There are many reasons why we wish change IP address on our device. Perhaps it is to remain anonymous on the internet, protect our privacy, navigate safely, avoid being tracked, etc. For this reason, in the following guide we are going to see how to hide or modify the IP address of any device, be it Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android.
The best way to change the IP address
There are several ways to change your IP address, it all depends on whether you want to change your local or public IP address. Your router assigns a local IP to your device, this is only used within your private network. On the other hand, your internet service provider assigns a public or external IP to your device, we cannot change it.
The local IP can be changed relatively easily, this should only be done if we have some kind of problem with our internet connection.
However, if we want to access geo-blocked content such as some streaming service, hide our location online, or protect our activity, then we will have to choose to change the public IP. But how can we get it?
We can use a proxy server, turn off the modem for several seconds, disconnect the router for a while or the simplest thing would be with a VPN.
We have already talked about cybersecurity before, where we emphasize how important it would be to have a VPN. Virtual private networks are the best option and above all, the safest way to change the public IP address. Best of all, it’s not difficult to set up a VPN on Windows 10, Mac, Linux, and other mobile devices.
One of the most popular options on the market is ExpressVPN, precisely this virtual private network is the one that we are going to use throughout this guide. We will use this service because it is the most friendly, reliable and secure of the moment. Technically speaking, a VPN will take care of hiding our IP address using an encrypted connection. We would not only be changing our IP, we would also be encrypting all our activity on the internet.
Although, we will not be able to change the IP at our choice. If we are going to obtain a new one, because we can choose the geographical region that will be associated with our device. In this way we can bypass restrictions on websites, applications and streaming services that are not available in our country.
In the case of ExpressVPN we must pay a monthly money. There are free VPNs, you can use one of these and follow the guide without any kind of problem.
How to change IP address on Mac
The first thing we will have to do is Enterokay to ExpressVPN and choose a plan, we can select a one-month, six-month or 15-month plan, then we set up a payment method and create an account.
Once we have an account created, we will have to go to the “My account” tab at the top of the screen.
Next, we will have to log in by entering our credentials and we will automatically go to the configuration page.
Here we will have to choose “Download for Mac”.
We will copy the verification code. After this, we will have to follow the instructions of the application in order to complete the installation process.
We will enter our Mac username and password. Then we choose “Install Software” is the button that is in the lower right.
Now we will have to paste the activation code that we copied earlier on the ExpressVPN website. The only thing left to do is click on “Login”.
Once we have ExpressVPN installed, we will have to start the configuration to change the IP address.
The first thing will be to open the app and we will have to click on the “Connect” button.
Now we will have to press on the three points that are on the right side of “Selected location”.
We can choose one of the 160 locations available in 94 countries.
Once we start using ExpressVPN, our public IP address will change or be hidden, in this way we can surf anonymously on the internet and access services that we previously could not due to geographical restrictions.
How to change IP on a Windows PC
In the case of Windows, the installation process is quite similar to Mac, follow the steps below and you can quickly change your IP or hide it.
After creating an account in this virtual private network, what we will have to do is go to the “My account” tab.
Next, we are going to log in and this will automatically take us to the page where we will have the option to “Download for Windows”.
Then we will have to copy the activation code that we will need for later. We click “Download” again.
We proceed to install it like any kind of program. When the time comes where it asks us to enter the activation code, we will have to paste the code that we copied previously and we will click “Continue”.
When we are in the new window, we will click on the “Connect” button. Although if we want to change the location, we can do it from the ellipsis.
We can choose between several servers, we will choose the one that suits us and we click connect again. We can change servers whenever we want.
Change IP on Chromebook
In the case of Chromebook, we will have to download it from the Play Store. Once we have it installed we will follow the steps that we will leave you a little below.
We start the application and then we will have to log in. We will have to click “Accept” to allow ExpressVPN to configure a VPN connection to our device.
Next, we will have to select the “Connect” button in order to activate ExpressVPN. Now we will have to click on the three points next to “Selected location”.
We choose the location of the server we want. In this way we can enjoy navigate without any kind of limitation and above all with a Totally different IP and in an encrypted way, anonymously.
Hide IP on Android device
We are going to see step by step how we can use ExpressVPN on an Android device, for this we will have to follow these steps.
We go to the Play Store, once let’s find the app ExpressVPN. We will click on the “Install” button, we wait for the application to download and install, as it is automatic, we simply have to wait for the process to finish.
After the application is downloaded and installed, we will have to open it and click on the button that says “Sign in to the application.”
On this new page we will have to press “Accept” to give the application permissions and thus be able to configure the VPN connection.
When a pop-up window appears, we will have to press “OK” again.
We can click directly on the “Connect” button, although we also have the option to change the location of the server.
To change its location, we are going to click on the ellipsis and a list with the available locations is displayed. We select one and then we give it to connect.
Change it on iPhone (iOS)
Obviously we will have to have an ExpressVPN account, which we can create on your website.
Next, we go to the App Store where we will search the app ExpressVPN through the integrated search engine of the Apple store.
Once we have the application downloaded and installed on our device, we will proceed to open it. Here we can directly press the “Connect” button to start the VPN.
Although we also have the possibility to change the location of the server by pressing on the ellipsis. We select the new location and then press Connect.
