Ways to Hide Your IP Address – Free & Paid Methods!

While sharing location and preferences gives a better experience with custom suggestions and real-time updates, it often leaves your online identity vulnerable to numerous cyber attacks. With just a trace of your IP address available instantly to any website you visit, details such as your location, connection type, device type, intent, etc., can be tracked, causing damage to the integrity of your data.

Needless to say, hiding your IP address online is the best way to protect your data from being tracked. 

But how? The perfect alternative is to change the IP or use a different IP that overshadows your original one. You can hide your IP address by masking your connection’s IP using a VPN or setting up a proxy server on your device. There are other ways to implement the same, too!

In this post, let’s discuss hiding IP addresses and how to keep your online identity safe and discreetly make the most out of your internet browsing experience. Shall we?

What are the Benefits of Hiding Your IP Address?

Primarily everyone uses the internet without masking their IP address, which is fine. However, camouflaging your IP is an excellent decision if you are paranoid about your online identity and security

Your IP address is your unique online identity that holds the information about your location and device. It is visible to your internet provider and those with the right tools. Thus, making tracking you and your identity a piece of cake.

Moreover, the IP address and the restrictions imposed on it get you walled off whenever you want to access something from a different region.

This is why some people consider hiding IP addresses. Alongside there are other core benefits of hiding your IP address – 

1. Keep Your Online Presence Anonymous and Free of Traces.
2. Keeps You Away From Falling Prey to Threats Like Phishing.
3. Protects Your Online Data from Unauthorized Personnel
4. Unlocks Region-Bound Content for You to Enjoy

We hope these reasons are enough to let you understand how impactful hiding your IP address can be. Changing your IP or hiding it can assist you in roaming around all the websites without worrying about any cyber mishappening. 

Hide Your IP Address: Methods that WORK!

You might have come across multiple suggestions on the internet to hide or change your IP address. However, the truth is that not all of them work. To give you a perspective, public Wi-Fi, listed as an effective way to hide IP addresses, is inappropriate as it leaves you more vulnerable to network issues than anything else. 

Only two methods can help overcome the issues mentioned in the prior section. These are –

Method 1 – Use a VPN {Free & Paid}

VPN is the easiest way to eliminate IP tracking and region-bound content worries. It is a software-based service that helps reroute the data you have shared online from a different server.

The VPN has its servers and brings a unique IP address that never leads to the internet you are using. The risk factor is minimal, and the output is great, provided you have chosen the correct VPN.

Applications like Systweak VPN make accessing a virtual proxy network super easy. You download the application and connect it instantly. Using this tool is also easy.

1. Download and install the Systweak VPN application on your PC. 
   

2. Signup with your credentials in the Application. 
3. Select a server from hundreds of available options and connect Only three steps and you are ready.

With the help of Systweak VPN, you can also use Netflix without getting blocked out. 

VPNs are free and paid. Free ones have limited servers, a data cap, and other restrictions. On the other hand, paid VPNs offer better service and user experience. With a VPN, you can access anything you want from anywhere, and no traces will lead back to you! Great, right?

Method 2 – Setup a Proxy Server

Setting up a proxy server can help you hide your IP address quickly. You do not need any dedicated software for this to work; you can set up a proxy server from your PC.

All you have to do is – 

• Press Windows + I to open Windows settings.
• Find Network & Internet in the left panel.
• Look for the Proxy in the menu.
• You will find both Automatic and Manual Proxy setups in the opened menu. 
  
• Click on the Setup to add information about your Proxy. This will help you decide what region you want to access.
  
  
• Insert the value as per requirement, and your proxy server is ready.

Such a server can help hide your IP address by replacing your original with the proxy. Users often try to set up these proxies when they want the US or any other IP address to unlock the content. However, there sure are a few downsides to setting a manual proxy. Such as – 

1. Poor internet speed.
2. Lacks Authentication.
3. Prone to IP Leaks

The approach is entirely free as it requires no added software. Simply use your Windows inbuilt features, and you will be fine. 

Method 3 – Use Tor Browser (Risky)

If you do not want to create a complete proxy setup or invest in a VPN, we have another option. With the help of the Tor browser, you can interact directly with the unexplored parts of the internet. You can visit banned websites and communicate with others while keeping your identity safe. 

It is available on all platforms and is completely free. All you have to do is download and install it on your computer. Use it as your regular browser, and it will help you finish the process without exposing your direct IP. However, the application is also risky. It opens the doors to the dark web and scams that a layman may not identify. 

It will help you hide your IP address, but it might cost you a lot more. Hence, we do not recommend using the same. 

Method 4 – Use a Public WiFi

You can connect to public Wi-Fi if you want to hide your location data or appear as part of a crowd. But that, too, is not as convincing as a VPN or a Proxy server as the issue with public Wi-Fi is that anyone who wants to infect your device or attract your attention towards a trap. You can get infected files transferred to your fine via the server. 

However, if your only concern is to hide your location data, this might work for a while. 

Learn Here – How to make Public Wi-Fi safe

Hide your IP Address to Stay Anonymous!

You might have understood that hiding your IP address is worth trying by now. Follow the shared ways to change your IP and drop us a line on what encourages you to use the internet with a hidden or masked IP address. 

That’s all for this post. Download Systweak VPN’s free trial to experience a quality VPN for free. Thanks for reading. Good luck!

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How To Use A VPN for Gaming
Can You Be Tracked When Using VPN