Get the Local IP of an Interface with ipconfig getifaddr

macOS's ipconfig prints a single address per interface — ideal for shell scripts and prompts.

macOSscriptingipipconfigLow risk

Run `ipconfig getifaddr en0` to print only that interface's IPv4 address, with no extra formatting to strip.

01Command

Command

$ ipconfig getifaddr en0
# Which interface serves the default route:
route -n get default | awk '/interface:/{print $2}'

02What it does

Unlike ifconfig, which dumps every interface plus flags, `ipconfig getifaddr en0` emits exactly one line — the IPv4 address — or nothing when the interface has no lease. That clean contract makes it the go-to for scripts that need the current Wi-Fi address in a variable. On desktop Macs en0 is usually Wi-Fi and en1 Ethernet, but the mapping varies, so pair it with `networksetup -listallhardwareports` to be sure.

03Risk

RiskLow risk

!Warning: The command prints nothing (empty output) on interfaces without an IPv4 lease — script for that case instead of assuming a value.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

ipconfig — macOS Command Reference
SS64 · technical · 2026-09-17
Evidence: Documents getifaddr and getpacket for per-interface IP data.

Last verified: 2026-09-17 · Category: Network