168 or 10. These addresses only mean something inside your own network, and millions of households use exactly the same ones. Changing a private address in your device settings can fix a local conflict, but websites never see it, so it will not change what the internet sees.

The address that matters is your public IP. That is the one your internet provider assigns to your router, and every device in the house shares it when talking to the outside world. Websites, games and streaming services see this address and use it to estimate your location and recognise returning visitors. When people ask how to change their IP, this is almost always the one they mean.

On mobile data the arrangement is similar, although your mobile network may share one public address among many customers at once. That is why your phone can show a different public IP from your home broadband, and why it may change as you move around. Every method below works on the public address, and none of them needs you to touch your private one.

Restart your router, ask your provider, or switch to mobile data

Most UK home broadband uses dynamic public addresses, which your provider can reassign. Turning your router off, waiting a few minutes and turning it back on sometimes produces a new one. It is not guaranteed, because many providers hand the same address back for days or weeks. Leaving the router off for longer can help, though that is inconvenient for everyone else at home.

You can also ask your provider. Some will issue a new address on request, particularly if you have a genuine problem such as a block on a service you rely on. Others sell a static IP for a fee, which is the opposite of what you want if the goal is change. Be ready to explain why you are asking, and do not expect every provider to help.

Switching to mobile data is the simplest trick of all. Turn off Wi-Fi on your phone and you are instantly on a different network with a different public address. Tethering a laptop to your phone does the same for a computer. The limits are data allowances, patchy signal and the fact that your mobile network can still see where you go.

Proxies, Tor and VPNs

A proxy sits between your browser and a website and forwards requests on your behalf, so the site sees the proxy's address. Many proxies only cover one browser or one app, and free ones may not encrypt your traffic at all. They are handy for a quick location check, but they are a poor fit when you want the whole device covered or when privacy matters.

Tor routes traffic through three volunteer relays, each of which only knows the step before and after it. The site sees the address of the final relay, and the path changes regularly. It offers strong anonymity, but it is slow, many sites challenge Tor visitors, and it is not suited to streaming or large downloads. ROOT VPN can also route you into Tor from a server, as Tor over VPN.

A VPN changes your public IP for every app on the device at once, and encrypts the traffic between you and the server. You connect in a tap, can choose a location, and can switch back just as easily. Your internet provider sees only a connection to the VPN, and websites see the server's address. For most people who want a new IP regularly, this is the practical choice.

Watch out for IPv6 leaks

Many connections now carry two kinds of public address. IPv4 is the familiar format of four numbers, and IPv6 is the newer, much longer format that providers are gradually rolling out. If your connection has both, a device may reach a website over IPv6 even after you have changed your IPv4 address, which means the site could still see an address linked to your home.

This is known as an IPv6 leak. A VPN app can deal with it either by sending IPv6 traffic through the tunnel or by blocking it while you are connected. Proxies and some manual setups often do not, because they were only configured for IPv4. The same risk applies to DNS lookups, which can slip outside the tunnel if a setup is incomplete.

You do not need to understand the details to protect yourself. The practical step is to check the result after you connect, rather than assuming the change worked. If your usual provider still shows up anywhere alongside the new address, the method you are using is only doing half the job, and it is worth checking with your provider how it handles IPv6.

How to check it changed, and when a VPN is the right answer

Note your current address before you start. ROOT VPN has a free what is my IP tool on its website that shows the public address websites currently see, along with an approximate location. Open it before you make any change, then open it again afterwards. If the address and location have changed, your method worked. If your usual provider still appears, see the section above on leaks.

A router restart or mobile data is enough for a one off change, for example to clear a temporary block. A proxy suits a quick check in a single browser. Tor is the right tool when anonymity matters more than speed. For everyday privacy, choosing locations and keeping your provider out of your browsing, a VPN is the most practical answer for most people.

The ROOT VPN Free plan gives you unlimited data on one device and connects to the fastest automatic location, which is enough to change your IP whenever you like. Choosing a specific country or city is part of Premium, available with Plus or Pro, or by opting in to sharing on Free. Paid plans never share, and you can switch location as often as you need.