What is my IPv6 address?

Your IPv6 address

Detecting…

More about your connection

What is an IPv6 address?

Your public IPv6 address is shown in the result, if your connection has one. This check connects over IPv6 only, so a result means IPv6 works on your network. “Not detected” means your connection only supports IPv4.

How an IPv6 address is structured

An IPv6 address has 128 bits, written as eight groups of four hexadecimal digits: 2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000:ff00:0042:8329. Two shortening rules make it more readable:

  1. Leading zeros in a group can be dropped: 0db8 becomes db8.
  2. One run of consecutive all-zero groups can be replaced with ::.

So the address above is usually written as 2001:db8::ff00:42:8329.

The first 64 bits normally identify your network (the prefix your ISP assigns), and the last 64 bits identify your device on that network (the interface ID).

Types of IPv6 addresses

  • Global unicast (starting with 2 or 3): public addresses reachable on the internet. This is what the tool shows.
  • Link-local (starting with fe80:): used only on your local network segment. Every IPv6 device has one.
  • Unique local (starting with fc or fd): private addresses for internal networks, similar to 192.168.x.x in IPv4.

How to enable IPv6

  1. Check your router. Look for an IPv6 setting in the WAN or internet section and set it to automatic, DHCPv6 or SLAAC, depending on what your ISP uses.
  2. Check your device. IPv6 is on by default in all current versions of Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. Make sure it hasn’t been disabled.
  3. Ask your ISP. If the router shows no IPv6 prefix, your ISP may not offer it on your plan yet.

Reload this page after any change. When IPv6 works, you can also look up your IPv6 hostname and IPv6 location.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my IPv6 address not detected?

Your ISP, router or device doesn’t provide IPv6. Many ISPs support it but leave it switched off in the router, so check your router’s settings first, then ask your ISP.

Do I need IPv6?

Not yet for everyday use: every major website still works over IPv4. IPv6 can give faster, more direct connections, though, and avoids problems caused by shared IPv4 addresses, such as captchas and blocked game connections.

Why does my IPv6 address keep changing?

Most operating systems use temporary privacy addresses for outgoing connections and rotate them regularly, often daily. That stops websites from tracking your device by a fixed address. The part of the address that identifies your network usually stays the same.

Is an IPv6 address less private than IPv4?

With privacy addresses enabled, which is the default on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, an IPv6 address reveals about as much as an IPv4 address: your network and approximate location, not your identity.