How Technology and Software
Affect Your IP Address

Does Your IP Address Change? 

Yes, your IP address can change, and for many people it changes more often than they realize. The frequency depends on how you connect to the internet, the policies of your internet provider, and whether you move between networks. Think of an IP address like a return address on a letter: most of the time you keep the one you’re given, but under common circumstances it can be reassigned, refreshed, or replaced altogether.

For home users, “dynamic” addressing is the norm. Your provider’s system loans you an address for a period (called a lease). That lease can renew to the same address or flip to a different one. On mobile data, changes are even more common because carriers route huge numbers of devices through shared systems that can shift as you move or reconnect.

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Public vs. Private IP: Know What’s Actually Changing

Before worrying about change, it helps to know which address we’re talking about. You have two layers of addresses in play:

Your private (local) IP is the number your router gives your phone, laptop, TV, and other devices, usually something like 192.168.x.x. This can change whenever devices reconnect, when the router restarts, or when its internal leasing schedule rolls over. These private addresses stay inside your home or office and aren’t visible to websites.

Your public IP is the outward-facing address the rest of the internet sees, assigned by your internet service provider or mobile carrier. When people ask “does your IP address change,” they almost always mean this public one. It’s the address websites log and analytics tools record.

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Why Your Public IP Changes (or Stays Put)

Public IPs change primarily because of how providers manage their networks. Most residential plans use DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), which hands out addresses from a pool and can move you to a new one when the lease renews. Rebooting a modem or router after a long power outage can also trigger a fresh assignment. Switching from home Wi-Fi to cellular, or between different Wi-Fi hotspots, naturally gives you a different public IP, because you’re using a different upstream network.

On the other hand, some customers choose a static IP plan from their provider, which aims to keep the same public address over time. Businesses often prefer this for hosting or reliable remote access. Even then, rare network migrations or account changes can cause a swap, but it’s the exception.

Typical Scenarios and What to Expect

Below is a quick reference to common situations and how they affect your address.

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How to Check Whether Your IP Changed

Want proof rather than theory? Here’s a simple routine you can repeat any time.

1. Visit any “what’s my IP” checker and note the number (and timestamp).
   
   
2. Restart your modem/router or toggle airplane mode (on mobile), then reconnect.
   
   
3. Revisit the checker and compare the number you see now with the one you wrote down.
   
   
4. Switch networks (e.g., home Wi-Fi to mobile hotspot) and test again, you’ll almost certainly see a different public IP.
   
   

If you only see changes on your private IP (like 192.168.1.23 becoming 192.168.1.45) while the public IP stays the same, that’s normal. The internet at large still sees you as coming from the same public address.

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Want More Control Over IPs?

If your work relies on consistent or varied IPs, think QA testing, localization checks, ad verification, pricing audits, or market research, you might want deliberate control. One route is to ask your provider about a static IP plan for stability. Another is to use a reputable proxy solution that lets you choose when and how your outward-facing IP rotates, or stay “sticky” for longer sessions. Services such as proxys.io offer options for selecting locations, rotating intervals, and session persistence, giving you predictable behavior without relying on chance lease renewals.

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Quick FAQ-Style Takeaways

“Does your IP address change?” Yes, especially on dynamic home broadband and mobile networks.

“Can I stop it from changing?” Ask your provider about a static IP, or use managed services that keep sessions stable.

“Why did mine change overnight?” Your DHCP lease likely renewed and assigned a different address.

“Why does it change when I leave the house?” Because you’ve switched to a different upstream network with its own address pool.

“Do websites care which device I’m on at home?” Not really, they mostly see your single public IP from the router, even though your internal device IPs can change.

When you know which IP you’re looking at, and why it changes, the mystery fades. With the right setup, you can keep things steady, or rotate by design when your tasks demand it.