---
title: "How to Change Your IP Address: Phone, PC and Router"
description: "You can change your IP address by restarting the router, toggling airplane mode on mobile data, or using a VPN or a proxy. Here is which method fits which need."
url: https://proxynet.io/blog/how-to-change-ip-address
date: 2026-09-19
author: "Enver Kaya"
category: "Tutorial, Proxies"
lang: en
---

# How to Change Your IP Address: Phone, PC and Router

Search for "how to change IP address" and you get two different recipes. One sends you into Windows settings to type numbers like `192.168.1.50` into a form. The other tells you to switch the router off and on, or to install a VPN. Both are described as "changing your IP", yet they do not change the same address. That is why many people follow the steps, open a "what is my IP" site and find that nothing has changed.

This post first settles which address you actually want to change. It then walks through five methods: restarting the router, airplane mode on a phone, asking your internet provider, a VPN and a proxy. For each one you will find the menu path, what changes and what does not, and how to check the result. A decision table at the end maps each need to a method.

> **Note: Short answer**
>
> The address websites see is the **public IP** your internet provider assigns to your router, and it cannot be changed from the network settings of your computer. There are five ways to change it: switch the router off and on (only on lines with a dynamic IP, and not every time), toggle airplane mode on a phone that is on mobile data, ask your provider for a new address, use a VPN (all traffic from the device leaves from another address) or use a proxy (only the browser or app you choose leaves from another address, and you can pick the country and city). The address you type by hand in Windows is only the **local IP** inside your home; it has no effect on the address websites see.

## Which IP address do you want to change?

An **IP address** is the address that replies are sent to for a device connected to the internet. At home this address has two layers, and that is where the confusion starts.

The **public IP** (external IP) is the address your internet provider gives to your router. The sites you visit, the server of the game you play and "what is my IP" sites all see this address. Because the phone, the computer and the TV at home all reach the internet through the same router, they all share the same public IP.

The **local IP** is the internal address the router hands out to the devices in your home. It usually starts with `192.168.`. These address ranges are reserved for private networks by [RFC 1918](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1918) and are not valid on the internet. Your neighbour's home uses the same addresses, and websites never see them.

Think of the public IP as the street address of an apartment building and the local IP as the flat number. Changing your flat number does not change the address of the building on the street.

| | Public (external) IP | Local IP |
|---|---|---|
| Who assigns it? | Your internet provider | The router at home |
| Who sees it? | Websites, game servers, apps | Only the devices at home |
| Where do you see it? | On "what is my IP" sites | In the Wi-Fi or network settings of the device |
| Can you change it from the computer? | No | Yes |

Most people who run this search mean the public IP, and the rest of this post is about that one. The local IP steps are further down, under "How do you change the local IP on a computer?".

## Five ways to change your IP address

| Method | What changes? | What does not change? | Where does it not work? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switching the router off and on | The public IP of every device at home | Country, city, provider | Lines with a static IP, some lines where the address is shared (CGNAT) |
| Airplane mode on mobile data | The public IP of the phone on mobile data | Carrier and country | No effect while connected to Wi-Fi |
| Asking your provider | The public IP of the line | Country and provider | Cases where the provider declines |
| VPN | The address of all traffic leaving the device | Other devices at home, the real address of the router | Sites that do not accept VPN addresses |
| Proxy | Only the address of the browser or app you configure | Other apps on the device | Apps without a proxy setting |

With the first three methods your new address is still one of the addresses the same provider has set aside for the same area; websites see you in the same country and in roughly the same city. If you want to appear with the address of another country or city, only the last two methods can do that.

## Does your IP change when you restart the router?

It can, but there is no guarantee. The type of line you have decides the outcome.

Most home connections run on a **dynamic IP**. The provider holds a pool of addresses, and your router takes one from that pool when it connects. Things happen in this order:

1. When you switch the router off, the session with the provider ends.
1. After a while your address goes back to the pool and may be given to another subscriber.
1. When you switch the router on, a new session is set up and the router asks the pool for an address.
1. The provider hands out an address that is free at that moment. It may be your old address or a different one.

The fourth step explains why the result is uncertain. [RFC 2131](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2131), which defines DHCP, a widely used way of handing out addresses, says that a device may remember the address it used before and request it again. If that address is still free, the provider's server will usually grant the same one. That is why you come back with the same address after switching the router off for five seconds.

To improve your odds, you can leave the router off for a few minutes. On some lines that is enough; on others the same address returns even after hours. The rule differs from provider to provider.

**You can do the same thing without touching the power cable.** Many routers have a button in their admin page (the page you reach by typing `192.168.1.1` into a browser), in the internet or WAN section, that drops the connection and sets it up again. The effect is the same as unplugging and replugging. The **Reset** pinhole on the back of the router is a different thing: it returns the router to factory settings and wipes your Wi-Fi name and the login details of your internet line. Do not press it to change your IP.

There are two cases where this method does not help:

- **If your line has a static IP**, the address is tied to your subscription and stays the same no matter how many times you restart the router. We explained the two types in [Static IP vs Dynamic IP](/blog/static-ip-vs-dynamic-ip).
- **If your provider shares addresses** (CGNAT), the address websites see does not belong to your router but to a shared device at the provider. Restarting the router changes its internal address, while the address seen from outside may stay the same. The test in [What Is CGNAT and How Do You Detect It?](/blog/what-is-cgnat) tells you whether your line works this way.

Replacing the router does not change the outcome either. The address is assigned to your subscription, not to the device, and a new router draws from the same pool.

## How do you change the IP address on a phone?

**On Wi-Fi**, the phone reaches the internet through the router at home. Your public IP is the address of the router. No setting on the phone changes it, and the router method from the previous section applies. When you turn Wi-Fi off and switch to mobile data, your address changes right away, because you are now leaving from a different network.

**On mobile data**, your mobile carrier assigns the address. The phone usually gets a new address each time it reconnects to the network. The easiest way to trigger a reconnect by hand is airplane mode:

- **Android:** go to **Settings > Network & internet > Airplane mode**, or swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the **Airplane mode** tile. The path is also listed on Google's [network settings help page](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/2819583?hl=en). The menu name can vary by brand; if you cannot find it, search for "airplane" in settings.
- **iPhone:** open Control Center and tap the Airplane Mode button. Apple describes the same step on its [Airplane Mode page](https://support.apple.com/en-us/108785).

Turn airplane mode on, wait about ten seconds and turn it off. Once mobile data is back, check your address on a "what is my IP" site.

One detail: on mobile networks addresses are mostly shared, so many subscribers reach the internet from the same public address at the same time. The address you see after airplane mode usually changes, but the new one also comes from the same shared pool of the carrier and is not yours alone. We explained why in [our CGNAT post](/blog/what-is-cgnat).

If you want to move the address on your phone to another country, the route is again a VPN or a proxy. We showed where the proxy setting lives in [Android Proxy Settings](/blog/android-proxy-settings) and [iPhone Proxy Settings](/blog/iphone-proxy).

## Can you ask your internet provider to change your IP?

Yes, the provider is the party that assigns the address. This route makes sense in two cases.

First, when your address never changes even though you restart the router, and you have a valid reason for a change. For example, the address you were given may have landed on an email blocklist because of the subscriber who used it before you. We explained how to check that in [What Is an IP Blacklist?](/blog/ip-blacklist). If you call customer support and describe the situation, the provider can assign a new address to your line.

Second, when you want your address taken out of the shared pool. Depending on the provider, this request may be called "opting out of CGNAT", "public IP" or "static IP". Terms and fees depend on the provider and the plan, so get current information from your own provider.

## How do you change your IP address with a VPN?

A **VPN** is a service that encrypts all internet traffic leaving your device and routes it through another server. Websites see the address of the VPN server, not yours. You appear with the address of whichever country you choose the server from.

Most VPN services are set up through their own app. If you need to enter VPN details from your workplace or school by hand, the paths are:

- **Windows 11:** in **Settings > Network & internet > VPN**, select **Add VPN**. The fields in the form are explained on Microsoft's [VPN help page](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/connect-to-a-vpn-in-windows-3d29aeb1-f497-f6b7-7633-115722c1009c).
- **Android:** **Settings > Network & internet > VPN**. If you do not see the option, search for "VPN" in settings.

The scope of a VPN is both its strength and its weakness. The browser, the game, the messaging app all leave from the new address at once. On the other hand, your banking app and your local news site now see you in another country too. In addition, the address of a VPN server is used by a large number of people at the same time; some sites recognise these addresses and ask for extra verification or refuse service. We covered what those warnings mean in [VPN or Proxy Detected](/blog/vpn-or-proxy-detected).

A VPN covers the whole device and encrypts the traffic; a proxy covers only the app it is set in and gives you more control over the choice of address. The detailed comparison is in [Proxy vs VPN](/blog/proxy-vs-vpn).

## How do you change your IP address with a proxy?

A **proxy** is an intermediary server that goes out to the internet on your behalf from another address. You enter the address of the proxy in your browser or in an app; requests from that app go to the proxy first and reach the site from there. The site sees the address of the proxy. The details are in [What Is a Proxy Server and How Does It Work?](/blog/what-is-a-proxy-server).

Three things set a proxy apart from the other four methods:

- **It affects only the app you choose.** While a proxy is on in one browser, your banking app, your game and your other browser keep working with your own address.
- **You pick the country and, in most cases, the city.** Which country the address comes from is your decision. You can see the available countries on our [locations page](/locations).
- **You decide how often the address changes.** You can get a new address on every connection, or keep the same address for months.

The last point determines the type of proxy. [Residential Proxy](https://proxynet.io/residential-proxy) offer addresses that belong to real home internet connections, and you can change the address at the interval you want. [ISP Proxy](https://proxynet.io/static-isp-residential-proxy) give you a dedicated address that does not change; this suits you when you want to sign in to an account from the same address every time. The setup where the address changes on every request is on our [rotating proxy](/rotating-proxy) page, and the logic behind it is in [What Is IP Rotation?](/blog/ip-rotation-explained).

Setup comes down to typing the address of the proxy (server and port) into the right settings screen. Step-by-step guides by device:

- On a computer: [Windows and Chrome Proxy Settings](/blog/windows-chrome-proxy-settings) or [Mac and Safari Proxy Settings](/blog/mac-safari-proxy-settings)
- On a phone: [Android](/blog/android-proxy-settings) and [iPhone](/blog/iphone-proxy)

Do not try addresses from the free proxy lists that circulate online; nobody knows who runs those servers. We listed the risks in [Are Free Proxies Safe?](/blog/are-free-proxies-safe).

## What does "hide IP address" on iPhone do?

The IP hiding option in iPhone settings is called **iCloud Private Relay** and comes with an iCloud+ subscription. While it is on, your traffic in Safari passes through two separate relay servers; websites do not see your real IP address or your exact location.

To turn it on, go to **Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Private Relay**. The **IP Address Location** section on the same page offers two options: **Maintain General Location** and **Use Country and Time Zone**. Apple's [Private Relay guide](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/iphone/iph499d287c2/ios) also notes that the feature is not available in all countries or regions.

As the options suggest, this feature hides your address but does not move you to another country; even on the broadest setting you still appear in your own country. It mainly covers browsing in Safari; most other apps keep working with your own address.

## How do you change the local IP on a computer?

Changing the local IP is needed in two cases: two devices at home try to take the same internal address and show an "IP address conflict" warning, or you want a printer, a camera or a game console to always get the same internal address.

In Windows 11, open **Settings > Network & internet** and select the network you are connected to (Wi-Fi or Ethernet). When you select **Edit** next to **IP assignment**, you see the options **Automatic (DHCP)** and **Manual**. Choose "Manual" and turn on IPv4 to type the address yourself. Microsoft's [network settings page](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/connectivity-networking/essential-network-settings-and-tasks-in-windows) recommends the "Automatic" option for this setting; leave it that way unless you have a specific reason.

### Advanced: can you change the IP from the command line?

A recipe that comes up often on forums goes like this: type `cmd` into the Start menu, open Command Prompt and run these two commands in order.

```bash
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
```

According to Microsoft's [ipconfig documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/ipconfig), the first command releases the address the computer obtained through DHCP and the second one requests a new one. The DHCP server here is the router in your home. In other words, these commands only renew the local IP of your computer, and most of the time the same address comes back. Your connection drops for a few seconds after the first command. There is no effect at all on your public IP.

## How do you check that your IP address has changed?

The check is the same for every method:

1. **Note the current address first.** Type "what is my IP" into a search engine, open one of the sites in the results and write down the address you see.
1. **Apply the method.** Restart the router, toggle airplane mode, connect to the VPN or turn on the proxy.
1. **Open the same site again in the same browser.** If the proxy is set in one browser only, run the check in that browser; another browser will show the old address.
1. **Compare the address and the country.** If the address is different, the method worked. With a VPN or a proxy, also check that the country shown by the site is the one you chose.

The city may come out wrong, because these sites read the city from databases that are updated only from time to time. We explained the reasons in [How Accurate Is IP Geolocation?](/blog/ip-geolocation-accuracy). If you use a proxy, the steps that also cover speed and leak checks are in [How to Test a Proxy](/blog/how-to-test-a-proxy).

## What does changing your IP address not change?

The IP address is only one of the things websites look at to recognise you. When the address changes, these stay in place:

- **Your account.** Once you are signed in, the site knows you by your account. You are the same person even if your address changes.
- **Cookies.** The cookies in your browser remind the site of your previous visit.
- **The properties of your browser.** Details such as screen size, fonts and language setting are enough, taken together, to tell your browser apart. More in [What Is Browser Fingerprinting?](/blog/browser-fingerprinting).
- **The records of your provider.** Which address was given to which subscriber at what time is on record at the provider. Changing your IP does not make you anonymous.

If a platform has restricted your account, that is usually tied to the account and its behaviour rather than to the address; the fix is not a new IP but the platform's own appeal and support channel.

## What is an IP address changed for?

- **Seeing search results from another country.** A business that sells abroad wants to check how its product appears in searches in that country. We described the methods in [How to Search Google from Another Country](/blog/google-search-different-country).
- **Reaching services in Türkiye from abroad.** Some local sites are open only to addresses in Türkiye. The details of this scenario are in [How to Get a Türkiye IP Address from Abroad](/blog/turkiye-ip-address-from-abroad).
- **Checking how an ad appears in another city.** An advertiser wants to see with their own eyes that the ad is shown correctly in the targeted area. See our [ad verification](/ad-verification) page for this job.
- **Tracking prices in different markets.** E-commerce businesses check the price of the same product in other countries with an address from that country. This scenario is on our [price monitoring](/price-monitoring) page.

## Common mistakes

- **Typing an address by hand in Windows and expecting the public IP to change.** That setting only changes the address inside your home.
- **Pressing the Reset pinhole on the router.** Restarting and returning to factory settings are not the same thing. The second one wipes your internet settings.
- **Trying to change the address with airplane mode while on Wi-Fi.** On Wi-Fi your address is the address of the router, and airplane mode does not affect it.
- **Turning the proxy on in one browser and checking in another.** A proxy applies only in the app where it is set.
- **Trusting free tools downloaded as an "IP changer".** Most of these programs are a free VPN or a list of free proxies. Do not sign in to your bank or email account without knowing whose server your traffic passes through.

## Decision guide

| Your need | Method |
|---|---|
| The same country, just a different address | Switch the router off for a few minutes; on a phone, airplane mode while on mobile data |
| The address never changes even after restarting the router | Your line may be static or behind CGNAT; ask your provider |
| Hiding traffic on shared Wi-Fi, or showing the whole device from another country | VPN |
| Showing only one browser or app from another country or city | Proxy |
| The same dedicated address for a long time | Static ISP proxy, or a static IP from your provider |
| Collecting publicly available data for work with many different addresses | Rotating residential proxy |
| Two devices at home have clashing internal addresses | Set IP assignment in Windows to "Automatic (DHCP)" or type a different local address |

## Frequently asked questions

### Does an IP address change on its own?

On lines with a dynamic IP, yes. A power cut, a router restart or maintenance on the provider's side can change your address. There is no fixed rule; the same address can also stay for weeks.

### Is the IP address of a phone different from that of a computer?

While both are on the same Wi-Fi, their public IP is the same, because both reach the internet through the same router. Their local IP addresses differ. Once the phone switches to mobile data, its public IP differs too.

### Does a private window change my IP address?

No. A private or incognito window only stops history and cookies from being stored on your computer. Websites see the same public IP as in a normal window.

### Is it legal to change my IP address?

Yes. Restarting the router or using a VPN or a proxy is not illegal in itself. What matters is what you do with the new address. The terms of use of a site and the law apply no matter which address you connect from.

### Does changing DNS change my IP address?

No. DNS is the directory service that turns site names into IP addresses. When you change the DNS server, only the party you read that directory from changes. You still connect to sites with your own public IP.

### Does changing my IP address affect my internet speed?

With the first three methods (router, airplane mode, provider) no, because your line is the same. With a VPN and a proxy, your traffic passes through a server in between, which adds some latency. The latency depends on how far that server is from you and from the site.

## Summary

The address websites see is your public IP, and you cannot change it from the network settings of your computer or from the command line; the settings there only affect the local address inside your home. To change the public IP within the same country, you can switch the router off for a few minutes, use airplane mode on a phone that is on mobile data, or ask your provider for a new address. On lines with a static IP the router method does not work. To appear with the address of another country, a VPN covers the whole device, while a proxy covers only the browser or app you choose. Even when the address changes, your account, your cookies and your browser stay the same. If you need an address whose country, city and rotation interval you choose yourself, have a look at our [proxy services](/proxy).