How to Change or Spoof a MAC Address in Windows 11 and macOS

Aseem Kishore
·
5 min read

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Man at a desk using a laptop that shows Network & Internet Wi‑Fi settings with a glowing Wi‑Fi illustration beside him, captioned Privacy Settings on screen edge.

You need to change or spoof a MAC address in Windows 11 or macOS, but old Control Panel and Terminal instructions no longer match current systems. Use the built-in privacy setting first; manual overrides are mainly useful for testing or network administration. You can learn more about what DNS is and how it works to better understand network administration.

Fix #1: Turn on random hardware addresses in Windows 11

Windows 11 can use a randomized MAC address for Wi-Fi. This addresses routine privacy needs without changing the adapter’s assigned hardware address. To learn more about Windows 11 settings, you can visit the Windows 10 or 11 PC freezes troubleshooting guide.

  1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
  2. Select Network & internet.
  3. Select Wi-Fi.
Windows 11 Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi with the Wi-Fi settings page visible
  1. Open the properties for the Wi-Fi network you want to configure.
Windows 11 Wi-Fi settings showing the properties entry for the connected network
  1. Find Random hardware addresses or Use random hardware addresses. The wording and placement can vary by adapter.
  2. Turn the setting On.
Windows 11 Wi-Fi network properties with Random hardware addresses turned on
  1. Disconnect from the network.
  2. Reconnect to it.

Windows should now present a randomized address to that Wi-Fi network. If the setting isn’t available, your Wi-Fi adapter or driver may not support it. You can try to fix Wi-Fi issues in Windows 11 for more troubleshooting steps.

Fix #2: Set a custom MAC address in Windows 11

Use a manual override when you need a repeatable address for authorized testing or network administration. Not every network adapter supports this setting, and some drivers discard it after a restart or sleep cycle. You can also disable your laptop keyboard if you’re experiencing issues.

  1. Right-click Start.
  2. Select Device Manager.
  3. Expand Network adapters.
Windows 11 Device Manager with Network adapters expanded and a Wi-Fi adapter highlighted
  1. Right-click the adapter you want to change.
  2. Select Properties.
  3. Open the Advanced tab.
Network adapter Properties window on the Advanced tab
  1. Select Network Address or Locally Administered Address. The property name depends on the adapter’s driver.
Network adapter Advanced properties with Network Address or Locally Administered Address selected
  1. Select Value.
  2. Enter a 12-digit hexadecimal address without colons or hyphens, such as 40A2D9829FF2.
  3. Select OK.
  4. Disable and re-enable the adapter, or restart the PC if the new address doesn’t appear immediately.

Avoid copying the MAC address of another device on the same network. Duplicate addresses can interrupt connectivity for both devices. You can learn more about MAC addresses on Wikipedia.

Fix #3: Verify the Windows MAC address

Windows lists the active MAC address as the adapter’s Physical Address.

  1. Press Windows + R.
  2. Type cmd.
  3. Press Enter.
  4. Run ipconfig /all.
Command Prompt showing ipconfig /all output with the active network adapter's Physical Address highlighted
  1. Find the active Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter.
  2. Check its Physical Address.

The displayed value should match your custom address. A different value means the driver rejected or reset the override. You can also find the MAC address on your iPhone or Android device for more information.

Fix #4: Use a private Wi-Fi address in macOS

Current macOS versions provide a per-network Private Wi-Fi Address setting. It handles privacy more reliably than a temporary Terminal override. You can visit the Apple support page for more information on macOS settings.

  1. Open the Apple menu.
  2. Select System Settings.
  3. Select Wi-Fi.
macOS System Settings > Wi-Fi with the connected network visible
  1. Select Details beside the current network.
macOS Wi-Fi settings with the Details button highlighted beside the connected network
  1. Find Private Wi-Fi Address.
  2. Choose the mode that matches your goal:

– Off uses the hardware MAC address. – Fixed assigns a stable private address to that network. – Rotating changes the private address periodically.

macOS Wi-Fi network Details showing Private Wi-Fi Address options Off, Fixed, and Rotating
  1. Apply the change if macOS prompts you.
  2. Reconnect to the network.

Use Fixed when a trusted network identifies approved devices by MAC address. Use Rotating on public or less-trusted networks when available. You can also learn more about macOS Tahoe privacy settings to secure your Mac.

Fix #5: Check the active MAC address in macOS

You can verify the address through macOS network settings or Terminal.

  1. Open System Settings.
  2. Select Wi-Fi.
  3. Select Details beside the connected network.
  4. Check the address shown for that connection.
macOS Wi-Fi network Details showing the active Wi-Fi address and Private Wi-Fi Address setting
  1. To check through Terminal, open Terminal.
  2. Run ifconfig.
  3. Find the active network interface and its ether value.
macOS Terminal showing ifconfig output with the active interface and ether address highlighted

The interface name can differ between Macs, so identify the active interface from the full output instead of assuming it is en0 or en1.

What a MAC address does

A MAC address is a 48-bit identifier associated with an Ethernet or Wi-Fi network interface. It normally appears as six hexadecimal pairs, such as 1F-2E-3D-4C-5B-6A, and Windows may label it Physical Address.

Windows 11 Command Prompt showing a network adapter's 12-digit Physical Address in ipconfig /all output

MAC addresses operate on the local network at Layer 2 of the OSI model. ARP, or Address Resolution Protocol, resolves an IPv4 address to the corresponding MAC address; it doesn’t modify either address. You can learn more about securing your home network with a firewall router.

The adapter has a manufacturer-assigned address, but Windows and macOS can present a different software-controlled address. That replacement may be randomized for privacy or manually assigned when the adapter and driver support it.

Why change a MAC address?

A private or custom MAC address can solve several specific problems:

  • Reduce device tracking across Wi-Fi networks.
  • Test network access rules you administer.
  • Reconnect after replacing a device on a network that expects an approved address.
  • Keep a stable private identity for one trusted Wi-Fi network.

Don’t use another device’s address to enter a network without permission. MAC filtering is an access-control measure, and copying an authorized address can also create connection conflicts. You can learn how to spot fake or malicious Chrome extensions before installing them.

When the setting is missing or won’t stick

If Random hardware addresses, Network Address, or Locally Administered Address is absent, the adapter or its driver probably doesn’t expose that function. Install the current driver from the PC or adapter manufacturer, then check again. You can also learn more about January 2026 Patch Tuesday updates for Windows users.

I’d skip Registry edits unless the adapter manufacturer documents a supported value. A Registry entry can’t force hardware or a driver to accept an override, and an unsupported edit can leave the adapter offline.

Conclusion

Fix #1, Windows random hardware addresses, solves the privacy use case with the least fuss; on macOS, Fix #4 provides the equivalent control. If a manual address keeps resetting or never appears in ipconfig /all, the adapter’s driver is the likely limit, and a supported network adapter is the cleaner fix.