Do Cell Phones Have IP Addresses and How to Discover Them

The digital age has made privacy a genuine concern for the average citizen, as even giving away a phone number can potentially reveal more personal details than expected. So, with the excessive amount of data collection and location tracking, most people are understandably concerned about what their phones can reveal about themselves.

This article will discuss how a cell phone can reveal our location through IP addresses and how to find out exactly what the IP address is. Whether you are worried about your privacy or interested in learning the IP address in your current location, the following paragraphs will cover it concisely.

Do Cell Phones Have IP Addresses? Why?

The Internet protocol (IP) address works very similarly to a broad digital address book. They identify what device is being connected and from which area of the globe. Someone learning about another person’s IP address can be potentially disastrous as it will show the device you are using and the location you are using it from.

Even a cell phone number can give detailed information from little more than a reverse phone lookup tool like Information.com’s lookup, but an IP address can give your general location. To alleviate concern, it will not provide your exact location, but it will narrow it down quite a bit.

Why Do Cell Phones Use IP Addresses?

To answer the question of the hour, a cell phone usually uses an IP address. If a cell phone is connected to the internet, it will have an IP address, like any other device connected to the World Wide Web. Contrarily, a cell phone used exclusively for calling people who aren’t online will not have an IP address attached to it.

An IP address is a series of four different numbers (ranging from zero to 255) that give a general location of the device or devices being used on a wifi network. There are two types of IP addresses. The public address shows all the devices connected to one wifi network. Then, the private address shows the device used on a wifi network.

So, your phone (if connected to the internet) will actually have two IP addresses.

How to Find Your IP Address on a Phone

For those interested in figuring out their IP address or the IP address of the place they are currently connected to, it’s relatively simple. The process can be completed in under a minute, regardless of your technological prowess.

To find the private IP address on an Android, do the following:

• Go To Settings, then click on your Network & Internet tab.
• Click on the Wifi tab, then tap the ellipses (…) in the top right corner.
• Select Advanced Wifi
• At the bottom, your IP address will be listed.

To find the private IP address on an iPhone, do the following: 

• From the Settings tab, go to Wi-Fi
• Select the network you are connected to currently
• The private IP address will be listed towards the center.

To find the public IP address is equally as simple. This process can be done on any tablet, cell phone, computer, or laptop currently connected to your Wi-Fi network. Simply go to Google and search for an IP address checker, or use a commonly used website like Whatismyipaddress.

Summary of Cell Phones and IP Addresses

Cell phones nowadays will almost always have an IP address because they are almost always connected to the internet. The fear of having your IP address discovered is valid, though the address will not give a five-foot radius of your location on Google Maps and instead narrows you down to a city.

For those needing to discover their IP address, a quick website check or scroll through their settings can answer any queries. As technology progresses at a breakneck speed, it is hard to imagine what won’t have an IP address attached to it in the next decade or two.