Support guide • Educational / diagnostic
How to Hide Your IP Address
If you want to reduce tracking or change the public IP websites can see, there are several options. Each has tradeoffs in privacy, speed, usability, and trust. This guide helps you choose a method and verify whether it worked.
Start with a before-and-after check
Check your visible IP now, then test again after changing networks or enabling your privacy tool.
Editorial positioning
This page is educational and diagnostic. It does not endorse a specific provider. It is designed to help you choose a method based on your goals and verify the result with the site tools.
Main ways to hide your IP
- VPN: changes your visible public IP and encrypts traffic between your device and the VPN server.
- Proxy: changes your visible IP in some apps or browsers, usually with weaker privacy protections.
- Tor: routes traffic through multiple relays for stronger anonymity, usually with lower speed.
- Mobile data / new network: changes your visible IP by switching networks rather than using a privacy tool.
Comparison table
| Method | Hides public IP? | Privacy level | Speed impact | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VPN | Usually yes | Moderate to strong | Low to moderate | Everyday privacy, travel, network trust |
| Proxy | Sometimes | Low to moderate | Low | Simple routing changes, limited use cases |
| Tor | Yes | Strong anonymity focus | High | High-privacy scenarios |
| Network switch | Yes | Low privacy by itself | Varies | Quick IP change without installing tools |
How to verify it worked
- Check your IP before making any change.
- Enable the method you want to use.
- Reload the IP checker and confirm the public IP changed.
- If you used a VPN, run a leak test to catch DNS, IPv6, or browser leaks.
Validate before you trust the setup
Changing your visible IP is only step one. The safer approach is to confirm the IP changed and then check whether traffic is leaking through other channels.