How to hide your IP address to become anonymous?

VPN is known for being a tool that allows you to hide your IP address in just a few clicks. But what's the point of hiding your IP address and getting another one? Is this really possible? The answer is yes and, fortunately, there is nothing difficult about this practice. It's even very simple and within everyone's reach. Better yet, this allows you to have access to the ENTIRE web, without any limits.

In this article, we will explain to you how to hide your IP address and change it in a few very quick steps. We will also tell you why it is useful to hide your IP as well as allthe best VPNsto do it.

What is an IP address?

First of all, it is essential to very briefly explain what an IP address is. An IP address (Internet Protocol) is an identification number assigned to each device connected by the local network. In other words, with this number, your ISP can know precisely what you are doing on the internet. It's a number that is associated with your connection, there's nothing you can do about it. There are two types of IP addresses:

• IPv4 addresses (version 4) on 32 bits (or 4 bytes) represented by four numbers ranging from 0 to 255 separated by periods. This version 4 is the most used currently.

• IPv6 addresses (version 6) on 128 bits. They were created with the aim of dealing with the upcoming shortage of IPv4 addresses, but they are still not widespread to date.

Each terminal needs an IP address to be able to connect and communicate within the Internet network. It is therefore unique. That said, anyone can change their IP and use a technique to hide their IP address. VPNs offer this opportunity, and it is on this that they capitalize to carry out a series of actions anonymously.

Routers use a public IP address: it is visible to everyone on the internet. On the other hand, within your home, all devices connected to your router have a private IP address, which generally varies by a few digits. This is the case for smartphones, tablets, TVs and other devices that are connected to your router. For each Wi-Fi network, there is therefore a different IP address.

When you want to hide your IP, you actually want to talk about your “public” IP address. Hiding the private IP address wouldn't really make sense since it is already protected. Websites you visit may use your public IP address to identify your location with some accuracy. They therefore know the country, the city and even the neighborhood in which you are located.

Hiding your IP address meets several needs. Below, we've listed all the reasons you might want to change your public IP address.

Why should you hide your IP?

Since your IP address is both unique and public, it is a very powerful tool for advertisers and even hackers. Finally, there are several reasons why you should hide your IP address. Ultimately, if a third of French people use a VPN to hide their IP today, it's because surveillance is everywhere on the internet.

Why hide your IP address in 2024?

• Hide your IP to preserve your anonymity
• Bypass geographic restrictions
• Protect yourself from identity theft
• Get better deals on the internet

Below, we will go into detail about each of these reasons that would cause you to change your IP address. You must always remain very meticulous because the slightest error can be penalizing. Below, we will explain the different solutions to hide your IP without difficulty. Some VPNs that offer this service have additional security to never be detected.

Preserve your anonymity and privacy

As we explained above, users' IP addresses are a way for websites to identify their geolocation. By protecting your public IP address, no site will be able to identify your real location and your browsing will be anonymous. No one will really know who you are or where you are.

It is possible to track and spy on the online activities of Internet users via their IP address. So, when you hide your IP address, you also prevent your online activities from being tracked, and your queries from being tracked.

Bypass geographic restrictions on the internet

You may not know it, but many websites limit their access to Internet users based on their geographic location. To geolocate you, they base themselves on your IP address. This explains the blockages you may face when you want to stream a video abroad. Conversely, this can also happen to you when a video is banned from access in your own country.

This is for example the case with French TV channels. You cannot access live TV on the internet outside of France since foreign territories do not have broadcasting rights. To benefit from this content, you musthave a French IP address. Even some film and series streaming platforms adapt their content according to the location of their subscribers. This is the case for example with Netflix. With the same subscription, if you are in France, the United States or Japan, the platform will not display the same content catalog.

By changing your IP address, you will be able to unblock access to many sites initially blocked because of your geolocation. It's a little tip that can save you a lot of money, without ever having to worry.

Protect yourself from IP address theft

IP spoofing is a technique used by hackers to hide their own identity during DDoS attacks. This is very dangerous since it is your IP address that is tracked and, in the event that the hacker lends itself to fraudulent activities, you may be wrongly accused. A good way to protect yourself against these risks of hacking is to protect your IP address by never making it public on the internet.

Get better deals online

The final reason you might need to hide and change your IP address is related to your online shopping. You should know that content and offers on the internet can differ depending on the location of users, particularly in terms of price which often varies by a factor of two.

Depending on the country, Internet users may find themselves paying a completely different amount for a similar service or product. This is often the case for plane tickets and subscriptions to certain streaming platforms.

How to get a different IP address?

Since it's impossible to connect to the internet without using an IP address, you can't just hide it. We'll have to get another one. It is thanks to this method of changing IP address that your source IP will be camouflaged.

To do this, two solutions are available to you:

• resort toa Virtual Private Network (VPN) or Virtual Private Networkin French
• use a proxy

However, one of the two options is much more secure and recommended, and that is the VPN. It is computer software that passes your connection through its network before connecting you to the Internet. A VPN's network is made up of numerous private and secure servers, often located in several countries around the world.

The advantage of using a VPN and connecting to one of its servers is to obtain a new IP address (and another location). Of course, even if it is only virtual, it is this location that will be visible on the internet and that is what matters. Websites will not be able to find that the IP address in question comes from a VPN server. You will therefore be able to access a multitude of content not previously available to you.

Change your IP address with NordVPN

An example is often more telling: let's say you are in France and you connect to an Australian VPN server. The visited website will identify an Australian IP address and you will then very easily unblock geo-restricted Australian content and sites.

Changing the IP address via a VPN is immediate, that is, upon connection to the VPN server. To check that you have indeed changed your IP address, you can go to specialized websites.

Top 3 Effective VPNs to Change IP Address

Now that you know how to hide and change your IP address, all that's left to do is choose a VPN. The VPN market is very large and this is even more true in 2024, after a decade of exponential growth.

Like all services, not all VPNs are created equal. Some are more efficient than others, particularly in terms of ease of changing IP addresses. Since this is the main topic of this article, we have sorted out the best VPNs to hide and change your IP address as easily as possible.

1. NordVPN

At the top of our ranking is NordVPN. It quickly became the most popular VPN for changing your IP address. The NordVPN application is very complete and will allow you to change your IP in a few minutes whether you are on Mac, Windows, Android, iOS or Linux.

To change your IP address with NordVPN, simply click on one of the countries offered in its list to connect to it. You can also click directly on the territory that interests you from the world map. The interface is very intuitive, you will not need instructions. Once connected to the VPN server, your IP address will be hidden and you can browse anonymously.

NordVPN has 6,300 servers spread across 111 countries. You will be able to simulate more locations than with any other VPN. At the same time as changing your IP, NordVPN manages to secure your connection via AES-256 encryption, so that in addition to preserving your privacy, your data is protected.

The Kill Switch function is of course offered. But the provider goes further than its competitors by providing the Double VPN option. Connecting to Double VPN servers will pass your traffic through two servers, meaning your information will be encrypted twice. This is ideal for those who need an extra layer of privacy. In addition, so-called Onion Over VPN servers allow you to access the dark web securely. As you can see, the NordVPN tool is very comprehensive in ensuring user anonymity.

Discover NordVPN

To use NordVPN without any limits, simply subscribe to one of its offers. We recommend its long-term subscription which is much more financially advantageous. If this is of interest to you, do not hesitate to opt for the “dedicated IP address” option at the price of €3.69/month.

2. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is the second VPN on the list.This very reputable VPN has many qualitiesin terms of security and speed. If we wanted to tell you about it, it's because it's ideal for changing your IP address in just a few clicks.

The ExpressVPN VPN provides more than 3,000 servers in 105 countries around the world, that's as many places that you can simulate. It's still very rare to see so many countries offered by a VPN provider. It is therefore a good way to hide your IP behind servers on all continents. You will be able to access content anywhere in the world, without restriction.

From its very elegant and modern application, you will be able to choose the country of your choice in a very simple way. You will be able to do this on several different platforms as ExpressVPN is available on major operating systems. Once the country is selected, simply click on the connect button. From then on, you will have hidden your IP address.

In just a few seconds, ExpressVPN will assign you one of the thousands of IP addresses it has and yours will remain hidden. In the example above, we connected to a server located in the United States in order to have an American IP address (even though we were in France). If you want to know the IP address assigned to you, you can do so from its application settings by clicking on “IP Address Check”.

In addition to an anonymous connection, ExpressVPN also protects you by encrypting your traffic. All your browsing data is then secure and invisible to others. Please note that in the event of an unexpected VPN disconnection, the Network Lock emergency shutdown cuts off your Internet traffic so that your real IP never leaks. This feature is built into all operating systems.

The addition of ExpressVPN's latest Threat-Manager feature is a plus because it allows you to benefit from more confidentiality. Indeed, this function blocks trackers and malware. This filtering further secures your connection and limits the risk of cyberattacks. Note that Threat Manager is currently available on iOS, macOS and Linux.

If you want to test this VPN to hide your IP address and unblock content anywhere in the world, you can do so for free thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee. It's a good way to test and understand the service, without any commitment.

Test ExpressVPN

3. CyberGhost VPN

To change your IP address, you can also use CyberGhost. Thanks to it, you can also change your IP address without problem by having access to a very wide choice of locations. Indeed, CyberGhost is available in 100 countries with more than 12,000 servers to which users can connect without limits.

Its very well designed application is compatible on several platforms, including computers, tablets and smartphones. You will therefore be able to change your IP address on all your devices. Unlike some less capable VPN providers, it is possible to manually select a given server and IP in a country. Once connected, you will instantly see the IP address assigned to you as well as your location.

If you opt for a server in the United States, you will be able to unblock geo-restricted American content. This is the case ofthe Netflix platform whose content varies from one country to another.

Thanks to its ultra-secure infrastructure and its No Log policy, CyberGhost offers you a superior level of confidentiality by protecting your IP address and your identity, but also by encrypting your connection. This is an ideal method to hide your IP and become anonymous anywhere on the web. In addition, CyberGhost integrates the emergency shutdown function which is activated by default (the equivalent of ExpressVPN's Network Lock).

To benefit from the advantages of CyberGhost, you will need to subscribe to one of its plans. During the registration process, you can even obtain a dedicated IP address (used only by you), for a payment of €2.50 per month. Note that for any subscription lasting more than 6 months, a 45-day guarantee is offered. This gives you plenty of time to test its service and request a refund of your purchase in the event of dissatisfaction.

Discover CyberGhost VPN

Conclusion: VPN, the best tool to hide your IP and browse anonymously

Currently, the VPN application is the most secure and accessible tool to hide your IP address. Unlike proxies, VPNs will also secure your Internet connection by encrypting your traffic end-to-end. Not only will your browsing be anonymous and untraceable, but all your data (sites visited, files downloaded, passwords, etc.) will be protected.

And the most effective service in 2024 to hide your IP address is NordVPN. Thanks to its immense infrastructure, you will be able to choose a new location among the 111 territories offered. Its application is particularly appreciated for its ergonomics and multi-media compatibility. You will therefore be able to be anonymous on all your devices and change IP without problem.

Explorer NordVPN

ExpressVPNetCyberGhostare two other serious solutions to consider if you want to hide your source IP address. Regardless, the three providers cited in this article offer an unconditional money-back guarantee valid for 30 days (and up to 45 days at CyberGhost).