How to Find a Device's MAC Address

A MAC address is the hardware identifier of a network adapter: 12 hex characters written as A1-B2-C3-D4-E5-F6 or a1:b2:c3:d4:e5:f6. Each adapter (Wi-Fi, Ethernet) has its own. Here is where to read it on each device.

Find it on Windows 11

Open Settings, Network & internet, then Wi-Fi or Ethernet. For Wi-Fi, click the name of the connected network and scroll to the bottom; for Ethernet, click the adapter. Physical address (MAC) is listed there. To see every adapter at once, open Command Prompt and run:

ipconfig /all

Read Physical Address under the adapter you need, such as Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter Ethernet.

Find it on a Mac

Open System Settings, click Wi-Fi, click Details next to the connected network, then Hardware. MAC address is listed. For Ethernet, open Network, click the Ethernet service, then Details, Hardware. Or open Terminal and run:

ifconfig en0 | grep ether

en0 is Wi-Fi on most laptops. Run networksetup -listallhardwareports to see which interface name matches which port.

Find it on an iPhone or iPad

Open Settings, General, About, and read Wi-Fi Address. That is the hardware address. On the network itself, iOS uses a private address by default. Open Settings, Wi-Fi, tap the (i) next to the network, and the Wi-Fi Address shown there is what the router sees; the Private Wi-Fi Address setting above it (Off, Fixed, or Rotating on iOS 18) controls it.

Find it on Android

Open Settings, About phone (or About device), then Status or Status information, and read Wi-Fi MAC address. That is the hardware address. Since Android 10, the phone connects with a randomized MAC per network by default. To see the one in use, open Settings, Network & internet (or Connections), Internet or Wi-Fi, tap the gear next to the network, and read MAC address; the Privacy option there switches between Use randomized MAC and Use device MAC. Menus vary by maker.

If a router, school, or office filters by MAC. The filter needs the address the device actually presents on that network. Either give them the address from the network's own details screen (and on iOS 18 set Private Wi-Fi Address to Fixed so it stops changing), or turn the private or randomized address off for that network so the device uses its real hardware address. macOS Sequoia and later also have a Private Wi-Fi address option in the network's Details pane, so check it on a Mac too.