The Media Access Control (MAC) address is a 12-digit unique identifier assigned to your iPhone at manufacture. You can’t change your iPhone’s MAC address natively, but you can enable Private Address to spoof it when connecting to a network.
Hi, I’m Devansh. I’m passionate about digital privacy and security, so I’ve learned about MAC addresses. In this article, I’ll walk you through the steps to spoof your iPhone’s MAC address using Private Address. I’ll also answer common questions.
If you’re looking for a safe and reliable way to change or hide your iPhone’s MAC address, you’ll love this article!
Contents
Steps to Change MAC Address on iPhone
First, open Settings, tap on General, About, and scroll down to Wi-Fi Address. This is your iPhone’s original MAC address. It can’t be changed without jailbreaking your iPhone and thus exposing it to malware.
Fortunately, if your iPhone is updated to iOS 14 or above, you can use the Private Address feature to spoof the MAC address. This feature is enabled by default, but let’s go through the steps to use it.
Step 1: First, ensure you’re connected to the WiFi network you want to hide your iPhone’s original MAC address from. Once connected, open the Settings app.
Step 2: Tap on WiFi and tap the i icon next to the WiFi network.
Step 3: Scroll down and toggle on Private Wi-Fi Address.
Step 4: You’ll need to disconnect from the network temporarily for Private Address to be enabled.
Now, your iPhone will use a unique randomized MAC address for that network. Check this Support page for more info on this feature.
FAQs
Here are two common questions about changing your iPhone’s MAC address.
When Should You Disable Private Address on Your iPhone?
If a network is configured to place restrictions on devices with private addresses, you can disable the feature on your iPhone. Follow the steps in the above section and toggle off Private Address for that particular network.
How to Find SSID on iPhone?
Most networks have a Service Set Identifier (SSID), which you can use to find and connect to them. To view all the available SSIDs near you, open Settings and tap on WiFi. Check out our article How to Find SSID on iPhone for further details.
Conclusion
Private Address is a safe and reliable feature to spoof your iPhone’s original MAC address for each network you join. If your iPhone has iOS 14 or above, it is enabled by default. It can safeguard your privacy and limit the tracking of your online activities.
Do you think the Private Address feature is useful for spoofing your iPhone’s MAC address and improving privacy? Let me know in the comments!
Peter B
A lot of new routers use a fixed MAC address for returning connections as the router will attach your MAC to verify your next login. Often functions such as parental controls allow for the master user to block a specific MAC from either entering the network (even if they have the correct credentials) or wish to block a member from using the connection or viewing specific sites as added in the block list for the specific user. I can understand the reasoning for wanting to hide your MAC but don’t see security as a valid one. There are a number of customers that try and block their existence using VPN’s and other methods but from experience a good portion of these users are trying to hide their activities for a less that legitimate reason. Bear in mind the authorities have methods to track illegal activities through other more high-tech methods.
Randy
There is a difference between your MAC address and your ip address. You are describing how to change the ip address while explaining you are changing the max address. The MAC address is “burned in” and the first 6 characters define the vendor. The last 6 digits provide a unique number for your device. The private ip addressing you describe is defined in RFC 1918. The private ip address is needed when you are on a private network that is utilizing this ip address space. I do not see any value in your article. I was expecting it would define how to add a MAC address in addition to the burned in address.
Devansh Kamdar
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this article, Randy. I understand your expectation for coverage on adding a MAC address in addition to the default one, but this article primarily concentrates on IP address changes rather than modifying the burned-in MAC address. I apologize if that wasn’t communicated properly. You can check this Apple Support page for more info: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211227.