How To Hide IP Address With and Without VPN

Thinking about how to hide IP address? Is it even possible?

Your IP address is like your home address online, as it can reveal your physical location. It’s a unique identifier that tells websites and services where to send the information you request. 

But do you share your home address with everyone? No, right? Similarly, there are times when you might want to keep your IP address private. That’s why you need to know how to hide your IP address.

In this blog, we’ll show you how to hide IP address in different ways. Let’s start with the method we have all heard of: VPN.

Most Common Method: Hide IP Address Using a VPN

One of the easiest and most effective ways to hide IP address is by using a virtual private network (VPN). 

A VPN service lets you connect to the internet through a secure, encrypted tunnel. When you use a VPN, it replaces your real IP address with one from its own servers. Then, the VPN routes your internet traffic through its server before it reaches its final destination. 

This makes the traffic look like it is coming from the VPN server’s public IP address, not yours.

Routing through the VPN’s server instead of your regular internet connection provides a significant boost to your online privacy. So, if you’re concerned about someone tracking your online activity, using a VPN is an excellent way to avoid that. 

Modern VPNs offer some additional privacy and security features. For instance, if a VPN has a no-logs policy, it doesn’t keep records of your online activity.

Double VPN is another layer of security some services offer that uses multi-hop routing. It adds an extra layer of encryption by routing your traffic through two different servers instead of one.

There is also the split-tunneling feature. Split-tunneling lets you choose which apps or websites use the VPN connection and which use your regular internet connection. So, if you have limited VPN data, split tunneling allows you to use it only for sensitive activities. 

What VPNs Are the Best?

After learning how to hide your IP address using VPNs, here are some market-leading VPNs to consider. 

1. NordVPN

Here are some of the features NordVPN has to offer:

• Over 6000 VPN servers globally
• No-logs policy
• Double VPN
• Onion Over VPN that routes traffic through The Onion Network (TOR)
• P2P servers for fast-speed file sharing
• 1 subscription can support up to 10 devices
• Split tunneling
• Plans start from $4.99/month on 1-year plan

2. SurfShark

Here are some of the features SurfShark has to offer:

• Over 3000 VPN servers worldwide
• Double VPN
• Split Tunneling
• Built-in Cookie & Adblocker
• IP rotation
• Provides a Dedicated and Static IP address
• Claims to support unlimited devices on one VPN account
• Prices start from $2.99/month on 1-year plan

3. TunnelBear

Here are some of the features TunnelBear has to offer:

• Over 5000 VPN servers
• No logging
• Split Tunneling
• P2P support
• GhostBear feature to combat VPN blocking
• Lets you connect unlimited devices
• Performs annual security audits & publishes results
• Provides a free version with limited usage
• Paid plans start from $3.33/month

VPNs are normally easy to use and are compatible with several device types. Some VPNs also provide browser extensions. 

While VPNs are secure, they can slow down browsing speeds. The monthly subscription fee is also something you might not want to pay. Moreover, the “no-logs” claims by VPN providers are also questionable.

So how to hide IP address without facing these issues? 

How To Hide My IP Address Without VPN

There are some good alternatives available if you don’t want to use a VPN. Here’s how to hide your IP address without VPN.

1. Tor Browser

Tor is short for The Onion Router, and it’s there to keep your online activity private. It does so by routing your internet traffic through multiple routers, or “nodes,” spread around the world. All these nodes are volunteer-operated, so Tor is free to use.

During the process, Tor also applies multiple layers of encryption to your internet traffic. 

This elaborate routing makes it incredibly difficult for anyone, including your Internet service provider (ISP), to track your browsing habits.

Unlike standard browsers, Tor doesn’t store your browsing history and only stores cookies for a single session. Once you close the browser, Tor wipe cleans all your data. 

Tor also includes an anti-fingerprinting feature that prevents websites from identifying you based on your browser and device settings.

Pros:

• Tor is free to use
• Hides your public IP address by default

Cons:

• Browsing on Tor can be significantly slower than on a regular browser.
• Tor can only hide IP address within the browser environment. It’s not a complete solution.
• There’s a high risk of encountering scams or malicious websites on Tor.
• Some websites block traffic from known Tor nodes.

2. Use a Proxy Server

When you use a proxy, your internet traffic goes through the proxy server before reaching the website. 

This means that the website only sees the IP address of the proxy server, not your actual IP address. 

Unlike a VPN, which encrypts all internet traffic, a proxy server typically only works on a specific app or website. This means that only the traffic from that particular application will have its IP address hidden. Additionally, proxies don’t offer the same level of encryption as VPNs.

There are two main types of proxies: residential proxies and data center proxies. 

When you use residential proxies, your traffic appears as if it’s coming from a real home connection. This makes them harder to detect as home connections are typically safe. 

Data center proxies, on the other hand, use IP addresses from data centers. These IPs are easily identifiable, as regular users don’t have access to them unless they use a proxy server. 

Pros:

• Often faster than VPNs, especially data center proxies
• Relatively more inexpensive than VPNs

Cons:

• Only hides IP on specific apps or websites
• Less secure due to lack of encryption
• Free proxies can be unreliable or risky

3. Use a Different Internet Connection

A rather simple way to hide IP address is to simply change the internet connection you’re using. All it requires is finding a different WiFi connection than your home’s. This can be a neighbor’s Wi-Fi connection or a public Wi-Fi. 

When you use a different network other than your own, you use the original IP address of that network. Since you never use your actual IP address, your real identity remains private.

While switching to a different internet connection can be a quick way to hide IP address, it comes with risks.

Public Wi-Fi networks, in particular, are often unsecured and easy targets for hackers. When you use these networks, your personal data could be accessible to malicious actors. 

Moreover, while this method works to hide IP address temporarily, it’s not a long-term solution. If you’re using a network with a static IP address, your activity is still traceable back to that specific network. This doesn’t offer true anonymity.

Pros:

• It’s easy and doesn’t require any special tools or software
• It can be a quick fix if you need to hide your IP address temporarily

Cons:

• Security risks are high, especially on public Wi-Fi
• You have no control over the network’s security
• It’s not a reliable method for long-term privacy

How To Hide IP Address on iPhone

If you’re an iPhone user, knowing how to hide IP address is a no-brainer. You require no external tool as Apple provides built-in options to hide your public IP address on an iPhone. The first method is through the Safari browser, and the second is iCloud Private Relay.

Let’s show you how to hide IP address on iPhone using both these methods.

Hide IP Address in Safari Browser

Safari, the iPhone’s default browser, has some built-in privacy features that can help mask your IP address. 

For instance, Safari can prevent trackers from profiling you based on your online activity. To hide IP address in Safari, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone 
2. Scroll down to Safari, then tap on it. 
3. Find the option labeled Hide IP Address and select it. 
4. Select from Trackers option. 

Hide IP Address on iPhone Using iCloud Private Relay

The iCloud Private Relay feature is only available on iOS 15 for iCloud+ subscribers. This feature can hide IP address by routing your Internet traffic through two separate relays. 

To enable iCloud Private Relay, follow these five steps: 

1. Go to your iPhone’s Settings
2. Tap on your Apple ID at the top
3. Select iCloud
4. Look for Private Relay and toggle it on. 
5. Now, you can choose how your IP address appears under the IP Address Location Settings.
   1. If you select Maintain General Location, your IP address will reflect a general area around your real location. 
   2. Choosing Use Country and Time Zone will make it look like you’re browsing from somewhere within your country.

Top 4 Reasons To Hide IP Address

There are some situations where hiding your IP address becomes necessary. Here are four reasons why you should hide your real IP address.

1. Hide Your Physical Location

With just your public IP address, someone could pinpoint your city, region, and sometimes even your exact location coordinates. 

So, keeping your location private is important, especially during sensitive online activity.

You can use tools like VPNs and proxies as they replace your real IP address with a different one. So, even if someone tries to track your location, they’ll get a fake IP address.

2. Avoid Tracking

Your physical location isn’t the only thing at risk. Your IP address is also a key tool for websites, advertisers, and even malicious entities to track your online activity. 

They use this information to build detailed profiles of your behavior to show you targeted ads. This can sometimes even expose you to data breaches.

This is a reminder of how little privacy we have online. 

Hiding your IP address can reduce this kind of tracking.

3. Bypass Restrictions and Censorship

Governments, organizations, and service providers often impose restrictions and censorship on certain online content. These can involve certain websites or even social media platforms.

For instance, Netflix might have certain movies available in some regions while unavailable in others. Similarly, some tracks on Spotify may be unavailable in your region due to licensing issues. This method of blocking content access is called geoblocking.

There are scenarios where bypassing restrictions becomes a need. For example, some countries cut people off from global communication by blocking social media platforms. In addition to cutting communication, these restrictions also put an end to businesses running on those platforms.

In these scenarios, using VPNs or proxies to connect from other countries is the only solution.

4. Bypass IP Bans

IP bans are a common way for websites to block a specific IP address for violating Terms of service (TOS). These bans are particularly prevalent in online gaming, where users receive bans for cheating or misbehaving. 

But sometimes, these bans can be unfair or a result of a mistake.

It can prevent you from enjoying a service or participating in a community you’ve been part of.

However, it’s equally important to be cautious when bypassing IP bans.

If you believe the ban was unfair, contacting the service provider to resolve the issue is always a good first step.

FAQ

Geolocate Your Website Visitors With geoPlugin!

Users looking to understand how to hide IP address may have genuine concerns. But remember, not all websites use your IP address to target you with ads or track your every move. 

Many sites need your IP address to show relevant content based on where you are.

This is where geoPlugin comes in to help website owners. geoPlugin is a geolocation service that determines details about an IP address to help websites tailor content to visitors’ locations. 

Personalizing content is important for making sure users see what matters most to them. Research says that around 71% of consumers expect personalization from their favorite brands.

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