You might be asked to enter your MAC address for a technical support purpose or router configuration. Anyway, it might be hard to find these numbers at a specific moment, but this guide should show you the right steps on how to get MAC addresses via any device.
The 12-digit MAC address code can be found in the WiFi settings menu on any smartphone and computer, no matter their operating system. Also, you should know that the MAC address might be found under different names, like “WiFi address”, “Physical address”, etc.
It is possible for you to get into a situation to identify your computer on the LAN by entering your MAC address. It might be difficult to find this code, especially if you are not so good with computer features and programs. Even if you are good at programming, you might need help sometimes, which is why we have prepared this quick guide.
How to Get MAC Address Depending on the Device Type
The MAC address is a code of six groupings of two hyphen-separated characters. Before searching this code, you should know that some mobile devices and computers might have more than one MAC address, which means they have more than one network adapter.
Windows
To find the MAC address on all Windows types, you can use the Command Prompt app. Open the “Search” menu from the taskbar (or press the Windows key and S as a shortcut) and type “Command Prompt”.
When the prompt opens, type “ ipconfig/all” and press “Enter”. This command will display a lot of information on the window. Scroll and search for the Ethernet Adapter section if your device is wire-connected to the internet, or find the WiFi name section if your device has a wireless connection.
Carefully read the section options and search for the “Physical address”. The code next to the physical (MAC) address should look something like this: 00-1A-2B-33-44-5C.
Windows 10
On Windows 10 devices, you can go with the Command prompt and Network status option. Because we have explained how to get MAC address via Command Prompt, we will explain another way for Windows 10.
Connect your Windows 10 device to the Internet or WiFi. Open the network icon on the taskbar (it is on the right bottom, next to the clock and date section). In case you don’t see the Internet icon on the taskbar, you can open the “Network and Internet” settings from the Windows menu.
Click on the “Properties” option, and a window will appear. Scroll to the bottom, and there, you will find the “Physical address” in a series of letters and numbers.
macOS
Connect your macOS device to the Internet and open the “System Preferences” from the Apple menu (on the top left corner of the screen). A window with many icons and options will appear on the screen.
Now, we search for the “Network” globe icon, and we open it. Click on the “Ethernet” or “WiFi” option on the left panel. The Ethernet option is for wired Internet connection; WiFi is for wireless.
Click on the “Advanced” option at the bottom right of the window, and click on the “Hardware” option on the tab of the Advanced menu. The MAC address will appear right on the top of this window.
Linux
On a Linux device, you should open the “Terminal” window by clicking on its icon or pressing the shortcut “Ctrl + Alt + T” on the keyboard.
When the terminal window opens, type “sudo ifconfig” and press Enter on the keyboard. Now, you will see a lot of information on the screen. Scroll until you find the HWaddr section.
The MAC address should appear right next to the “HWaddr.”
iPhone
If you want to find the MAC address via your iPhone or iPad, you should search for it in the settings menu.
Open the “General” settings on the main settings menu, and tap on the “About” option (it is the first option on the menu).
Scroll down and search for the “WiFi Address” section, and the numbers right next to it are the MAC address of your iPhone device.
Android
Android users should search for their MAC address in the main settings menu (the gear icon on the menu).
Scroll down until you find the “About phone” or “About device” option. If you can not find it, search for it on the top search bar in the settings menu.
Find the “Status information” option and tap on it. This setting will display the IP address, MAC address, and other connection addresses. The MAC address code will be written underneath the MAC address section.
Read more: How to Find Modem IP Address
How to Get MAC Address on Consoles
Play Station 3
(Re)Start the PS 3 without a disc inside.
Settings > Network Settings > Settings & Connection Status List > Mac Address.
Play Station 4
(Re)Start the PS 4 without a disc inside.
Settings > System > System Information > Mac Address (LAN cable).
Play Station 5
(Re)Start the PS 5 without a disc inside.
Settings > System > Console information > MAC address (WiFi).
Nintendo Wii
(Re)Start your Nintendo Wii without a disc inside.
Press the A button on the remote > Wii (bottom left corner) > Wii Settings > Internet > Console Information > MAC address.
Nintendo Switch
Start your Nintendo Switch device.
System Settings > Internet (on the left panel) > Connection Status > Lan adapter MAC address.
Xbox X and S series
Press the X button on the controller.
Open Profile & System > Settings > General > Network Settings > Advanced settings > Wired MAC / Wireless MAC.
Xbox One
Open the menu from My Xbox on the dashboard.
All Settings > Network > Advanced Settings > IP settings > Wired MAC / Wireless MAC.
Conclusion
As you can see, some devices show both wired and wireless MAC addresses. The address code always comes in six separate groupings of numbers and letters.
We believe that our simple guide will bring you to the MAC address straightforwardly.