Your iPhone has a local IP address on the Wi-Fi network and a public IP address that websites see, and Apple's Settings app only shows the first one. This guide walks through where to find each, how to read the IPv4 screen, what Private Relay and the Private Wi-Fi Address do to the numbers you see, and how to fix a phone that shows 169.254 or keeps getting a new address.
Local vs public IP on an iPhone
| Wi-Fi (local) IP | Public IP | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | 192.168.1.25 | 203.0.113.42 |
| Seen by | Devices on the same Wi-Fi | Every website and app server |
| Where to look | Settings → Wi-Fi | Safari, on a page like Show-IP.ir |
| On mobile data | Not shown in Settings | Carrier address, shared and changing |
Find your public IP
Open Safari (or any browser) and go to Show-IP.ir. The public IP, country, city, carrier and the connection's security status show up instantly, with no app to install. Check it once on Wi-Fi and once on mobile data: the addresses are different because your home connection and your carrier are different networks.
If the result looks odd, remember that an iPhone has a few features that deliberately change what websites see:
- iCloud Private Relay (part of iCloud+) sends Safari traffic through Apple's relay, so sites see a relay address and a rough region rather than your own.
- Limit IP Address Tracking hides your IP from known trackers in Mail and Safari.
- A VPN replaces the address with the VPN server's (how that works).
Turn them off temporarily if you want to see your real connection address.
Find your local Wi-Fi IP
- Open Settings → Wi-Fi.
- Tap the (i) icon next to the network you are connected to.
- Scroll to IPv4 Address.
- Read IP Address (your phone), Subnet Mask and Router (the gateway).
| Line on the screen | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Configure IP: Automatic | The router assigns the address through DHCP (the normal case) |
| IP Address | Your iPhone's local IP |
| Subnet Mask | Size of the local network, e.g. 255.255.255.0 (subnet masks explained) |
| Router | The gateway; type it in Safari to open the router page (router login guide) |
| Renew Lease | Asks the router for a fresh address |
If you share the connection with a Mac or PC through Personal Hotspot, the iPhone is the router for those devices and uses addresses in the 172.20.10.x range, with the iPhone itself at 172.20.10.1.
Troubleshooting
The address starts with 169.254 or Wi-Fi says "No Internet Connection"
A 169.254 address is a self-assigned fallback: the iPhone found no DHCP server. Turn Wi-Fi off and on, tap Renew Lease, then try Forget This Network and join again. If it still fails, restart the router. If only this phone fails, the router may be blocking it or have run out of addresses to give.
The IP keeps changing
Each Wi-Fi network has a Private Wi-Fi Address switch on the same screen. It gives the phone a different hardware (MAC) address per network and, in newer iOS versions, can rotate it. The router sees a new device and may issue a new IP. Setting it to Fixed (or off) for your home network, plus a DHCP reservation in the router, makes the address stable. The relationship between the two kinds of addresses is covered in IP vs MAC address.
My public IP changes every few hours on mobile data
That is normal for carriers, which hand out addresses from shared pools (CGNAT) and change them when the connection resets. At home, the public address stays longer but is still usually dynamic; see static vs dynamic IP.
Show-IP.ir shows the wrong city
Mobile and relay addresses often map to the carrier's gateway city. This is a limit of IP-based location, explained in IP geolocation accuracy.
Frequently asked
Can I see my cellular IP in Settings?
No, iOS does not list it. Open Show-IP.ir over mobile data to see the public address your carrier presents to the internet.
Is the IP shown in Settings my "real" IP?
It is your real local IP. The address that identifies you to websites is the public one, and it belongs to your connection, not to the phone. Learn what it can reveal in can someone find your location from your IP.
Does a static IP setting on the iPhone give me a fixed public IP?
No. Configure IP → Manual only fixes the local address; the public one still comes from your provider (getting a static public IP).
Key takeaways
- Public IP: open Show-IP.ir in Safari — on Wi-Fi and mobile data it is different.
- Local Wi-Fi IP: Settings → Wi-Fi → (i) next to the network → IPv4 Address; Router is the gateway.
- Private Relay, Limit IP Address Tracking and VPNs change what websites see, not what Settings shows.
- 169.254.x.x: toggle Wi-Fi, Renew Lease, forget the network, restart the router.
- Private Wi-Fi Address can make the local IP change; use a DHCP reservation for a stable one.