How to Change Your MAC Address on Any Device
2025-03-06
A MAC (Media Access Control) address is a unique identifier assigned to network interfaces for communication on a network. Changing your MAC address can enhance privacy, bypass network restrictions, or troubleshoot connectivity issues. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to change the MAC address on various devices.
Changing MAC Address on macOS
Mac users can modify their MAC address through the Terminal or with third-party applications. The Terminal method is as follows:
- Open Terminal: Navigate to Applications → Utilities → Terminal, or use Spotlight Search.
Check the Current MAC Address: Enter the following command and press Enter:
ifconfig en0 | grep ether
- Disable Wi-Fi (if applicable): Click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar and turn it off.
- Change the MAC Address: Replace
xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
with your desired MAC address and enter:sh sudo ifconfig en0 ether xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
- Reconnect to Wi-Fi and Verify: Run the first command again to ensure the MAC address has changed.
Note: This change is temporary and will reset after a restart. To make it permanent, scripts or system modifications are required.
Changing MAC Address on Windows
For Windows users, the process involves adjusting settings in Device Manager:
- Open Device Manager: Press Win + X and select Device Manager.
- Find Network Adapters: Expand the list and right-click your active network adapter, then choose Properties.
- Modify MAC Address:
- Go to the Advanced tab.
- Select Network Address or Locally Administered Address.
- In the Value field, enter a 12-digit MAC address in this format:
00AABBCCDDEE
. - Click OK and restart your network adapter.
- Verify the Change: Open Command Prompt and enter:
sh ipconfig /all
Locate the Physical Address under your network adapter details.
Changing MAC Address on Linux
Linux users can change their MAC address using Terminal:
- Check the Current MAC Address:
sh ip link show eth0
- Change the MAC Address:
sh sudo ifconfig eth0 down sudo ifconfig eth0 hw ether XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX sudo ifconfig eth0 up
- Make It Permanent: Modify the
/etc/network/interfaces
file accordingly.
MAC Address Modification on iOS
Apple restricts manual MAC address changes. However, users can enable a randomized MAC address for Wi-Fi networks:
- Open Settings.
- Navigate to Wi-Fi.
- Tap your connected network.
- Toggle Use Private Address to ON.
Changing MAC Address on Android
Similar to iOS, Android offers a randomized MAC address option:
- Go to Settings.
- Tap Wi-Fi.
- Select your network.
- Enable Use Randomized MAC.
Conclusion
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