Do you know many businesses worldwide use an IP tracker to determine the location of their website visitors via their IP addresses? While tracking IP-based locations allows companies to provide personalized content and improve user engagement, many people want to hide their IP addresses to protect privacy online. If you’re an Apple user and want to know how to hide IP address on iPhone or Mac, this article is the right place.
In this article, we’ll explore multiple ways to hide your IP address on your iPhone and Mac.
Table of Contents
What Is An IP Address?
IP stands for Internet Protocol. An IP address is a unique number or address given to every device connected to the internet or a private network. It helps identify electronic devices on the internet. An IP address consists of a string or series of numbers separated by a decimal, such as 192.135.2. There are four kinds of IP addresses, namely public, private, dynamic, and static. A public IP address is unique, and it’s visible to anyone on the internet. A static IP address is permanent and non-changeable. Your IP address can be either IPv4 or IPv6
IP-based geolocation means determining the physical location of an internet-connected electronic device via its IP addresses. This data usually includes geographic location data, such as country, state, region, city, latitude, and longitude. An advanced IP locator like ipstack also returns area code, time zone, and currency information related to the requested IP address.
How To Hide IP Address On iPhone And Mac?
There are several ways to hide your IP address on your iPhone and Mac and protect your privacy online.
How To Hide IP Address On iPhone Using A VPN Service?
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. A VPN protects your internet connection and allows you to stay private online. Usually, VPNs are utilized to mask IP addresses to bypass regional restrictions placed on streaming video services such as Netflix. However, you can also use it to hide your IP address and protect your privacy online.
A VPN basically creates an encrypted and secure connection between your device and the internet. As a result, websites and apps aren’t able to see your real IP address. Instead, the server’s IP address is visible to them. All in all, a VPN encrypts your data and assigns a new IP address to hide yours. For instance, a VPN can be used to get an IP address from some other country.
You’ll find several free VPN services in the market. However, a paid version is usually more efficient, and fortunately, paid VPNs are available at very reasonable prices. The best VPN services you’ll find on the App Store include NordVPN, PureVPN, and ExpressVPN.
How To Use Safari’s Hide IP Address Option?
Did you know your iPhone has free built-in tools, such as intelligent tracking prevention, that allow you to hide your IP address? One such feature is the ‘Hide IP Address’ option in the Safari browser. It is a privacy-focused feature introduced by Apple in 2017 to allow users to browse the internet without worrying about a website tracking their IP addresses.
Below is how you can use this feature:
First, go to the settings app on your iPhone and tap safari.
Scroll down and tap ‘Hide IP address.’
You’ll now see two options to hide your IP address: Trackers and websites and Trackers only. The ‘trackers and websites option’ prevents websites and advertising trackers from tracking your IP address. The ‘trackers only’ option only prevents advertising trackers from tracking your IP address.
How To Hide IP Address On iPhone Using iCloud Private Relay Feature?
A web browser isn’t the only way that your IP address can be tracked. Advertising trackers can also be embedded into emails. So, if you really want to hide your original IP address, you must block these invisible trackers in your emails.
Fortunately, Apple’s new private relay feature, which is similar to a VPN, lets you hide your IP address from everyone.
Here is how you can enable the private relay feature if you have a paid iCloud account:
- Tap settings, click on your name, and then select iCloud.
- Click the ‘Private Relay’ option and move the slider to on.
How To Use Mail Privacy Protection Feature To Hide IP Address on iPhone?
This is another built-in feature (iOS 15 and above) that allows you to block advertising trackers inserted in emails. You can enable this feature as follows:
Go to settings and tap mail.
Tap privacy protection.
Now, turn on the ‘Protect Mail Activity’ feature.
Can You Use A Proxy Server To Hide IP Address?
A proxy server is quite similar to a VPN. It essentially separates users from the websites to protect their privacy online. When you’re using a proxy server, your data first runs through the proxy, which hides your IP address and assigns a new one.
However, proxy servers aren’t as efficient as VPNs. You must use the proxy every time you access a website. Additionally, proxy servers can slow your online activity. Not to mention, they don’t encrypt your data – they just mask your IP address.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make my IP address private on my iPhone?
There are multiple ways to hide your IP address on your iPhone. For example, you can use a VPN or a proxy server. You can also use built-in iPhone features to hide your IP address. These include Safari’s hide IP address feature, iCloud private relay feature, and mail privacy protection feature.
Can I hide the IP address on my iPhone without using a VPN?
If you don’t want to use a VPN, you can use iPhone’s built-in features, such as Safari’s hide IP address feature, iCloud private relay, and mail privacy protection to hide your IP address.
Can iPhones be tracked by IP address?
If you’re not using a tool or service to hide your IP address, your iPhone can be tracked via IP address.
Can I hide my IP address on my cell phone?
You can hide your IP address on your cell phone using a VPN. If you’re an iPhone user, you can also use different built-in features to hide your IP address.
Does Safari hide your IP address?
Safari comes with a ‘Hide IP address’ option that you can use to hide your real IP address for free.
