Have you considered the risks of real IP address leakage?
Every time you visit a website, use an online service, or download something, your IP address is shown. This address can be tracked by websites and used by advertisers. It can also become a target for hackers.
With the upgrade of network censorship and data monitoring technology in 2025, protecting personal privacy becomes more important. This article will introduce five reliable methods to help you hide your IP address, improve online anonymity, and ensure digital security.
1. Socks proxy server
A proxy server is an intermediary server that receives user requests and accesses the target website on behalf of the user, and then returns the data to the user. Since the target website only sees the IP of the proxy server and not the user’s real IP, it can effectively hide the identity.
How does a proxy server hide IP?
Common proxy types
- HTTP proxy: suitable for web browsing, fast speed, but only for HTTP/HTTPS requests.
- SOCKS5 proxy: supports a wider range of applications, including P2P downloads, video streaming, and VoIP.
How to use a proxy server?
- Manually configure proxy IP: Many browsers (such as Chrome, Firefox) allow manual entry of proxy IP addresses.
- Use proxy software or browser extensions: For example, 922Proxy can be used to automatically switch proxies.
- Choose a high-quality proxy provider: Avoid using free proxies to prevent data leakage or speed restrictions.
Advantages: fast speed, suitable for specific websites and applications.
Disadvantages: no encryption, some proxies may be unreliable.
2. Use Tor network
How does Tor hide IP?
Tor (The Onion Router) is an anonymous network that transmits user traffic through multiple encrypted nodes (Relays) around the world. The final target website can only see the IP of the last node, but cannot identify the user’s real IP.
How to use Tor?
- Tor browser (official recommendation): suitable for anonymous web browsing.
- Tor over Bridges: bypass the blocked Tor network.
- Use in combination with proxies or bridges to improve anonymity.
Advantages and disadvantages of Tor
- Advantages: highly anonymous, suitable for circumventing censorship.
- Disadvantages: Slow speed, some websites block Tor users, not suitable for streaming or downloading.
Applicable scenarios: When you need extreme anonymity, such as accessing restricted content or protecting privacy, Tor is the best choice.
3. Hide IP through mobile data network
Why use mobile data?
If you use Wi-Fi at home, your ISP (Internet Service Provider) will assign a fixed or dynamic IP to your connection. Mobile data networks (4G/5G) use different IP address pools, and the IP address assigned to you usually changes dynamically, thus hiding your home IP.
How to switch IP?
- Disconnect Wi-Fi and use the data traffic of your phone.
- Reconnect to the mobile network at different times to get a new dynamic IP.
- Use hotspot to share the mobile network so that other devices can also get a new IP address.
Pros: Simple operation, no additional software or configuration required.
Cons: Consumes mobile traffic, not suitable for long-term use.
Applicable scenarios: Mobile data is an easy choice when you need to temporarily hide your IP (such as accessing restricted content).
4.Use public Wi-Fi to change IP
How does public Wi-Fi affect IP address?
When you connect to Wi-Fi in a coffee shop, airport, library, or hotel, your IP address will be changed to the public IP provided by the network, not your home or mobile IP. This means that websites or third parties cannot directly track your home or work IP.
Risks of public Wi-Fi
Although using public Wi-Fi can change your IP address, it also has serious security risks, such as:
- Man-in-the-middle attack (MITM): hackers may intercept your network traffic.
- Unencrypted Wi-Fi: Unencrypted networks are prone to data leakage.
How to use public Wi-Fi safely?
- Only enter sensitive information on HTTPS sites to ensure data encryption.
- Avoid automatically connecting to unknown Wi-Fi and turn off the “auto-connect” function on your device.
- Use browser privacy mode to prevent cookies and cache from exposing information.
Pros: Quickly change IP, suitable for short-term anonymous access.
Cons: There are security risks and need to be used with caution.
Applicable scenarios: When you are not at home or traveling, you can use public Wi-Fi to change your IP address, but be careful about safety.
5.Hide IP through NAT firewall or self-built proxy
How does NAT (Network Address Translation) help hide IP?
NAT (Network Address Translation) is a network technology that allows multiple devices to share the same public IP. For example, in a home or corporate network, multiple devices may use the same public IP of the router, and their internal IP addresses (such as 192.168.X.X) are not exposed to external websites.
How to build a proxy server by yourself ?
For users with technical capabilities, you can build your own proxy server on a VPS (cloud server), such as:
- Shadowsocks: A lightweight proxy protocol widely used for scientific Internet access.
- SOCKS5 proxy server: Suitable for P2P, games, and remote connections.
- Squid Proxy: Suitable for HTTP proxy, providing cache optimization.
Applicable scenarios
- Enterprise users: NAT can hide the IP of internal company devices and improve security.
- Technology enthusiasts: You can get more control by building your own proxy and avoid third-party logging.
Pros: Self-built proxies are safe and controllable, and NAT can improve anonymity.
Cons: NAT cannot completely hide public IP, and self-built proxies require technical knowledge.
Conclusion
In 2025, hiding IP addresses is more important than ever. Proxy servers are a flexible way to do this.
They are great for daily anonymous browsing and accessing specific websites. If you need more advanced anonymity, the Tor network is a powerful tool, while mobile data and public Wi-Fi are easy ways to temporarily hide your IP. For technical users, NAT or self-built proxies are long-term and controllable solutions.
FAQ
1. How can I make my IP address invisible?
The IP address is the unique identifier of a device on the Internet. If you want to hide it, you can use the following methods:
- Use a proxy server: A proxy server can act as an intermediary to make your real IP invisible to the websites you visit.
- Use the Tor network: The Tor browser hides your IP address through multiple layers of encryption and global relay servers to improve anonymity.
- Using mobile data: If you are currently using Wi-Fi, switching to the 4G/5G network of your mobile operator will change your IP address.
2. How do I stop sharing my IP address on my iPhone?
To prevent apps and websites from obtaining your IP address, you can take the following measures:
Enable “Limit IP Address Tracking”:
- Open the “Settings” app.
- Go to “Wi-Fi” and tap the connected network.
- Turn on the “Limit IP Address Tracking” option.
- Enable iCloud Private Relay (for iCloud+ users):
Open the “Settings” app.
- Tap your Apple ID avatar and select “iCloud”.
- Go to “Private Relay” and turn it on to hide your IP address.
3. How do I delete my IP address on my iPhone?
The IP address is automatically assigned by the network and cannot be deleted manually, but you can change or reset the IP address in the following ways:
- Switch Wi-Fi networks: Disconnect from the current Wi-Fi and connect to another network, and a new IP address will be assigned.
- Restart your router: If your IP is dynamically assigned, restarting your router may give you a new IP address.
- Enable airplane mode (for mobile data)
