Find the MAC address of your Android device

Find the MAC address of your Android device.

Knowing the MAC addresses of devices connected to your network can help you manage your network, improve its connection speed, and prevent unauthorized access. If the term â€œMAC Addressâ€ seems strange or new to you, read this detailed guide, which explains what a MAC address is, what it means, how it differs from other network identifiers, and how to find the MAC address of a PC or Mac.

What is MAC address and How to Find it

In this tutorial, you will learn about the different methods for determining the MAC address of iOS devices (iPhone and iPad) and Android. As a plus, we’ll also show you how easy it is to change your device’s MAC address.

Static Vs. Random MAC Addresses: All You Need to Know

Your device can have multiple MAC addresses: “Static” and “Random” MAC address. A â€œstaticâ€ address is hard-wired to the hardware of your device, while a â€œrandomâ€ address is generated by your device’s operating system to prevent network operators, ISPs and websites from tracking your online activities.

A static MAC address is permanent, and the randomized MAC addresses will be different for each network you join. By default, iOS and Android hide the permanent MAC address assigned to your device (by the manufacturer) and generate a random MAC address when connecting to a new network.

Android (version 10 or later) uses “MAC address randomization” technology to assign new MAC addresses for each Wi-Fi network you join. In iOS (version 14 or later), this feature is known as Wi-Fi Private Address. Using different MAC addresses on different networks makes it difficult for network providers to track you.

Below, we’ll take a closer look at why phone manufacturers randomize MAC addresses. For now, let’s show you how to check the static and random MAC address of your device.

Finding an iPhoneâ€™s MAC Address

iOS does not use a name or MAC address shortcut. What you find on your iPhone and iPad is a “Wi-Fi address.” But don’t worry, they both mean the same thing.

To check the static MAC address assigned to your Apple iPhone, go to Settings> General> About and check the Wi-Fi Address line.

You can find the private MAC address in the Wi-Fi settings menu or in the iOS app of your router.

Check the iOS Wi-Fi Settings Menu

The fastest way to get your iPhone’s randomized MAC address is from the Wi-Fi settings menu. Open the Settings app, select Wi-Fi, and tap the info icon next to an active Wi-Fi network.

You will find your iPhone’s randomized MAC address in the Wi-Fi address bar.

Check your router application

If your Wi-Fi router has a dedicated mobile app, you will be able to check your iPhone’s randomized MAC address through the app. Connect iPhone to Wi-Fi and launch the iOS app on your router.

Depending on the brand or model of your router, as well as the router app interface, you will find a random or static MAC address of the connected devices in any of these sections: Device Management, Network Management, WLAN Management, Device Information, etc.

Can’t find your device’s MAC address in any of these sections? Please refer to the user manual of your router or contact the application developers.

Finding Android MAC Address

Compared to iOS, Android offers more options for checking MAC addresses. The permanent (static) MAC address of your device can be found under Settings> About Phone> Wi-Fi MAC Address.

You can also check the network settings menu or use third party network applications.

Check Android Network Settings Menu

Connect your phone to a Wi-Fi network, launch the Android Settings app and follow the instructions below.

1. Open the “Network & Internet” menu and select “Wi-Fi”.

2. Select an active Wi-Fi network or tap the gear icon next to the network name.

3. Expand the Advanced section.

4. Scroll down to the Network Information section to see a random MAC address for your device. You will also find other important network related information such as IP address, DNS server, etc.

Advice. You can easily copy the MAC address of your device by holding down the MAC address and clicking Copy.

Use third-party Wi-Fi analyzers

Wi-Fi analyzers (also called Wi-Fi scanners) are reliable network tools that provide detailed information about the health and performance of your Wi-Fi network. With the Wi-Fi analyzer app, you can view your router’s signal strength, track your internet usage, check your download and upload speeds, view your device’s randomized MAC address, and more.Some Wi-Fi scanners can even help diagnose and fix problems with connection.

Fing is a popular free network analyzer available on the Google Play store. Install Fing on your device, go to the Devices tab, select your Android device, and scroll to the Network Information section to check the device’s MAC address.

Network Analyzer is another robust Wi-Fi scanning app that we recommend. It is a free application with a simple interface that displays detailed information about your Wi-Fi network and connected devices. Install and run the app, scroll to the Wi-Fi details section to see your device’s MAC address. Tap the MAC address to copy it to your device’s clipboard.

Want to try other apps with a good mix of functionality and usability? See this collection of the best Wi-Fi analyzer apps for Android.

Disable Randomized and Private MAC Address

If you want your device to use the same MAC address on all Wi-Fi networks, disabling MAC address randomization will do the job.

Disable MAC Address Randomization on Android

To turn off MAC address randomization on Android, connect to a Wi-Fi network, open Action Center, and press and hold the Wi-Fi icon. Follow these steps to disable randomized MAC addresses on your Android device.

Tap the gear icon next to an active Wi-Fi network, expand the More drop-down menu, and tap the Privacy option.

Select Use Device MAC Address to disable MAC address randomization.

Android will complete the connection, but will automatically connect to the Wi-Fi network in about 3-5 seconds.

Disable private Wi-Fi address on iPhone

For iOS, go to the Wi-Fi settings menu (Settings> Wi-Fi), tap an active Wi-Fi network, and turn off Private Address.

Also read :Â Â How to Determine or Find Your MAC Address

How to Change MAC Address on iOS and Android

To change the randomized MAC address of your iOS or Android, all you have to do is forget about the Wi-Fi network on your device. When you reconnect to a network, your device’s operating system will generate a new private or random MAC address for that particular network.

On your Android device, go to the Wi-Fi settings menu, press and hold a network, and select Forget Network.

You can also tap the gear icon next to the network and tap the Forget icon.

To forget about a Wi-Fi network on iPhone, open the Wi-Fi settings menu, select a Wi-Fi network, and tap Forget This Network.

iOS and MAC Address Restriction

If you’re wondering why we haven’t listed any iPhone apps, it’s because Apple no longer allows third-party apps to view or access MAC addresses on iOS devices.

This limitation came into effect with the release of iOS 11. Please leave any questions regarding viewing and accessing MAC addresses on Android and iOS below. We will try to answer your questions as best we can.

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