The short answer
A MAC address (Media Access Control address) is a hardware identifier given to a network adapter, such as the Wi-Fi chip in your phone or the Ethernet port on your laptop. Devices use it to find each other on the same local network: your router delivers data to your phone by its MAC address.
A MAC address never leaves your local network. Websites and apps on the internet see your IP address instead, which you can check on the My IP page.
What a MAC address looks like
A MAC address is 48 bits long, written as six pairs of hexadecimal digits separated by colons or hyphens:
3C:22:FB:1A:2B:3C or 3C-22-FB-1A-2B-3C
- The first three pairs are the OUI (Organizationally Unique Identifier), assigned by the IEEE to the manufacturer. That's why a MAC lookup can tell you whether a device was made by Apple, Samsung or Intel.
- The last three pairs are chosen by the manufacturer for each adapter.
A device has one MAC address per network adapter. A laptop with Wi-Fi, Ethernet and Bluetooth has three different ones.
MAC address vs IP address
| MAC address | IP address | |
|---|---|---|
| Identifies | A network adapter | A device or network on the internet |
| Assigned by | Manufacturer (or randomized by the OS) | Your router (private IP) or internet provider (public IP) |
| Works on | The local network only | The local network and the internet |
| Network layer | Layer 2 (data link) | Layer 3 (network) |
| Changes when you move | Not normally | Yes, with every new network |
| Visible to websites | No | Yes, your public IP |
| Example | 3C:22:FB:1A:2B:3C | 192.168.1.23 or 203.0.113.42 |
The two work together. When your laptop wants to send data to 192.168.1.1, it uses ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) to ask "who has this IP?" and gets back the router's MAC address. Your router, in turn, uses its own MAC and your public IP to talk to your internet provider.
How to find your MAC address
Windows 10 and 11
- Open Settings > Network & internet, then Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
- Click Hardware properties.
- Look for Physical address (MAC).
Or open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /all. The Physical Address line under each adapter is its MAC.
Mac
- Open System Settings > Wi-Fi.
- Click Details next to the network you're connected to.
- The MAC address is listed there (on older macOS versions, under the Hardware tab).
Or run ifconfig en0 | grep ether in Terminal. On most Macs, en0 is the Wi-Fi adapter.
iPhone and iPad
- Hardware address: Settings > General > About > Wi-Fi Address.
- Address used on a specific network: Settings > Wi-Fi, tap the (i) next to the network and look at Private Wi-Fi Address.
Android
Menus differ between manufacturers, but usually:
- Hardware address: Settings > About phone > Wi-Fi MAC address (sometimes under Status or Hardware information).
- Address used on a specific network: Settings > Network & internet > Internet, tap the gear next to the network. Under Privacy you'll see whether it uses a randomized MAC.
Linux
Run ip link. The address after link/ether is the MAC for each interface.
MAC randomization and private Wi-Fi addresses
Because a MAC address stays the same, Wi-Fi networks in shops, airports and hotels could use it to recognize the same phone over time. To stop this, modern systems use a random MAC address instead of the real one:
- iPhone and iPad (iOS 14 and later) use a Private Wi-Fi Address for each network. Newer versions let you choose Off, Fixed or Rotating.
- Android (10 and later) uses a randomized MAC per network by default.
- Windows 10 and 11 have a Random hardware addresses switch under the Wi-Fi settings.
- macOS (Sequoia and later) has a Private Wi-Fi address option in each network's details.
A randomized address usually has 2, 6, A or E as its second digit, which marks it as "locally administered" rather than set by the manufacturer.
Randomization has side effects at home. If your router uses MAC filtering, parental controls or a reserved IP for a device, those rules depend on the MAC. Turn off the private address for your home network only, and leave it on for public Wi-Fi.
Can websites see your MAC address?
No. Your MAC address is only used between your device and the next device on the network, usually your router. When your router forwards your traffic to the internet, it replaces your device's MAC with its own, and the next hop replaces that again. By the time a request reaches a website, no trace of your device's MAC is left.
What websites do see is your public IP address, along with the location and provider it points to. Open the My IP page to see exactly that. Browsers also don't give web pages any way to read the MAC address, and both iOS and Android block ordinary apps from reading the real hardware address.
Who can see your MAC: anyone on the same local network, such as the router owner or the operator of a public hotspot. That's the reason for MAC randomization.
FAQ
Can two devices have the same MAC address?
Manufacturers aim to make every hardware MAC unique, but the address only has to be unique on the local network. Randomized addresses are random enough that a clash on the same network is very unlikely.
Does a VPN hide my MAC address?
There's nothing to hide from websites, because they never see it. A VPN hides your public IP. The Wi-Fi network you connect to still sees your MAC address (or your randomized one), VPN or not.
Can I change my MAC address?
Yes. Using the random address option above is the easy way. On Windows, some network drivers also let you set a custom value under Network Address in the adapter's advanced properties. Changing it doesn't affect what websites see.
Can someone track me with my MAC address?
Only nearby. Wi-Fi networks and some tracking sensors can log the MAC of devices close by, which is why phones randomize it. Over the internet, tracking relies on your IP address, cookies and browser fingerprint instead.
Is the MAC address the same as the IP address?
No. The MAC address identifies your network hardware on the local network. The IP address is assigned by the network and is what the internet uses to reach you. What is an IP address explains the IP side in detail.