How to Hide My IP Address | ExpressVPN (2024)

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When you use a VPN to connect to the internet, the VPN creates an encrypted connection, known as a tunnel, between your device and the internet. The VPN masks your IP address with its own IP address in the tunneling process. That IP address is shared with thousands of other VPN users—this makes it virtually impossible for anyone to trace your internet activity back to you.

By using a VPN, your own IP address is masked (or “scrambled”) by the VPN, protecting your location, identity, and online activity from anyone who wishes to find you through your IP address.

IP addresses are often tied closely to a physical location. Anyone who knows your public IP address can make a very good guess as to where you are right now.

Depending on who you are, this can be either very convenient or very dangerous. Either way, most people want to be in control of who they reveal their location to and when, and don’t enjoy having their location revealed without their permission.

ExpressVPN lets you replace your IP address with a secure VPN IP address in any of 105 countries around the world, putting you back in control.

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Because each device on the internet has a unique public IP address, that IP address can also be used to uniquely identify that device, which can be traced back to a single person. That makes it relatively easy for a website, service, or app to link specific internet activity to a specific person.

This is very convenient for people and companies who want to keep track of you, but not great for anyone who believes in personal privacy. If you’re not comfortable with third parties knowing which websites you visit, what you download, and who you talk to, you need to hide your IP.

Knowing your public IP address allows websites, apps, and services to control your experience based on where or who they think you are. But if you can change your IP address, you can enjoy whatever experience you want.

Other parties along your connection, like your Wi-Fi network operator, internet service provider, or even government agencies, can also use your IP address to block, redirect, and censor your web activity. Proxying your traffic through a VPN with a different IP address allows you to defeat censorship and restore your freedom.

Some “proxy” services offer to hide your IP address without the security benefits of a VPN. You should be very careful when sending your traffic to an anonymous proxy service, especially if it advertises itself as a “free proxy.”

Free proxies may hide your IP address for free, but they may also monetize your traffic through trackers, ads, and other malware.

Proxy servers also generally lack the security benefits and other features of a premium VPN service. Check out what you get by hiding your IP address with ExpressVPN versus a free proxy.

With ExpressVPN:

• Hides your IP address

• 256-bit AES encryption

• Server locations in 105 countries

• Network Lock / kill switch

• No activity logs, no connection logs

• 24/7 live chat support

A proxy might only help to hide your IP address, but a VPN will secure it.