How to Hide Your IP Address: VPN, Tor, and Proxies Explained

There are four practical ways to hide your IP address: a VPN (best balance of speed and privacy), the Tor browser (maximum anonymity, slow), a proxy server (fast, weaker privacy), or switching to mobile data (instant IP change, no tools). Below is each method with honest trade-offs on privacy, speed, and cost. After applying any method, verify the result on whatsmy.fyi.

Why Hide Your IP Address?

Before choosing a method, understand what hiding your IP actually achieves — and what it does not:

• What it does: Prevents websites from logging your home IP, prevents your ISP from seeing which sites you visit, helps bypass geographic restrictions, reduces some forms of tracking.
• What it does not do: Make you anonymous if you are logged into accounts, prevent tracking via cookies or browser fingerprinting, hide activity from the replacement IP provider (VPN company, Tor exit node operator).

If you want full privacy context, check your current IP address and what it reveals right now.

Method 1: VPN (Best Balance of Speed and Privacy)

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) routes all your traffic through an encrypted tunnel to a server operated by the VPN provider. Websites see the VPN server's IP address, not yours.

How to use a VPN

1. Choose a reputable VPN provider with a no-logs policy (Mullvad, ProtonVPN, or IVPN are well-regarded for privacy).
2. Install the VPN app on your device.
3. Connect to a server in your desired location.
4. Verify on whatsmy.fyi that the IP has changed and the ISP now shows the VPN provider.
5. Also check the WebRTC Leak Test card — some browsers leak your real IP via WebRTC even with a VPN active.

Pros and cons

• Speed: Fast — 5–30% speed reduction on most connections
• Privacy: Good — you trust the VPN provider instead of your ISP
• Cost: $3–12/month for reputable providers
• Ease of use: Very easy — one-click apps for all platforms
• Limitation: VPN providers can see your traffic. Choose one with verified no-logs policies and ideally one that has been audited by an independent security firm.

Learn how websites detect VPN connections and what that means for your privacy in our guide on VPN detection.

Method 2: Tor Browser (Maximum Anonymity, Slow Speed)

The Tor network routes your traffic through three volunteer-operated relays (guard node, middle relay, exit node), with each relay knowing only the previous and next step — not the full path. The destination website sees only the exit node's IP address.

How to use Tor

1. Download and install Tor Browser from torproject.org (the official site only — avoid third-party mirrors).
2. Open Tor Browser and connect — it automatically routes all browser traffic through the Tor network.
3. Verify on whatsmy.fyi (opened inside Tor Browser) that the IP is a Tor exit node.

Pros and cons

• Speed: Slow — 3–10× slower than a direct connection
• Privacy: Highest of any listed method — no single entity can see both who you are and what you are doing
• Cost: Free
• Ease of use: Moderate — only protects traffic within Tor Browser
• Limitation: Exit nodes are publicly listed and are frequently blocked by streaming services, online banking, and many commercial sites. Some exit nodes are operated by malicious actors and can intercept unencrypted (non-HTTPS) traffic.

The combination of Tor and TLS encryption is strong — TLS protects the content even if an exit node is compromised.

Method 3: Proxy Server (Fast, Lower Privacy)

A proxy server acts as an intermediary between your device and the destination website. Unlike a VPN, most proxies only redirect traffic from a specific app (usually a browser) and do not encrypt it.

Types of proxies

• HTTP/HTTPS proxy: Browser-level. Fast, but no system-wide protection. Most free proxies are this type.
• SOCKS5 proxy: App-level. More flexible than HTTP proxy; supports UDP traffic. Often used in torrent clients.
• Residential proxy: Routes through real residential IPs. Rarely blocked, expensive, and primarily used for web scraping rather than personal privacy.

Pros and cons

• Speed: Fast to very fast (no encryption overhead)
• Privacy: Low — most proxies log traffic; free proxies are often operated by ad networks or worse
• Cost: Free options exist, but they are unreliable and privacy-hostile
• Limitation: No encryption. The proxy operator sees all your traffic. Free proxies are frequently malicious. Only use a proxy you control or pay for.

Method 4: Mobile Data (Quick IP Change, No Additional Tools)

Switching from Wi-Fi to your phone's mobile data connection gives you a completely different IP address — one assigned by your mobile carrier rather than your home ISP. This is a quick way to get a fresh IP without any additional software.

When this works

• You need to bypass a temporary IP ban on a website
• You want to test how a site behaves for users in your country but on a different ISP
• You are troubleshooting whether an issue is specific to your home IP

Pros and cons

• Speed: Depends on mobile signal quality
• Privacy: Low — your mobile carrier still knows your identity and sees your traffic (unless you also use HTTPS)
• Cost: Uses mobile data allowance
• Limitation: Mobile IPs often share a CGNAT address with many other users. The IP will change again when you reconnect to Wi-Fi or reset your connection.

Comparison Table

What About WebRTC Leaks?

All four methods share a critical vulnerability: WebRTC. If your browser has WebRTC enabled (it is on by default in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari), it can expose your real IP address directly to websites — bypassing all four methods listed above.

After applying any IP-hiding method, run the WebRTC leak test on whatsmy.fyi to confirm your real IP is not leaking through the browser. Learn more about how WebRTC leaks work.

Verify Your Method Is Working

Whatever method you choose, the verification process is the same:

1. Note your current IP on whatsmy.fyi before activating anything.
2. Activate your chosen method (VPN, Tor, proxy).
3. Reload whatsmy.fyi and confirm the IP, ISP, and location have all changed.
4. Check the WebRTC Leak Test card — it should show "No leak detected".

Frequently Asked Questions

Is hiding my IP address legal?

In most countries, yes. Using a VPN, Tor, or proxy is legal in the vast majority of jurisdictions. A small number of countries (China, Russia, Iran) restrict certain tools. Using any method to commit illegal acts is illegal regardless of which tool you use.

Can I hide my IP address for free?

Tor is free and offers the highest privacy. Free VPNs and free proxies exist but carry significant privacy risks — many log your traffic and sell it to advertisers, which defeats the purpose entirely. If privacy is the goal, Tor is the only trustworthy free option.

Will hiding my IP stop all tracking?

No. Hiding your IP prevents IP-based tracking. Websites can still track you via cookies, browser fingerprinting, logged-in accounts, and behavioural patterns. IP privacy is one layer of a broader privacy strategy.