How to Change the IP Address on Your Android

Tired of a random Android IP? Here's how you can make your IP static

By
Ryan Dube
Ryan Dube
Ryan Dube
Writer
  • University of Maine
Ryan Dube is a freelance contributor to Lifewire and former Managing Editor of MakeUseOf, senior IT Analyst, and an automation engineer.
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Updated on March 16, 2021
Android

What to Know

  • In Windows search bar, enter cmd. In Command Prompt, enter ipconfig/all. Mac: cmd + space > terminal. Ping for IP address. 
  • On Android: Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi. Press connected Wi-Fi > Modify network > Advanced options > Static.
  • Configure network settings with Gateway IP and DNS address found in Command Prompt, and with IP address found during Ping.

This article explains how to switch your Android (9.0 and up) to a static IP address on your network. The directions below should apply in general, no matter who made your Android device: Samsung, Google, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc.

Find a Network IP for Your Android

Before you can set up your Android with a static IP, you'll need to find an available IP address on your network. You can do this from any computer that's connected to your home network.

On a Windows PC:

  1. Click the Start menu.

  2. Type cmd and click on the Command Prompt desktop app.

  3. In the command prompt window, type the command ipconfig/all and press Enter.

    Screenshot of the ipconfig /all command

What Your Results Mean

You'll see lots of information in the results, but you only need to be concerned with a few items.

  • Default Gateway: This is the IP address of your home router and is typically the lowest IP address on the network. In the example above, this IP address is 10.0.0.1.
  • IPv4 Address: This is the IP address of the device from which you've run the command. In the example above, this IP address is 10.0.0.158.
  • DNS Servers: These are the servers your internet service provider (ISP) uses to look up domain names when you browse the internet.

Find a Free IP Address

You can find a free IP address on your network by typing a ping command starting from the router IP and working your way up.

Screenshot of the results of a Ping command

If you see a response with ping time, it means there's a device on the network with that IP address. If the response reads "Destination host unreachable," it means that IP address is available.

To perform the same ipconfig and ping commands on a Mac, open the terminal by pressing cmd + space and typing "terminal". In the Mac terminal, you can issue the same commands as described above.

Change the IP Address on Your Android

Now that you know what IP you can set your phone to, it's time to switch your phone from DHCP to a static IP.

  1. Open Settings, under Network & internet, tap on Wi-Fi.

  2. Press and hold on the connected Wi-Fi network. You'll see a menu pop-up. Tap Modify network.

    Depending on your device's Android implementation, you may have to "Forget" the connected network before the press-and-hold trick will work. As an added step moving forward, re-enter the network password alongside the IP address changes.

  3. You'll see the password change screen for that network. Tap Advanced options, and scroll down to the IP settings section. Tap DHCP and change the setting to Static.

Manually Configure Your Android's Network Settings

Once you've changed the IP Setting to Static, a form will appear that will allow you to manually configure all of your Android's network settings, including your Android's IP.

Screenshot of an Android's IP settings

Since your IP will be static, you'll need to manually configure the rest of the network settings in this form as well.

  • IP Address: The available IP address you discovered using the Ping command.
  • Gateway: Enter the default Gateway IP address you recorded above.
  • DNS 1 and DNS 2: Type the IP addresses of the DNS servers you recorded above.

You can leave any other fields in this form set as default. When you're done changing the IP settings, tap Save.

Your Android will reconnect to your home network with its new IP. Now you can configure any software you're using to connect to your Android using its new, static IP address.

Your Android phone will retain this static IP even after a reboot. If you want to undo the static IP and set your Android back to DHCP, just follow the steps above, but in the Advanced Options menu, set the IP Settings option back to DHCP.

Why Change the IP Address on Your Android?

Changing your IP address on your Android is simple. There is a buried setting in your Android device that lets you switch from a dynamic IP (DHCP) to a static one.

However, there are several things you should do beforehand to make sure that you're choosing an available static IP address on your network.

There are plenty of important reasons you may need to set a static IP on your phone that doesn't change.

A few of the most common reasons include:

  • Running a mobile web server
  • Sharing mobile files with FTP server software
  • Using your phone as a Wi-Fi camera
  • Running a mobile media server on your phone

All of these uses require your mobile phone to have a fixed IP that you can easily configure in 3rd party software running on your computer or any other device on your network.

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