A Virtual Private Network (VPN) hides your IP address by replacing it with the IP of the VPN server you choose. Hiding your IP ensures data brokers and your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can’t track your online activity. You can quickly change your location and have unrestricted and fast access to any blocked websites by simply changing the server.
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Hide your IP and location with Surfshark VPN
- Hide your real IP address with a single click of a button
- Connect to servers and get a different IP address in over 100 countries
- Protect your personal information from data brokers
- Try us for 30 days with a money-back guarantee
How does a VPN hide your IP address?
How to hide your IP address in 3 easy steps
1.Sign in to your account, or create a new one.
2.Open the Surfshark app on any of your devices & click Connect.
3.That’s it! Your IP is hidden, and your traffic is encrypted.
Need a more detailed guide? Check out our article on different ways to hide your IP address.
Different IP hiding methods compared
Surfshark VPN:
By connecting to a VPN server, you encrypt all the internet traffic coming and going from your device and hide your IP. This means that not even your ISP will know what you’re doing, and the sites and services you visit will not know who you are unless you identify yourself.
Tor:
Tor encrypts your data and bounces it via three randomly selected servers. However, Tor doesn’t allow you to choose the servers, so you can’t get an IP from a specific location. It’s also a lot slower than a VPN. Lastly, it only protects the data going to and from the Tor browser.
Proxy:
A proxy – or a proxy server – routes your data. It changes your IP to its own IP address but doesn’t encrypt your data. Usually, you don’t have the option of switching the server according to your needs. A proxy is thus much more limited than a VPN.
Incognito:
Incognito/Private mode only hides what you do from people who will use your device after you’ve closed the private browsing windows. It doesn’t hide your actual IP address, encrypt your data, or make you any more private online.
DNS changer:
DNS changer doesn’t route or encrypt your data. However, it is a good, cheap way to overcome some basic geo-blocks.
| Surfshark VPN | Tor | Proxy | Incognito/Private mode | DNS changer | |
| Hides IP |  |
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| Encrypts data | |
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| Allows quick server switching |
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| Bypasses blocks | |
Some | Some | |
Some |
Why hide your IP with Surfshark VPN
Browse banned websites
Using a VPN not only allows you to access websites censored in your country/school/workplace. By hiding your IP with a VPN, you are much less likely to leave a trace when you do!
Avoid DDoS attacks
Streamers, online gamers, and just regular folk can risk getting a DDoS attack launched on them. But if they hide their real IP, it will be nigh impossible to target them.
Get better prices
The prices for flights, hotels, and so on can be different depending on which part of the world you’re connecting from. If you hide your IP by taking an IP from a different country, you can get better prices!
Disclaimer: We prohibit using Surfshark services for any unlawful purposes as it is against our Terms of Service. Please be sure to act in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Why Surfshark is the best VPN to hide your IP
Surfshark VPN has 3200+ servers spread across the world. Thus, you’ll often be able to get IP addresses from nearly any country you want. This also increases the odds that you’ll be connecting to a server close to your location – this is important in determining how much the VPN connection affects your internet speed.
Our VPN has passed multiple audits: we have independent verification that Surfshark doesn’t store your data. The company has also taken other steps to increase your privacy: we’re headquartered in the Netherlands, so you’re protected via their robust data protection laws. And even if you weren’t, our servers are RAM-only, meaning that all the data would be lost as soon as they are seized and disconnected.
Lastly, Surfshark is supported on nearly any platform you can think of. Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, or Linux – all have easy-to-use VPN apps. In addition to that, Surfshark provides additional functionalities, like virtual servers, MultiHop (connecting via two servers), and so on.
FAQ
Is it illegal to hide your IP address?
No, it is not illegal to hide your IP address.
How do I know if my IP address is hidden?
You can do a little test to see if your IP address is hidden:
- Use any of the tools used to hide your IP;
- Go to Surfshark’s What is my IP address page;
- If the location mentioned there matches where you are geographically, your IP is not hidden.
How to hide IP on Xbox?
To hide your IP on Xbox, you’ll need to use a VPN on Xbox. This is a bit involved, so check out the tips here.
How to hide the IP address on an iPhone?
Hide your IP address on an iPhone by downloading Surfshark VPN for iOS.
How to hide my IP address on Android?
To hide your IP address on an Android device, download the Surfshark VPN app for Android and connect to any server.
How do you hide your IP address on a Mac?
The easiest way to hide your IP address on a Mac is to download Surfshark VPN for MacOS and then connect to a server, any server.