Private WiFi Address on iPhone and Android: turning it off
Short answer: phones now invent a random MAC address for each WiFi network instead of using their real hardware one. It stops networks and trackers from recognizing your device across places. On your own network it mostly means the vendor lookup stops working.
What “private address” actually does
Your phone has one permanent hardware MAC. Left as-is, every WiFi network you join could recognize it and link your visits over time. To prevent that, iOS and Android generate a locally administered address — random, per-network — and present that instead. This has been the default since iOS 14 / iPadOS 14 / watchOS 7 (2020) and Android 10, so on a typical home network most of the phones are already doing it.
You can tell a randomized address at a glance: look at the second hex digit. If it’s 2, 6, A, or E, the locally-administered bit is set, the device made the address up, and a vendor lookup returns nothing — the OUI isn’t real. The bit-level detail is in randomized MAC addresses, explained.
Why it matters on your home network
Randomization is a privacy win in public and a small friction at home:
- Device lists get harder to read — no manufacturer name to recognize.
- Reserved IPs and allow-lists can break if the address rotates.
- Per-device controls (parental limits, QoS, time schedules) need the current random address, not the hardware one.
How to turn it off for one network
You only want to do this on a network you control and trust — it re-exposes the real hardware address to that network.
- iPhone / iPad: Settings → Wi-Fi → tap the ⓘ next to your network → turn off Private Wi-Fi Address. On newer iOS this setting reads “Rotating” / “Fixed” / “Off” — choose Off (or Fixed) for your home network.
- Android: long-press your network → Privacy (or the gear → Privacy) → choose Use device MAC.
Do this per network. Leave it on everywhere else — public WiFi is exactly where it protects you.
Identifying someone else’s randomized device
If the device isn’t yours to reconfigure, you can’t get a vendor from a private address. Fall back to hostname and elimination — the full method is in identifying an unknown device, and the “no vendor” case is covered in why a MAC shows blank or unknown.
Frequently asked questions
What does Private WiFi Address mean?
It means your phone is presenting an invented MAC address to that network instead of its real hardware one, so the network cannot recognize the device if you come back or join elsewhere. Apple calls it Private Wi-Fi Address; Android calls the same thing a randomized MAC.
Where is the Private WiFi Address setting on iPhone?
Settings, then Wi-Fi, then the ⓘ next to the network name. Newer iOS versions offer Rotating, Fixed and Off rather than a plain switch; Fixed keeps one invented address for that network, and Off presents the real hardware address.
What is Android's equivalent of Private WiFi Address?
Long-press the network, open Privacy, and choose between Use randomized MAC and Use device MAC. Android has randomized per network by default since Android 10, so the behaviour matches iOS even though the wording does not.
Should I turn off Private WiFi Address?
On a network you own, turning it off makes device lists readable and per-device rules such as parental controls and reserved IPs reliable. On any network you do not control, leave it on — that is the case it was built for.
Does a private WiFi address change every time?
By default a phone keeps one invented address per network, so it stays stable on your home WiFi. The rotating option changes it periodically, and that is what quietly breaks reserved IPs and MAC allow-lists.