We access the web using our devices, each of which is assigned a unique identification called an IP address. With an IP address, it is possible to find some information about a specific user.
For instance, you can use an IP address to find a person’s approximate country or city of residence. In this post, we will teach you how to find someone’s IP address. Read on for the details….
What is an IP address?
An IP address is a unique identifier assigned to every computing device that accesses the Internet. Because of its uniqueness, an IP address allows you to find info about a particular user based on their online activity. For instance, you can use someone’s IP to find their approximate location.
Is it possible to find someone’s IP address on the internet? The simple answer is yes; it is possible to find someone’s IP address. However, it is not a straightforward process. You might have to use some third-party tools to get the job done. Below are some useful methods that you can use to find someone’s IP address:
1. Checking the email header
You can quickly look up someone's IP address by checking their email headers. However, there are some steps that you need to follow before you can get to see the other person’s IP via the email header.
Here are the steps to find the IP address of an email sender in Gmail:
Step 1: Open the email message from the target sender.
Step 2: Click the three dots in the upper right corner of the message window and select “Show original”. It will open a new window with all of the email's headers listed at the top.
Step 3: Under the Received From field, you should see a code with the sender’s IP.
The set of numbers separated by periods is the person's IP address. It’s usually represented in the form of four groups of numbers.
2. Using command prompt
You can also check the IP address using the command prompt. If you want to find a person’s IP address using this method, you must do it on their computer. To use this method, follow these steps:
Step 1: On the keyboard, press the Win + R keys simultaneously.
Step 2: In the Run dialog box, type “cmd” and click Ok or hit Enter.
Step 3: On the command prompt console that opens, type “netstat -an” and press Enter.
Step 4: You will be able to see the IP address associated with the PC, Mac, or whichever device you are using, assuming it’s for the fellow whose IP address you wanted to find. Record and save the IP address somewhere if you intend to use it later.
3. Using an online IP grabbing tool
There are a number of third-party tools that you can use to find a person’s IP address on the web. Below, we will show you how to use the Grabify IP Logger site to pull a person’s IP address. This method involves sharing a link with the other person. When they open the link, you will be able to find their IP address. Here's a step-by-step guide for using an online IP grabbing tool.
Step 1: Go to the Grabify IP Logger website.
Step 2: Assuming you already have the link which you wish to share with the person whose IP you want to find, go ahead and copy and paste it on Grabify under “Enter URL”
Step 3: Click “generate link” so that the tool modifies your URL so that it doesn’t look very suspicious.
Step 4: Find the generated URL and copy it into your browser, then hit enter.
Step 5: Send the new link to whoever you're trying to get the IP address of (either by email, text, or just copy/pasting it into a Facebook message)
Step 6: When the person finally clicks on the link, you will be able to capture their IP address.
That’s pretty much how this method works.
4. Using an Online IP lookup tool
You can also check a person’s IP using online IP lookup tools. And there are quite a number of these tools, most of which work the same.
In brief, these tools help you get more details about a particular user’s IP address. For instance, you can tell their approximate location and other related details. To use any of these tools, you will be required to enter the IP addresses of the person in the input field and then click Search.
The search results will provide clues about the IP owner’s location (country and city), among other details.
Below are some popular IP lookup sites that you may consider using:
1. whatismyipaddress.com
It is one of the easiest ways to find an IP address. All you need to do is search the site in your browser, and then when it finally opens, you will be able to see your IP address and other details such as country, city, and region. Note that all these geographical details are just approximations. They are not accurate in most cases. But you can be sure the person is in the country indicated.
2. SolarWinds IP Address Tracker
It is another excellent option if you have access to their website or server-side code and want something more comprehensive than just looking up an individual address.
5. WordPress plugin installation – site admin
If you are a WordPress site admin, you can also find someone’s IP address with the help of a plugin. Follow the steps below:
Step 1: Log in to your site’s admin panel and scroll down to the “Plugins” section.
Step 2: Click Plugins and then select “Add new“.
Step 3: In the search field, enter the keywords “IPLogger” and click “Search plugins.”
Step 4: In the search results, locate the IPLogger plugin and then install and activate it.
Step 5: Once successfully installed, the IPLogger will be able to tell you the location of anyone visiting your site.
6. Get it manually from the person's device
If you can access the person's device, you can use this method to access their IP address. This is a manual method and only works for people whose PC or smartphone you can access. Follow these steps to get a person’s IP address on Windows PC:
Step 1: Launch the Run window on your PC by pressing Win + R keys simultaneously.
Step 2: In the Run screen, type CMD and then press Enter. The command prompt console will open.
Step 3: In the command prompt screen, type ipconfig and press
Step 4: A list of info will appear on the screen. To locate the IP address associated with the device, locate Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter Ethernet and then identify and note down your IPv4 Address. That is the IP address associated with the device.
FAQs
Q. Can you track someone down with their IP address?
You can track someone down with their IP address, so long as they've left it unprotected. With the IP address, you can find a person’s location and other information regarding their identity.
Q. Can someone else track my IP address?
Yes, just like you find it easy to track other people’s IP addresses, yours can also be tracked down. If you do not want this to happen, consider using a VPN or proxy to conceal your IP. If not, your IP is just as vulnerable to tracking by any interested party.
Q. Is IP address tracking illegal?
IP address tracking is perfectly legal since you're only looking up information that's made public. What you do with the information you get from an IP lookup, however, could be illegal.
Conclusion
In conclusion, your IP address is a unique numerical value that identifies your device on the internet. It can be used to trace you and your location, so be sure to use a VPN if you want to hide it.
