Note (October 2026): The original article said a proxy lets you watch Netflix from other countries; Netflix’s help center states that VPN and proxy services are not supported and asks users to turn them off, so that section has been corrected.
To change the IP address websites see, route your traffic through a proxy server: enter the proxy’s address and port in your device or browser settings (on Windows: Settings > Network & internet > Proxy). Websites then see the proxy’s IP address instead of yours. A proxy does not change the IP your internet provider assigns, and on its own it does not encrypt your traffic.
Key Takeaways
- A proxy server is an intermediary between your device and the websites you visit; sites see the proxy’s IP address, not yours.
- Proxies differ by anonymity: transparent proxies reveal your IP, anonymous proxies hide it but identify themselves as proxies, and high-anonymity (elite) proxies appear to be the client itself.
- Windows 10 and 11 and macOS have built-in proxy settings that take an address and a port number.
- A proxy is not a VPN: VPNs encrypt the connection, while a basic proxy only relays it.
- Netflix states that VPN and proxy services are not supported, so a proxy is not a reliable way to unlock other countries’ catalogs.
There are many different reasons you might want to change your device’s IP address. With any research, using a proxy server will come up as a top solution for accomplishing this. But what is a proxy exactly? In its shortest explanation, a proxy is a go-between for the internet and your device.
This explanation doesn’t give you enough information on why you might want to use a proxy server, what one is, or how to use one safely and smartly. Let’s dive deeper into how a proxy server could improve your online experience.
What Is a Proxy, Really?
When you’re browsing online, your device connects to the websites you see. When this happens, the websites see your IP address.
This causes some privacy concerns. Your IP address reveals your device’s real life location and your internet service provider. In practice that location is approximate: according to Wikipedia’s overview of internet geolocation, IP geolocation databases range from country to city or postcode level and are generally most accurate at the country level. Attackers can also use an exposed IP address as a starting point for targeting a network, which is one reason people choose to hide it.
Moreover, many websites are geography based, meaning that they show a different version of their content based on the location of the IP address browsing their site. If a user wants to see their US-based website, they need the website to see a US-based IP address.
Understanding all of this, we circle back to what a proxy is. A proxy is an intermediary between your device and the website you’re browsing. Your device connects to the proxy server, and then to the website. As a negotiator between your device and the site you are browsing, the proxy server shows its IP address to the website you browse.
For example, if you were in France and used a proxy server based in the United Kingdom, the websites you visit would only see the IP address from your proxy server.
They would have no way of knowing your device was actually located in France. You would see the website in question as it is being served to anyone with a United Kingdom IP address. For more information about proxies, visit https://proxyway.com/guides/what-is-a-proxy.
Why People Choose to Use Proxy IP Addresses
There are several different kinds of proxies and they accomplish different things. For example, an elite proxy (also known as a high anonymous proxy) can hide your IP address as well as the fact that you’re even using a proxy.
An anonymous proxy is more common. With this service, the website may notice you are using a proxy, but your true IP address is still hidden. Then there are transparent proxies, which pass traffic through without hiding your IP address; users are often unaware their traffic goes through one.
An anonymous proxy, which provides the user with an IP address, is what most people want to set up on their device. Why?
To browse privately. Some users just don’t want their private information, like their location, shown to every website they visit. They also don’t want their visits tracked.
To get around firewalls or bans. By changing your IP address, you can appear to be a different user or to be a user from another location. This last part may be useful if your school, workplace, or country has firewalls keeping you from seeing certain content. That won’t be a problem if your proxy service shows you are elsewhere.
For work research. Do you need to see the content a website is showing to users in a specific country? Are you logging into clients’ accounts on Facebook or Google, and these sites are saying your IP address is signing in to too many different accounts? A proxy server can solve this problem.
To use video content services, like Netflix or Hulu. The content websites show is often changed based on location. This is especially true for video streaming services like Netflix. When you login to your Netflix account from the United Kingdom, you are seeing content curated for the UK.
This is different from the content a user in the USA, Australia, Mexico, or South Africa may see. However, Netflix’s help center states that VPN apps and similar services can make a device look like it is connecting from somewhere other than its physical location, and it asks users to turn these services off and try again. Netflix also says VPNs are not supported for live events or on its ad-supported plan, so a proxy is not a dependable way to reach another country’s catalog.
How to Use a Proxy on Your Device
Using a proxy is fairly simple. You will sign up with a proxy service and they will walk you through the process, the same as with any other service you might use.
The first trick is to make sure you find a reputable company. You don’t want to just use anything out there claiming to be a proxy server, since you will be connecting to this with your device. Be sure to check a provider before signing up: according to Wikipedia’s proxy server article, some residential proxy networks run on potentially compromised devices and have been linked to phishing and malware hosting, and a proxy can capture passwords and cookies sent over unencrypted connections.
After signing up for a service, you’ll likely be asked to choose your browser and device. They may ask questions about what you would like to do, like whether you want to connect with the same IP address every time or switch often.
You will also be asked about where you would like your proxy to be based. Most companies offer proxies located in many locations around the world.
All in all, signing up and connecting is usually quick, although the time varies by provider and device. Keep in mind that some services, Netflix included, block or do not support proxy and VPN connections, so check a service’s terms before relying on a proxy to use an IP address based in another location.
What Is an IP Address?
An IP address is a numerical label, such as 192.168.1.1, assigned to a device connected to a computer network. IPv4 addresses are 32-bit numbers, which allows about 4.3 billion addresses; IPv6 uses 128 bits for a much larger address space.
Home connections usually receive a dynamic public IP address from the internet service provider, and DHCP is the most common technology for assigning addresses. Behind a router, network address translation (NAT) lets many devices on a private network share one public IP address. Private ranges such as 192.168.0.0/16 are not routed on the public internet, which is why websites see your router’s public address rather than your device’s local one. For router addresses, see this guide on how to find your router’s IP address.
Proxy Types Compared
Proxy servers are grouped by how much they reveal and by the traffic they carry. The table summarizes the common types.
| Proxy type | What the website sees | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Transparent proxy | Your real IP address; often you do not know the proxy is there | Filtering or caching on school, office or provider networks |
| Anonymous proxy | The proxy’s IP address, and that a proxy is in use | Basic privacy and location changes |
| High-anonymity (elite) proxy | The proxy’s IP address, presented as if it were the client | Stronger concealment of proxy use |
| HTTP proxy | Forwards web (HTTP) requests | Browser traffic |
| SOCKS proxy | Forwards arbitrary data after a connection phase | Apps and protocols beyond the web |
| Residential proxy | An IP address issued by an ISP to a real household device | Looking like an ordinary home user |
Proxies are also split by direction. A forward proxy sits in front of clients and masks their IP addresses; a reverse proxy sits in front of servers, passing client requests to backend servers without revealing them. Changing your own IP address uses a forward proxy. For more detail on the residential and datacenter options, see residential proxies explained and this guide on choosing a proxy provider.
How Do You Set a Proxy in Windows 10 and 11?
Windows 10 and Windows 11 use the same steps, according to Microsoft Support.
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to Network & internet > Proxy.
- Under Manual proxy setup, select Set up next to Use a proxy server.
- Turn on Use a proxy server, then enter the proxy server name or IP address and the port number.
- Optionally list websites that should bypass the proxy, then select Save.
If your provider gives you a setup script (a PAC file address) instead, choose Set up next to Use setup script under Automatic proxy setup, turn it on, enter the script address and select Save.
How Do You Set a Proxy on a Mac?
Apple’s macOS User Guide gives this path for current macOS versions.
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
- Click Network in the sidebar, then click a network service such as Wi-Fi.
- Click Details, then click Proxies (you may need to scroll).
- Turn on the proxy type your provider uses: Web proxy (HTTP), Secure web proxy (HTTPS) or SOCKS proxy, and enter the server address and port. Automatic proxy configuration accepts a PAC file URL instead.
- Add a username and password if the proxy requires them, and list any hosts or domains to bypass.
Proxy vs. VPN: What Is the Difference?
A proxy and a VPN both change the IP address websites see, but they protect different things. According to Wikipedia’s VPN article, VPNs use encryption to improve confidentiality and stop the internet provider from reading the data sent through the tunnel, using protocols such as WireGuard, OpenVPN and IPsec. A basic proxy relays traffic for specific apps or the browser and is not designed to encrypt it, so pages loaded without HTTPS can still be read along the way.
| Feature | Proxy server | VPN |
|---|---|---|
| Changes the IP address websites see | Yes | Yes |
| Encrypts the connection | Not by itself | Yes |
| Scope | Usually one browser or app, or the system proxy setting | Usually all device traffic |
| Hides activity from your internet provider | No, unless traffic is otherwise encrypted | Yes, for traffic inside the tunnel |
For a fuller look at VPN trade-offs, read the pros and cons of using a VPN and Smart DNS proxy vs. free VPN.
Common Mistakes When Using a Proxy
- Using random free open proxies. Wikipedia’s proxy server article notes there are hundreds of thousands of open proxies on the internet, and an untrusted proxy can capture passwords and cookies on unencrypted connections.
- Assuming a proxy makes you anonymous. Transparent proxies pass your IP address on, and forwarding headers such as X-Forwarded-For can disclose client details depending on the setup.
- Expecting streaming services to work. Netflix asks users to turn off VPN and similar services, and others may block known proxy addresses.
- Forgetting to turn the proxy off. A system-wide proxy that stops working can make every site fail to load until the setting is cleared.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a proxy change my IP address?
A proxy changes the IP address that websites see, because requests reach them from the proxy server. It does not change the public IP address your internet provider assigns to your connection.
Is a proxy the same as a VPN?
No. Both hide your IP address from websites, but a VPN encrypts the connection between your device and the VPN server, while a basic proxy only relays traffic and is not designed to encrypt it.
Can I watch Netflix from another country with a proxy?
Not reliably. Netflix’s help center says VPN and similar services can make a device appear to connect from another location and asks users to turn them off and try again.
What is an elite proxy?
An elite, or high-anonymity, proxy hides your IP address and presents itself as if it were the client, so the website cannot easily tell a proxy is in use. An anonymous proxy hides your IP address but reveals that it is a proxy.
How do I turn off a proxy in Windows?
Open Settings, go to Network & internet > Proxy, select Set up next to Use a proxy server, switch Use a proxy server off and select Save.
