How to Hide my IP with a VPN

Looking for a way to hide your IP via a VPN? You couldn’t have stumbled upon a better source about Virtual Private Networks. Our goal is to describe the steps for hiding your IP address using a VPN in the easiest way possible, yet still precise and to the point. That way, both first-time users and advanced users can benefit equally, and leave satisfied. So, how hard is it? Not very difficult, we’ll have you know. A large choice of VPN services available on the market and the sheer competition has benefitted the users greatly. Here’s an answer to your question – how to hide my IP with a VPN.

How does a VPN hide my IP Address?

An IP address is a unique string of numbers assigned to a device when it first connects to the internet. These addresses are public and assigned by your ISP, which gets them from the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), a subdivision of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Thus, anytime you connect to the internet, anyone with proper authority can easily take tabs on your activity. And that’s where a VPN comes in.

A VPN is a private network. When a user connects to this network, he gets assigned a remote VPN server, which has its own IP address. Now this remote server is responsible for communicating with the websites you want. Hence, anyone keeping an eye on those websites will only find the IP address of the remote server. It is how you stay safe, hidden behind a remote server when using a VPN.

How to hide my IP with a VPN

Obviously, we cannot outline the steps for every single VPN provider. Furthermore, a lot of information would be redundant. While VPN speed, number of servers, number of protocols, and whether it can bypass VPN block changes, the steps are extremely similar.

Steps to conceal your IP with ExpressVPN

We’ll demonstrate the entire process using ExpressVPN.

1. After you make a purchase, you will receive a code on PC/Mac/Linux, and e-mail/password for smart devices.
2. Head on over to the ExpressVPN Software.
3. Download the program or an app, install, and launch it.
4. Click on Sign In on the first screen.
5. Enter the code that was forwarded to the e-mail you registered with.
   On Android and iOS, log in with your e-mail address and password.
6. Optional: If you want to make a VPN always ON, click on Allow when it asks you whether to Launch on Startup.
7. When asked to Help Improve ExpressVPN on the next screen, click on Allow or Don’t Allow.
8. Now, you have two choices.
   • Click on the big OFF button. ExpressVPN will automatically find the best-suited server based on your real location. The country is shown under Smart Location.
     The OFF button will turn into an ON button, and a green shield will appear behind it.
   • Click on Choose Location. Pick a location for your needs. For example, if you want to bypass the Netflix VPN block, choose a server in the United States. Click on the OFF button now.
9. That’s it, your real IP address is hidden!
   To ensure it stays that way, don’t forget to check a VPN from time to time.

And there you have it! Camouflaging your IP using a VPN wasn’t hard, was it? Although we recommend a paid VPN provider, you can also check our guide on how to get a free VPN.