How to Check Your IPv6 Address

Short answer: to check your IPv6 address, open a public IP checker, compare the result with your device network settings, and confirm that the address is a real internet-routable IPv6 address, not only a local fe80:: link-local address. Then run a few simple DNS, browser, VPN, and command-line checks to see whether IPv6 is working safely.

This guide explains how to check your IPv6 address on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iPhone, how to read the result, and what to fix when IPv6 appears locally but does not work on the public internet.

How to check your IPv6 address: 7 safe tests

1. Check the public address first. Use a browser-based IP checker to see what websites can observe from this session.
2. Compare device settings. Look at your active Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or cellular adapter and note whether it has global IPv6, temporary IPv6, and link-local IPv6 entries.
3. Ignore link-local-only results. An address starting with fe80:: is normal on local networks, but it does not prove internet IPv6 connectivity.
4. Test DNS records. Query an AAAA record for a known dual-stack domain so you know DNS can return IPv6 destinations.
5. Force IPv6 traffic. Use ping -6, curl -6, or route tools to confirm traffic actually leaves over IPv6.
6. Check VPN and browser leaks. If a VPN is connected, verify whether IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC expose signals you did not expect.
7. Retest after each change. Router, VPN, firewall, DNS, and operating-system changes can produce different results.

Public IPv6 vs local IPv6: what the result means

IPv6 addresses are longer than IPv4 addresses and are written in hexadecimal groups separated by colons. The basic IPv6 protocol is defined in RFC 8200. For normal troubleshooting, you do not need to decode every field; you mainly need to know which type of address you are seeing.

Check IPv6 on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iPhone

Windows

1. Open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /all.
2. Look under the active adapter for IPv6 Address, Temporary IPv6 Address, and Link-local IPv6 Address.
3. In PowerShell, run Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv6 for a cleaner list.

macOS

1. Open System Settings, choose Network, select Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and review the TCP/IP details.
2. In Terminal, run ifconfig | grep inet6.
3. Compare any global IPv6 address with the public result shown by a browser-based IP checker.

Linux

1. Run ip -6 addr show.
2. Look for scope global on the active interface.
3. If you only see scope link, the device has local IPv6 but may not have a routed prefix.

Android and iPhone

On iPhone and Android, the easiest reliable check is usually a browser-based public IP test plus a Wi-Fi/cellular comparison. Mobile carriers may use IPv6, IPv4, NAT64, or mixed routing, so test Wi-Fi and cellular separately before assuming the result applies everywhere.

For mobile users, how to check your IPv6 address is mostly about comparing the route you are using now. A VPN app, carrier profile, travel SIM, hotspot, or workplace Wi-Fi can change what the browser sees. If IPv6 causes trouble on mobile, prefer fixing router or VPN behavior over treating IPv6 disablement as a normal long-term setting; available controls depend on the carrier, device, and VPN app.

Command-line checks for IPv6 connectivity

Command-line checks help you separate "I have an IPv6 address" from "IPv6 actually works end to end." If you are learning how to check your IPv6 address beyond a browser test, keep Windows, macOS, and Linux commands separate because the tool names are not identical. Use only networks and systems you own or are allowed to test.

# Windows
ipconfig /all
ping -6 myipscan.net
tracert -6 myipscan.net
Resolve-DnsName myipscan.net -Type AAAA

# macOS
ifconfig | grep inet6
ping6 myipscan.net
traceroute6 myipscan.net
nslookup -type=AAAA myipscan.net
curl -6 https://myipscan.net/what-is-my-ip

# Linux
ip -6 addr show
ping -6 myipscan.net
traceroute -6 myipscan.net
dig AAAA myipscan.net
curl -6 https://myipscan.net/what-is-my-ip

Some commands may require optional packages or may behave differently by OS version. Use browser-based checks when command-line tools are unavailable.

If DNS returns an AAAA record but curl -6 or ping -6 fails, the problem may be routing, firewalling, VPN behavior, ICMPv6 handling, or the remote service rather than DNS alone.

Why IPv6 may not work even when you see an address

IPv6 can be configured through router advertisements, stateless address autoconfiguration, DHCPv6, or a mix of mechanisms. RFC 4862 describes stateless address autoconfiguration, and RFC 8415 describes DHCPv6.

Router and ISP settings worth checking

If browser and device checks disagree, the router is often the best place to continue. Many home routers have separate controls for IPv6 on the WAN side, router advertisements on the LAN side, prefix delegation, DNS, and firewall policy. A device can show local IPv6 while the router still lacks a usable public prefix from the ISP.

• WAN IPv6 mode: check whether the ISP expects native IPv6, DHCPv6, prefix delegation, PPPoE options, or another provider-specific setting.
• Prefix delegation: home and small-office networks usually need the router to receive a prefix and advertise usable subnets to local devices.
• Router advertisements: local devices need IPv6 network information from the router before they can configure working addresses.
• DNS behavior: DNS may return AAAA records even when routing is broken, so test DNS and connectivity separately.
• Firmware: old router firmware can create confusing IPv6 behavior, especially on Wi-Fi, guest networks, or mesh nodes.
• ISP support: if the router never receives a prefix, confirm whether the provider supports IPv6 on that plan, modem, or access technology.

Do not copy random IPv6 settings from a forum without matching them to your ISP and router model. IPv6 troubleshooting works best when you change one setting at a time, save the previous state, reboot only when needed, and retest with the same public and local checks.

When IPv6 matters most

You do not need to inspect IPv6 every day. It matters most when the visible address family changes the result of a real task or privacy check.

• Your VPN blocks IPv4 leaks but exposes IPv6.
• Your router has IPv6 enabled but firewalling is unclear.
• A website works on IPv4 but fails on IPv6.
• Your ISP gives you an IPv6 prefix but no public IPv4.
• You troubleshoot DNS, VPN, or WebRTC leak results.
• You manage a home network, small office, or router where IPv6 prefix delegation matters.

In these cases, how to check your IPv6 address becomes part of a broader route check: which address is visible, which DNS resolvers answer, whether the VPN handles IPv6, and whether the router is filtering unsolicited inbound traffic sensibly.

IPv6 privacy, VPN leaks, and firewall checks

IPv6 does not automatically make a connection unsafe, and IPv6 privacy extensions do not make you anonymous. Temporary addresses can reduce long-term address correlation in some cases; modern temporary address behavior is described in RFC 8981. The practical goal is to understand what your current session exposes.

• Firewall: IPv6 still needs sensible inbound filtering. Do not assume IPv4 NAT behavior applies.
• ICMPv6: blocking all ICMPv6 can break normal IPv6 operation; RFC 4443 defines ICMPv6.
• VPN: if your VPN does not support IPv6, it should safely block IPv6 or you should use a provider/configuration that handles it.
• Browser signals: WebRTC and DNS can expose information that differs from the IP address shown by a basic page.
• Privacy: one IPv6 check is a snapshot, not proof that nobody can correlate your activity.

Common mistakes when reading IPv6 results

IPv6 output can look intimidating because a single device may show several addresses. That is normal. The mistake is treating every line as equally important or assuming that a visible address always means the device is reachable from the internet.

• Confusing local and public addresses: fe80:: is useful locally, but it is not the public address websites see.
• Ignoring temporary addresses: a device may rotate temporary IPv6 addresses while keeping a stable local configuration underneath.
• Assuming IPv6 bypasses firewalls: a properly configured stateful firewall can block unsolicited inbound traffic while allowing normal outbound use.
• Blaming DNS too early: an AAAA answer means a domain has IPv6 DNS data; it does not guarantee the route, firewall, or service is healthy.
• Testing only through a VPN: a VPN can change, tunnel, or block IPv6. Test your normal connection and VPN connection separately when privacy or leak behavior matters.

What to do if IPv6 is missing, leaking, or inconsistent

1. If IPv6 is missing: check whether your ISP and router support it, then enable the router mode recommended by the provider.
2. If only local IPv6 appears: look for router advertisements, prefix delegation, and firewall rules that may block IPv6 setup.
3. If VPN leaks IPv6: test the VPN's IPv6 behavior, enable leak protection, change configuration, or temporarily disable IPv6 while connected.
4. If DNS looks wrong: run a DNS leak test and compare resolvers with the network or VPN you meant to use.
5. If a website fails on IPv6: compare IPv4 and IPv6 paths, test another network, and avoid blaming your device until DNS and routing are checked.

What to do next

If you only need a quick answer, check your public IP, confirm whether IPv6 appears, and run the IPv6 leak test after any VPN change. If you manage a router or small network, verify that IPv6 has a routed prefix, sensible firewalling, and working ICMPv6 instead of turning features on blindly.

The useful result of learning how to check your IPv6 address is not just copying a long address. It is knowing whether the address is public or local, whether it belongs to the connection you intended to use, and whether DNS, VPN, browser, and firewall behavior match your expectations.

When you explain the issue to support, say exactly how to check your IPv6 address was performed: browser tool, device settings, DNS query, VPN test, or command line. That context helps separate ISP routing problems from router configuration, VPN handling, browser leaks, and local-device settings.

For a clean final check, test the same device on the same network before and after each change. Save the public IP result, one local adapter result, one DNS result, and one VPN/leak result. That small record makes it much easier to explain the issue to an ISP, VPN provider, router vendor, or workplace IT team without guessing.