Quick Guide: Find Your Device’s MAC Address in 5 Steps

Find MAC Address: Methods for Computers, Phones, and RoutersA MAC (Media Access Control) address is a unique identifier assigned to a device’s network interface controller (NIC). It’s used at the data-link layer of the OSI model for local network communication and device identification on LAN segments. Knowing how to find a MAC address is useful for troubleshooting, network configuration, access control (MAC filtering), and security auditing. This article covers methods to find MAC addresses on Windows, macOS, Linux, iPhone, Android, and common routers, plus tips for reading and using MAC addresses safely.

What is a MAC address?

A MAC address is a 48-bit (most common) identifier usually displayed as six groups of two hexadecimal digits, separated by colons or hyphens, for example 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E. The first 24 bits typically represent the Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI), which identifies the hardware manufacturer; the last 24 bits are a device-specific identifier.

General tips before you begin

A single device can have multiple MAC addresses (one per network interface — e.g., Wi-Fi and Ethernet).
Some systems support randomized (temporary) MAC addresses for privacy, especially on Wi‑Fi. If you need the permanent hardware MAC, look for “device MAC,” “hardware MAC,” “Wi-Fi MAC (hardware),” or disable MAC randomization temporarily.
MAC addresses are only meaningful on the local network segment — they do not travel across routers to other networks.

Finding MAC Address on Windows

Method 1 — Command Prompt (ipconfig /all)

Open Command Prompt: press Win + R, type cmd, press Enter.
Type:
```
ipconfig /all 
```
Look for the adapter (Ethernet adapter or Wireless LAN adapter) and the “Physical Address” field — that’s the MAC address.

Method 2 — PowerShell (Get-NetAdapter)

Open PowerShell.

Run:


Get-NetAdapter | Format-List Name, MacAddress, Status

The MacAddress column shows each adapter’s MAC.

Method 3 — Settings UI

Settings > Network & Internet > Status > View hardware and connection properties.
Find the adapter and its Physical address.

Finding MAC Address on macOS

Method 1 — System Settings (macOS Ventura and later)

Apple menu > System Settings > Network.
Select the interface (Wi-Fi or Ethernet), click Details or Advanced; the “Wi-Fi Address” or “Ethernet Address” is the MAC.

Method 2 — Terminal

Open Terminal.
For Wi‑Fi:
```
ifconfig en0 | grep ether 
```
(Replace en0 with en1 if applicable.)
For Ethernet:
```
ifconfig enX | grep ether 
```

Method 3 — About This Mac

Apple menu > About This Mac > System Report > Network.
Select an interface to view its MAC address.

Finding MAC Address on Linux

Method 1 — ip command (modern)

Open a terminal and run:

ip link show

Each interface block shows “link/ether” followed by the MAC address.

Method 2 — ifconfig (older systems)

ifconfig -a

Look for “ether” or “HWaddr” next to each interface.

Method 3 — /sys/class/net

To read directly:

cat /sys/class/net/eth0/address

Replace eth0 with the interface name (e.g., wlan0).

Finding MAC Address on iPhone (iOS)

Open Settings > General > About.
Scroll to “Wi‑Fi Address” — this shows the device’s Wi‑Fi MAC.
Notes:

iOS uses “Private Address” per‑network option (randomized MAC) to improve privacy. To see the per‑network randomized address, go to Settings > Wi‑Fi, tap the network (i) and check “Private Address.” The About screen shows the device’s primary Wi‑Fi address.

Finding MAC Address on iPad (iPadOS)

Same as iPhone: Settings > General > About for the Wi‑Fi Address; per‑network Private Address shown under Wi‑Fi network details.

Finding MAC Address on Android

Settings > About phone (or About device) > Status or Hardware information. The exact path varies by vendor and Android version. Look for “Wi‑Fi MAC address” or “MAC address.”
Alternatively: Settings > Network & Internet > Wi‑Fi > (tap network name or gear icon) > Advanced — some versions show the MAC used for that network (may be randomized).
Notes:

Newer Android versions support randomized MAC addresses per Wi‑Fi network; the “Wi‑Fi MAC address” field may show a randomized value when privacy features are on. To see the real hardware MAC, disable MAC randomization for that network or check the device’s About page where hardware info may be listed.

Finding MAC Address on Routers

Routers expose MAC addresses for their interfaces and for devices connected to them. Methods vary by router model and firmware.

Method 1 — Router web admin page

Connect to the router (usually 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1, or router printed IP).
Log in to the admin interface.
Look for sections named Status, LAN, Attached Devices, DHCP Client List, or Wireless. These show MAC addresses of the router’s interfaces and connected devices.

Method 2 — Router mobile app

Many consumer routers have mobile apps that display connected devices and MAC addresses.

Method 3 — Router CLI or SSH (advanced)

For routers that support SSH/terminal, commands (varies by OS) can list interfaces and MACs (for example, ifconfig or ip link).

Finding MAC Addresses of Devices on Your Network

From a router admin page: check DHCP client list or connected devices.
From a computer:
- Windows: use arp -a in Command Prompt to map IPs to MACs for devices your machine has recently communicated with.
```
arp -a 
```
- Linux/macOS:
```
arp -a 
```
  or
```
ip neighbour 
```
Network scanners (nmap, Angry IP Scanner) can discover devices and display MAC addresses when run on the same LAN.

Reading and using MAC addresses

Format variations: 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E or 00-1A-2B-3C-4D-5E or 001A.2B3C.4D5E (Cisco).
OUIs: The first 3 octets identify the vendor (useful for identifying manufacturer).
MAC filtering: You can restrict network access to listed MAC addresses, but MACs can be spoofed — it’s a weak security measure and should be combined with stronger controls (WPA3/WPA2, 802.1X, network segmentation).
Privacy: Randomized MACs protect user privacy on Wi‑Fi. When troubleshooting or using MAC-based filtering, ensure you’re using the hardware MAC (or temporarily disable randomization).

Troubleshooting tips

If you don’t see a MAC address, ensure the interface is enabled and the driver/firmware is installed.
For virtual adapters (VPNs, VMs), MACs may differ and be virtualized.
If a device isn’t visible in arp or router lists, it might be asleep, on a different subnet, or using MAC randomization.

Quick reference (summary)

Windows: ipconfig /all or Get-NetAdapter
macOS: System Settings > Network or ifconfig | grep ether
Linux: ip link show or cat /sys/class/net//address
iPhone/iPad: Settings > General > About (Wi‑Fi Address)
Android: Settings > About phone > Status or Wi‑Fi details
Router: Admin web UI > Attached Devices / DHCP client list

If you want platform-specific screenshots, terminal examples tuned to your OS version, or a short printable cheat sheet, tell me which device(s) you use.