A MAC address is the hardware identifier your network adapter presents on the local network. You cannot change the physical address burned into the adapter, but many devices can report a different one temporarily.
Does this affect you?
Use this if a router rule, public Wi-Fi limit, device tracking concern, or troubleshooting step requires a different MAC address on Windows, Mac, or Android.
Change it on Windows
Windows exposes MAC spoofing through the network adapter driver when the driver supports it.
- Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
- Expand Network adapters.
- Right-click your Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter and choose Properties.
- Open the Advanced tab and look for Network Address or Locally Administered Address. If it is missing, that adapter does not support a software change.
- Choose Value and enter a 12-character hexadecimal address using numbers 0-9 and letters A-F, without colons or dashes.
- Click OK, then disconnect and reconnect. To undo it, return to the same setting and choose Not Present.
Change it on Mac
macOS handles this through Terminal rather than System Settings.
- Open Terminal.
- Find the current address with ifconfig en0 | grep ether. Try en1 if your Mac uses a different adapter, and write down the original.
- Turn Wi-Fi off from the menu bar or run sudo ifconfig en0 down.
- Run sudo ifconfig en0 ether XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX, replacing the Xs with the new address.
- Turn Wi-Fi back on and reconnect. On modern macOS, the change often resets after restart or when joining another network.
Change it on Android
Most Android users should use the built-in privacy setting instead of root tools.
- Open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi.
- Tap the network and open its settings gear.
- Look for Privacy or MAC address type.
- Choose randomized MAC for privacy, or device MAC if you need the real address. Fully custom manual addresses usually require root access.
More control
Modern systems already randomize Wi-Fi MAC addresses
Windows, Android, and iOS can automatically use a different private address on each Wi-Fi network. For privacy on public networks, that is usually enough.
It may not bypass every limit
Hotels and public networks may also track account logins, captive portal sessions, or browser cookies, so changing the MAC address is not always a reliable workaround.
Expect the change to be temporary
Manual MAC changes commonly revert after a restart, adapter reset, or new network connection. Save the steps if you need to repeat them.
Sources
- Microsoft Support – Change your network adapter settings (2025)
- Apple Support – Advanced networking options on Mac (2025)
- IEEE Standards Association – MAC address overview (2024)