A local IP is the address your device uses on your current Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or mobile network. When you connect to Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN, you should see both the local IP (device network address) and VPN IP (new virtual address) under your selected VPN server.
Sometimes, your local IP address may not show in the app when you’re connected to the VPN. This is a temporary display issue and can happen for a few common reasons:
- Network update delay: When a device switches networks, it requests a new local IP address that PIA must read from the OS. If you connect the VPN right after the switch, the app may briefly show a blank or outdated address while the OS applies the change.
- WireGuard roaming: If you change networks while PIA is already running, the WireGuard protocol will keep the encrypted tunnel active during the handoff. The OS still needs to update the local address, causing the IP display to lag.
- Multiple network adapters: Desktop computers manage separate IP addresses for Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and the VPN tunnel. When waking from sleep or connecting to a laptop dock, these adapters refresh at the same time, so PIA's display may briefly desync while it determines which connection is active.
This temporary display lag shouldn’t impact your VPN connection. If PIA shows that you’re connected and displays your VPN IP, your traffic should still route through the VPN.
However, if you wish to manually refresh the local IP display, try the following:
- If you just switched networks, wait a few seconds for your device to finish reconnecting. Then, disconnect and reconnect PIA VPN.
- If you use a laptop dock, disconnect and reconnect the dock. Then, reconnect PIA.
- If you use both Wi-Fi and mobile data, or Wi-Fi and Ethernet, disconnect from the network you’re not using and reconnect PIA.
- If the issue keeps happening while using WireGuard, switch to OpenVPN and reconnect. Find this option in your PIA Settings > Protocols > Protocol Selection.
Having other VPN issues? See our support guide to troubleshooting common VPN connection problems.