Hide your IP address with Surfshark VPN

While you cannot be 100% invisible on the internet, you can completely hide your real IP address from the websites you visit and the apps you use. When you connect to a VPN, your ISP can see that you are connected to a VPN server, but they cannot see the final destination of your traffic. To the rest of the web, your real IP is completely hidden and replaced by the VPN’s IP address.

The easiest and most reliable way to hide your IP address on an iOS device is to download a reputable VPN app from the App Store. Once you install an app like Surfshark and connect to a server, your iPhone’s internet traffic is instantly encrypted, and your real IP is masked. While proxies exist, a VPN is the only tool that simultaneously masks your IP and encrypts your data.

No, standard Google services do not hide your IP address. While Chrome’s Incognito Mode stops your local browsing history from being saved on your device, it doesn’t mask your IP or hide your activity from your ISP or the websites you visit. For effective IP masking, you need a dedicated third-party service like a VPN.

Yes, a free VPN can mask your IP, but it often comes with hidden costs. Free VPN services typically impose strict data limits, slower speeds, and offer fewer server locations. More importantly, some free VPNs log and sell your browsing data to advertisers to turn a profit.

Paid VPN services, like Surfshark, provide strict no-logs policies, faster speeds, and reliable encryption without compromising your privacy.

Your IP address can reveal many pieces of information, including:

• Geolocation: your IP usually shows your approximate location, such as the city or region you’re in;
• ISP: others can see which service provider is supplying your web connection;
• Online activity: when combined with other tracking methods, a website or online service can track your browsing habits and preferences.

IP masking is the process of hiding or replacing your real IP address with a different one by routing your internet connection through an intermediary server. This is commonly done through tools like VPNs or proxy servers and helps you protect your online privacy.

You can check if your IP address is hidden with the following steps, as long as you have a VPN:

1. Connect your VPN to your preferred server location. 
2. Go to Surfshark’s What is my IP address? page.
3. Your IP address isn’t hidden if you see a red window labeled Not Protected that shows your exact location. If you see a green Protected window that lists your VPN server’s location, your real IP isn’t visible.

No. Incognito mode (or private browsing) only prevents your browser from saving your local search history, cookies, and temporary files on your actual device. It doesn’t hide your IP address or encrypt your internet traffic. Your ISP, network administrator, and the websites you visit can still see your real IP address and monitor your online activity unless you use a VPN.