To change your public IP on iPhone or Android, switch your phone from Wi-Fi to mobile data or connect a VPN. Aeroplane mode can also get you a new address from your operator, but the result depends on their network. For an IP in a different country, choose a VPN server in the location you need. After each step, refresh the IP-checking page in your browser: the address shown in the Wi-Fi settings is a different one.
Which address are we changing on the phone?
An IP address is the address of a device or connection on a network. The local one is what your phone needs inside your home network, for example 192.168.1.25. Websites see the public one. That is the one we are changing.
| Where you look | What you see | What it is useful for |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi network details | The phone's local address | Checking the connection to the router |
| IP-checking page in the browser | The public address of the current connection | Confirming that a website sees the new IP |
For other devices, the homepage lists all the ways to change your IP and location. Here we are working with a phone.
Switch networks or reconnect to your operator
Your home broadband provider and your mobile operator use different networks and public IPs. Even if both services come from the same company, the mobile connection bypasses your home router.
Switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data
- Turn off the VPN. Open the IP-checking page in your browser and note the address. In Safari, bear in mind the iCloud Private Relay behaviour described below.
- Turn off Wi-Fi. On iPhone, enable Settings → Mobile Data → Mobile Data; on Android, enable mobile internet in the quick settings.
- Wait for the phone to connect to the mobile network and refresh the same page in the same browser.
If the address has changed, the task is done.
In the UK, the exit country will usually remain British. The city shown in the check may change: a mobile IP does not pinpoint the phone's location. When roaming, the country depends on the operator's routing.
Toggle aeroplane mode on and off
- Turn off Wi-Fi so that you are testing the mobile connection specifically.
- Turn on aeroplane mode and wait for the mobile network to disconnect.
- Turn off aeroplane mode, wait for mobile internet to come back and check the IP again.
The phone has reconnected to the operator. The address may have changed.
The previous address may persist because of CGNAT — carrier-grade address translation, in which several subscribers share a single public IPv4 address. RFC 6888 describes this mechanism. A new internal address does not mean a new external one.
If the IP is unchanged, I would not advise toggling aeroplane mode endlessly. Switch to a different network, or read how to change your IP through your provider or mobile network.
What do the Wi-Fi settings change on iPhone and Android?
Manually setting the IP in the Wi-Fi section changes the local address. Websites will keep seeing the home network's exit point. If you enter an unsuitable address, the connection will break; I would leave it on automatic.
DHCP, the protocol for automatic network configuration, allows the router to reissue the previous address. The Forget This Network command does not change the public IP either.
On iPhone, open Settings → Wi-Fi → the details button next to the network → Private Wi-Fi Address. This feature changes the MAC address — the phone's identifier within the Wi-Fi network. According to Apple's support page, the feature has been available since iOS 14. In iOS 18 and later, the rotating mode changes the MAC every two weeks.
| Action | Public IP for websites | Can you choose a country? | What happens inside the network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi → mobile data | Usually changes | No | The phone moves onto the operator's network |
| Aeroplane mode | May change | No | The mobile connection is created anew |
| Manual IP in Wi-Fi settings | Does not change | No | The local address changes |
| Private Wi-Fi Address | Does not change | No | The MAC changes; the local IP may be renewed |
| iCloud Private Relay | Safari uses a temporary IP | No | The connection goes through relays |
| VPN client | Traffic routed through it shows the server's IP | Yes, from the available locations | Traffic goes through the chosen connection |
Connect a VPN on iPhone or Android
A VPN, a virtual private network, routes your connection through a server whose address the website sees. The client is the app on your phone that manages the connection.
Connect a VPN on iPhone or Android
A VPN, a virtual private network, routes your connection through a server whose address the website sees.
Apps with location permission get your real position from GPS, Wi-Fi and the mobile network regardless of the VPN.
I recommend CitadelVPN: a subscription link from your account dashboard loads the connections into a compatible client. Among the compatible clients listed are, for example, Hiddify and Streisand. Before installing, I would check that the client is compatible with your OS version.
- Install a compatible client for your platform and copy the subscription link from your CitadelVPN dashboard.
- Add the link to the client via the subscription import feature. The wording of the option depends on the app.
- Refresh the list of connections and choose a server. If you need a different country, go by the server location.
- Start the connection and confirm the system prompt to create the VPN configuration.
- Open the browser and refresh the IP-checking page.
The check will show the exit address. A VPN icon alone is not enough to verify the result.
On Android, the path is usually: Settings → Network & internet → VPN. The menu depends on the manufacturer; some steps in Google's instructions require Android 14 or later. If the section is missing, I would search for VPN in the settings.
Choosing a location and the reasons why a website keeps showing your previous region are covered separately: how to choose your exit country with a VPN.
Check the address separately from geolocation
Refresh the same page in the same browser: a checking app may cache the old result. If you see both IPv4 and IPv6, the two versions of the internet address, compare the corresponding rows.
iCloud Private Relay, part of iCloud+, gives Safari a temporary IP, as Apple describes. It is not a substitute for a device-wide VPN (and is not available in all countries). I would use it for browser privacy; to choose a country, you need a VPN client.
An example scenario: at home in London, you connect to a server in France. The check shows a French IP, while the map shows London. Everything is working: the map got its coordinates from the location services.
GPS is a satellite-based positioning system. Apps with location permission get your real position from GPS, Wi-Fi and the mobile network regardless of the VPN. On iPhone, permissions are in Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services; on Android, check the location permission for the app in question.
What else should you check on the phone?
Why does my IP change when I leave home?
The phone switches to mobile internet. It has no need to keep your home IP for normal use.
Does the Private Wi-Fi Address hide my IP from websites?
No. It changes the phone's identifier within the Wi-Fi network. For websites, the result is judged by the public IP in the browser.
Can you choose a country with iCloud Private Relay?
No. To choose a country, connect to a VPN server in the location you need.
Choose the action that matches the result you need
For a new IP, switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data. Aeroplane mode may help too, but the operator may keep the same address. For an IP in a country of your choice, connect a VPN and check the result in the browser. A private MAC does not change the public IP, and app coordinates depend on location permissions.