Hide your IP address with NordVPN
Instantly hide your IP address, protect your identity, and secure yourself against malware.
How to hide your IP address
Every device connected to the internet — from your smartphone to your printer — is given an IP address to communicate with websites and other devices. Your IP address can be used to track your activity and reveal your location, so hiding your digital identity is a great way to stay private and secure online.
Masking your IP address with a VPN is the safest and fastest way to protect your privacy online. NordVPN can instantly hide your IP address, secure your online activities, and even help protect you against malware.
Different ways to hide your IP address
Hide your IP address with a VPN
A VPN hides your IP address and encrypts your online activity for maximum privacy and security. It does this by connecting you to an encrypted, private VPN server, instead of the ones owned by your ISP. This means your activity can’t be tracked, stored, or mishandled by third-parties.
To enjoy online privacy and security, just pick a trustworthy VPN service, download the app, and connect to the server of your choice. The best VPNs offer dedicated apps for all your devices, including smartphones, tablets, and even smart TVs.
Hide your IP address with Tor
If you want to hide your IP address and browse anonymously, you can use the Tor Browser — just keep in mind that you may experience sluggish speeds. You’ll also need to know the exact URL of the website you want to visit. Be cautious when using the Tor network as it has no shortage of scams, phishing sites, and malware, all designed to trick new users. We recommend always using a VPN and verifying publicly posted Tor URLs from multiple sources.
Keep in mind that anything you do outside of the Tor browser will still stay out in the open. To anonymize the activities on your regular browser, use a VPN.
Hide your IP address with a proxy server
A proxy server hides your IP address by using the IP address of the proxy server instead. A proxy server can hide your location, and some even encrypt your data making you more private and secure. It can also block access to certain websites based on their IP addresses, which is great for making the internet more child-friendly at home.
A proxy will need to be configured on your web browser and may slow down your internet speed. You should also keep in mind that proxy servers offer no guaranteed protection.
Use public Wi-Fi to hide your IP address
Public Wi-Fi is free and accessible around the world. When you connect to public Wi-Fi on your laptop or smartphone, you’re assigned a different IP address from your real one. Bear in mind, however, that public Wi-Fi is unsafe and unreliable. Criminals can easily intercept your data on unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots, or even set up fake hotspots to compromise your mobile device upon connection. Using Wi-Fi is risky without additional security measures like a VPN.
To use public Wi-Fi, simply turn on the Wi-Fi from your device settings and select the public network you want to connect to.
The best way to hide your IP address
Pros
Instantly hide your IP address when you use a VPN
Encrypt your data traffic for more privacy and security
Access foreign content from anywhere in the world
Bypass bandwidth throttling based on activity
Cons
Reliable VPNs charge a subscription fee
Some websites block access to VPN users
Pros
Hides your IP address by default
Browse in relative privacy
Access content from anywhere in the world
Cons
Your data is neither encrypted nor private
Operators are able to monitor users
The Onion network is notoriously slow
Some websites block access to Tor users
Pros
Hides your IP address
Helps filter explicit content
Cons
Vulnerable to security exploits
Your internet speed may suffer
Proxy servers can be of poor quality
Some proxy servers log your activities
Pros
Millions of free hotspots around the world
Cons
Your data is not encrypted
Unstable connection
Leaves your device vulnerable to data hijackers
4 reasons to mask your IP address
You might be wondering why you need to hide your IP address in the first place. Here are the main reasons:
Hiding your location
If you want to hide your virtual location from websites and third parties, hiding your IP will do the trick.
Online freedom
Using a different IP address lets you avoid many censorship and surveillance measures.
A better online experience
Hiding your IP prevents your ISP from tracking your online activities and throttling your internet speed based on what you’re doing.
Online privacy
Shield your online activities, including the websites you visit, from your ISP and others to enjoy privacy on the internet.
NordVPN makes your online data
unreadable to others
Surf the internet in privacy and security, protected by state-of-the-art encryption.
Your location:
Not available
Your IP address:
Not available
Your ISP:
Not available
Your status:
Not available
Your location:
Not available
Your IP address:
Not available
Your ISP:
Not available
Your status:
Unprotected
Your location:
Not available
Your IP address:
Not available
Your ISP:
Not available
Your status:
Protected
Why choose NordVPN to hide your IP address
The best way to hide your IP address and mask your internet activity is by using NordVPN to encrypt your connection. For maximum protection, use NordVPN on all of your devices, including your smartphone, laptop, tablet, PC, and even your home router.
With a single subscription, you can use NordVPN on 6 devices at the same time. You can get the NordVPN app for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, iPad, Linux, and Android TV. We even have browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox, and, with a few extra steps, NordVPN can be used on Amazon Kindle, Fire Stick, and gaming consoles.
And best of all? In addition to hiding your IP, NordVPN comes with a host of other features — Threat Protection against malware and other hazards, Meshnet to link up with other devices directly for secure file sharing or gaming, and much more.
Hide your IP address in 3 easy steps
Once you’ve downloaded the NordVPN app, follow these 3 steps to hide your IP address:
Open NordVPN
Launch the NordVPN app on your device
Choose a subscription
Choose a monthly or annual subscription and sign in
Connect!
Hit ‘Quick Connect’ to instantly hide your IP address
Ready to browse privately?
Frequently asked questions
Is my IP hidden?
Is hiding your IP address illegal?
Does a VPN change your IP?
The more servers a VPN service has, the more IPs you can choose from. In addition, you change your virtual location to the country you connect to.
What happens when you hide your IP address?
In practice, when you hide your IP address:
1) Your ISP can’t see what’s in your data, where it’s ultimately going, and where it’s coming back from — in short, it doesn’t know what you’re doing.
2) If someone intercepts your data, it looks like gibberish.
3) The site you’re visiting doesn’t know your real location and lets you safely access local content.
Can I hide my IP address for free?
NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee — you can cancel your subscription any time if you’re not satisfied with the service. Avoid free VPNs and proxies to hide your IP address, as they’re neither secure nor private.
What does a VPN hide?
