Blog · Privacy
Is a local IP address safe to share?
Short answer: Yes. A local (private) IP such as 192.168.1.20, 10.0.0.5 or 172.16.0.8 is safe to share. The same numbers are used inside millions of other homes, and nobody on the internet can connect to them directly. Your public IP, the one in the bar above, is what websites see.
Why a local IP tells strangers almost nothing
Your router hands out private addresses to phones, laptops and TVs on your Wi-Fi. These ranges (10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16) are reserved for private networks and are never routed on the public internet. If you post "my PC is 192.168.0.14", a stranger learns only that you have a home router, which is true of almost everyone.
The router stands between those devices and the internet and translates traffic to one public address. That process is called NAT; see NAT, routers and your public IP.
When sharing a local IP is useful
- A friend on the same Wi-Fi wants to join your LAN game or open a shared folder.
- Support asks which address your printer, NAS or camera has on the network.
- You are setting up port forwarding and need to tell the router which device gets the traffic.
When people ask for "your IP" they usually mean the public one
Game servers, website owners and ISP support almost always need the public address. A 192.168 number is useless to them because it only works inside your house. Copy the public IP from the bar at the top of this page instead, and read public vs private IP if you are not sure which one you are looking at.
Is it safe to share the public IP too?
Usually yes, with someone you trust for a real reason. It shows a rough city and your ISP, not your home address. Details and the cases where you should hold back are in is it safe to share my IP address.
The one thing to keep private
The IP is not the risk. Router admin passwords, Wi-Fi passwords and remote-access codes are. If a guide or a "support agent" asks for those along with your IP, stop.
FAQ
Is a local IP address safe to share?
Yes. Private addresses such as 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x and 172.16–31.x.x are reused in millions of networks and cannot be reached from the internet.
Is a private IP the same as a local IP?
Yes. Both terms mean an address from the reserved private ranges that your router assigns inside your network.
Can someone hack me with my 192.168 IP?
Not from the internet. Someone would already need to be on your Wi-Fi to use it, and then your Wi-Fi password is the real problem.
Which IP should I give to support?
Usually the public IP shown at the top of this page. Give the local one only if they ask about a device inside your network.