Hiding your IP makes sense if you want to make it harder for websites to link visits to your home connection and to hide the approximate location determined from your network. A VPN replaces the IP address visible to websites, but accounts and cookies still make it possible to identify you.
What can be learnt from a visible IP
An IP address is needed to deliver data between devices on the internet. A website receives the public address from which the connection arrives, and IP reference databases can be used to determine an approximate location.
Imagine that at home you visit a shop's website from a laptop, and then from a phone via the same Wi-Fi. With a shared external address, the service receives the same marker for both visits. The IP itself does not reveal a name or a specific person: several subscribers may share one public address, and a single subscriber's address can change. So the service can only see that the visits may have come from the same connection — a possible link, not proof of who opened the page.
How hiding your IP hinders tracking
Now imagine that before visiting the shop's website you connected a VPN. For traffic routed through the VPN, the path looks like this: your device → secure tunnel → VPN server → website. The website receives the VPN server's address. Your home connection's IP stops being available to it as a marker for matching visits.
How hiding your IP hinders tracking
For traffic routed through the VPN, the path looks like this: your device → secure tunnel → VPN server → website.
The website receives the VPN server's address.
This makes tracking, i.e. monitoring of actions, and IP-based matching more difficult. Note that choosing a server in another city changes the visible network geolocation, but not the phone's GPS coordinates.
| Who observes | What changes when using a VPN |
|---|---|
| The website you visit | Sees the VPN server's IP for the connection through the tunnel |
| Your home provider | Sees a connection to a VPN, the time and volume of traffic; the destination websites are usually hidden when properly configured |
| The VPN operator | Gains the ability to observe part of the network metadata; trust shifts to them |
| A service where you are logged into an account | Continues to link actions to your account |
EFF guidance on choosing a VPN emphasises precisely this shift of trust to the operator. Without a VPN, the provider can usually determine the name of the website you connect to. HTTPS protects the content of the connection, including the full address of the requested page, but the domain name itself may still be observable separately. With a VPN, the destination websites are usually hidden from the provider when properly configured.
When a hidden IP is useful in everyday life
| Scenario | Practical benefit | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing websites | The website does not receive your home IP | Cookies and the browser fingerprint may link the visits |
| Downloading a file from a website | The download server sees the VPN's address | The VPN does not scan the file for viruses |
| Streaming video | The video service receives the VPN's address | The account remains recognisable to the service |
| Public Wi-Fi | The tunnel reduces traffic visibility to the network owner | Fake websites and fraudulent messages remain a threat |
Hiding your IP is not essential for ordinary browsing and watching videos. Do it when you want to restrict the visibility of your address to a specific service.
On public Wi-Fi, HTTPS already protects the content of most web connections. A VPN adds protection for the network route, but updates, strong passwords and a second factor are still necessary.
How to check whether a VPN solves your task
Suppose you want to hide your home IP when browsing websites, while another app needs direct access. Split routing from CitadelVPN is useful here: it's included in every plan and lets you choose which traffic goes through the VPN. First check which rules your client supports on your platform, then set up a route for the browser you need. Connections left outside the tunnel will continue to use your regular IP. That way you can test exactly the route for which you're setting up the VPN.
Before regular use:
- In the browser, open a page that shows the public IP address it sees for that connection (there are many free "what is my IP" services) before and after connecting the VPN. A change of address confirms the routing of that connection only — it does not confirm how other browser connections or other applications are routed. If an application has connection settings, check there whether any exclusions or direct-connection options apply to it.
- Check the VPN application for a kill switch or a block on traffic outside the tunnel, and enable it if available.
- Read the provider's data retention policy. If an independent audit has been published, look at its date and the scope of the review.
Additional questions
Can someone get into my device just by knowing my IP?
One address is not enough on its own. The risk depends on which services are reachable from outside, the router's configuration and existing vulnerabilities. Hiding your IP does not replace keeping devices updated and limiting incoming connections.
Do I need to hide my IP on an iPhone if I have Private Relay?
For browsing in Safari, iCloud Private Relay from an iCloud+ subscription already helps to hide the original IP through two relays. It does not replace a VPN for the whole device. Availability depends on country and network; the mechanism is described in Apple's help pages.
When it makes sense to switch on a VPN
Hide your IP when you want to remove your home connection's address from the data available to websites. Start with a single application: switch on the VPN, compare the public address before and after, and confirm that the connection you care about goes through the tunnel.