Changing your IP address, no matter the device is habitually a simple task. However, many iOS users will want to know how to change IP address on an iPhone, specifically. While phones and computers are different at first, their IP-altering methods are virtually the same. Our experts found four safe and effective ways of modifying your IP address on an iPhone.
Some are great, some less so, but they all work. This article will explain how to successfully alter your IP on an iPhone in 2026 and list the said methods from more to less effective ones. Keep in mind the given solutions will also work on Android in case you switch to that OS.
iPhone IP-Changing Methods Ranked (Pros & Cons)
For those in a hurry, here’s a list of the pros and cons of each IP-changing method applicable to iPhones:
| Using a VPN | Using a Proxy | Manual IP Change | Router Restart | |
| Pros ✅ | Online security and privacy
Unblocking sites Fast speeds No logs Unlimited bandwidth Ease of use |
It can be free
Unblocks some sites No bandwidth limits |
Easy to do
Handy for avoiding IP blocks |
One of the simplest options |
| Cons ❌ | It’s not free | Paid proxies are very expensive
Complicated setup Not very secure |
No security benefits
You can’t choose the IP location No site unblocking |
IP change not guaranteed
Works only if connected to your home network Zero privacy benefits |
How to Change Your IP on an iPhone With a VPN?
Whenever we discuss IP changing, it’s impossible not to mention VPNs.
VPN services have many purposes but their primary effect is an IP change on iPhone, Android phones, Windows computers, and all other devices. They do this by routing your traffic through a server located in another city, state, or country. But this is hardly all!
VPN providers also use tunneling, which wraps your connection in encryption and protects it from hackers and snoopers. Since you can also select the precise IP location, this enables you to overcome geo-blocks, and because of security, download torrents anonymously.
This is by far the best solution to change your IP address on an iPhone, both in terms of security and tangible benefits to your day-to-day online experience. Below is our step-by-step guide on modifying your IP address on an iPhone with a VPN, so read carefully.
Step 1: Subscribe to a VPN Service
The first step is to select a VPN. We know there are hundreds of them but the best options in 2026 include:
Our favorite iPhone VPN is NordVPN, which we’ll use for this demonstration. Besides, it has 117+ countries, giving you millions of IP addresses you can use. NordVPN also has a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test it for virtually a month and get a refund afterward.
Change IP on iPhone With NordVPN
The VPN supports iOS, so apart from your iPhone, it can also be installed on an iPad or even macOS for added security and privacy. To get started, click the button above, which will take you straight to NordVPN’s site, where you can save 70% on all of its biennial plans.
Pick the plan you like, pay for it, and follow the steps to create your new account.
Step 2: Set Up a VPN
Once you’re done, install the selected VPN on your iPhone.
To do this, open your App Store and search for it. We searched for NordVPN and once we found the app, we installed it on our iPhone. This is done in seconds, after which, you can open the application and log in with the email and password provided in the previous step.
Step 3: Change Your IP on an iPhone
Now, you just need to select the country from the list and NordVPN will assign you an IP address from that country. Open the server list by swapping from the bottom. Find the location you want and tap it once. The phone will ask you to allow the VPN connection.
Do so and NordVPN will connect in a few seconds, as indicated by the green upper portion of the screen.
If your app looks like the one above, it means you’ve changed your IP address on an iPhone successfully.
Go online, enjoy your privacy, stream on Netflix, play multiplayer games, and much more!
Changing Your IP Address on an iPhone With a Proxy
Many people confuse VPNs with proxies and while they’re similar on paper, the reality sings another song. Proxies are inferior security-wise and free proxies are dangerous because of their logging practices that often involve the collection of your sensitive data.
Some free proxies are safe, like Hide.me Proxy, which changes your IP address on an iPhone but only in the browser. Simply visit Hide.me Proxy, choose the location, and enter the address of the website you want to visit. What’s the catch with this easy workaround?
The catch is that the website you try to go to will see the new IP address instead of yours. However, the other inbound and outgoing traffic won’t be secured, and will “flow” through your original IP. You can use a paid proxy as well, like Oxylabs, but this is a pricey solution.
To set up a proxy on an iPhone, in case you have subscribed to one, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings.
- Tap “Wi-Fi“, it should be at the top, under “Airplane Mode“.
- Tap the blue Info icon next to the current Wi-Fi connection.
- Under “Configure Proxy“, select “Manual“.
- Enter the server, port, username, and password of the selected proxy. Make sure to enable Authentication as well.
- Tap “Save” to save everything and close Settings.
From now on, you’re using a proxy server, which conceals your original IP and replaces it with a new one. However, there are no tunneling and other features of secure VPNs, so don’t expect the same result. Proxies can also be slower and for streaming on popular services.
How to Change an IP Address on an iPhone Manually?
Modifying your IP on an iPhone manually is one of the simplest things to do. Being so simple, it doesn’t actually come with a plethora of benefits. To put it simply, you’re just switching from one to the other IP address of your Internet Service Provider’s pool.
It’s like having a basket with yellow apples. All are yellow, so it won’t matter which one you choose.
The same goes for this method. As you’re still using your ISP’s IP address, you won’t get security, privacy, streaming, and other benefits. Your Internet Provider will still be able to monitor your activities and even impose bandwidth throttling, depending on the circumstance.
However, a manual iPhone IP change can help you overcome IP bans, for example.
If this sounds good enough to you, here’s how to manually change your IP on an iPhone:
- Go to Settings.
- Once again, choose “Wi-Fi“.
- Find the current Wi-Fi connection and tap the blue Info icon.
- Scroll down and find “IPv4 Address“.
- Tap “Configure IP” and choose Manual instead of Automatic.
- Enter the new IP address, subnet mask, and the router IP address.
- Tap “Save” to apply the settings.
Changing IP on iPhone By Restarting the Router
While the three previous options provide instant results, this one is more “postponed”.
It also works only if you have access to the router. Your ISP has a pool of dynamic IP addresses, which means each IP address is used temporarily by the user. For example, if one IP is assigned to your home network, this means it can also be unassigned and used by another network (router).
You can “force” the ISP to do this by restarting the router but not in a “traditional” way.
The point is to shut down your router (or modem) for long enough for the ISP to assign your IP address to another user and replace it with another IP address that’s free to use. This swap can happen in a few hours but some people reported waiting for up to 24+ hours.
The benefits (or lack thereof) are the same as in the previous method. Plus, you don’t know when and if the IP address change will occur, so you’re essentially shooting with the blindfold. If the IP change does happen, you just have to connect to the router using your iPhone.
As a result, your iPhone IP address change will work, alas, with no noteworthy advantages.
Keep in mind that some ISPs don’t let you change your IP this way, and instead, keep the same IP address no matter for how long your modem/router is off. Thus, the solution isn’t 100% effective. It’s sometimes doable.
Advantages of Changing Your IP Address on an iPhone
Altering your IP address offers ample benefits, especially if you use a VPN. We’ll explore all the notable advantages of changing your IP on an iPhone below, but if you’re interested, you might as well read more about numerous VPN-specific benefits here.
- Unblocking sites: Using a VPN to change an IP on your iPhone rids you of geo-blocks and website blocks, in general. This way, you can revel in streaming sites or enjoy online gambling without restrictions, no matter your location.
- Security and privacy: This comes as standard when using a VPN. Once you conceal your original whereabouts, you avoid tracking and snooping via cookies, spyware, and other cunning methods. As VPNs also don’t keep logs, your web history is 100% anonymous.
- Wi-Fi protection: Public Wi-Fi networks are insecure and often riddled with hackers looking for “opportunities”. A VPN’s encryption is essential to keeping hackers away and preventing anyone from reading the content of your connection.
- Cheaper online shopping: Some sites base their prices on your location. Connect to a server anywhere else and you might find some region-specific discounts and deals. This way, you can obtain cheaper subscriptions and save plenty on your shopping spree.
Drawbacks of Changing Your IP on an iPhone
Nothing is perfect, so there are some drawbacks to this process. Luckily, they’re rare and can be avoided by using a reputable VPN service as the most effective solution.
- Potential costs. When using a VPN, you’ll likely be obligated to pay upfront in exchange for all the advantages we listed. Some people aren’t content with spending money to change their IP on an iPhone, so this proposition can be unacceptable.
- Potential connection speed loss. Some VPNs, not all, can slow down your internet speed. Proxies can do the same and more severely! This is the price to pay for encryption but not always, as NordVPN and ExpressVPN are very fast and retain speed well even on farther servers. Both can also be used for free on iPhones via a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Website restrictions. We said that you can unblock sites with a new IP but sometimes, local websites won’t work. Local TV channels will be unavailable with a foreign IP. Shopping sites, perhaps, as well. This can be remedied by returning to your old IP as needed or connecting to a VPN server in your country.
The Bottom Line: Use a VPN
So now that we know how to change your IP address on an iPhone, it’s time for a digression.
With the four methods on display, our favorite is a VPN. While it does cost some money, it’s the safest, most effective way of altering your IP and encrypting all incoming and outgoing traffic. We think it’s well worth the money because of other countless advantages.
Proxies are our second-favorite solution because of drawbacks like high prices, potential security risks, and complexity for inexperienced users. The last two methods are band-aid, which means they can change your IP on an iPhone but without anything on top.
Because you’re just getting a new address from your ISP’s pool, we consider them the last resort. Which method you’ll use is your decision alone. This guide has hopefully helped you decide already.