How to Change MAC Address on Android Devices

Every Android device comes with a MAC Address associated with it. In this article, we will tell you how to Change the MAC Address on Android, if you want to. There are two simple ways to do this: one for rooted Android devices and another for Android devices without root. We shall see both of them in this detailed guide.

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Change MAC Address on Android

Before heading into the steps on how to change MAC Address on Android device, let us take a quick look at the basics so that you can make an informed decision on whether or not to change the MAC Address on your Android device.

What is MAC Address or WiFi MAC Address?

A MAC address, short for Media Access Control address, is a 12-character unique identifier assigned to a specific hardware device such as an Android device or the network adapter of your WiFi device. In simple words, a MAC address can be used to uniquely identify any device (including Android devices) on the Internet or the local network.

How To Change Mac Address On Android Devices

Why Change MAC Address?

The first and foremost reason would be privacy. Anyone in your local Ethernet network can easily identify your device as MAC Address of a device can be found using simple tools. This enables a potential hacker to a hold of your device and in turn you. This can be a threat when you are connected to a public wireless network (hotels, airports and what not).
If your device’s MAC address is public, a hacker can use it to easily impersonate you. On most networks, the access is restricted based on IP address, so when you go offline, the hacker can use your MAC address and access the network as ‘you’.
If you are connected to a network which limits access based on your MAC Address, then you can change the MAC Address on your device and connect to the network again and continue using it.

How to Find MAC Address on Android Devices

Here’s how you can find the MAC Address of your Android device:

On most devices, you can find it here: Settings> About phone.
On Samsung Galaxy devices: Open device Settings> About phone or About device> Status> WiFi MAC Address.
On OnePlus devices: Settings> System> About phone> Status> WiFi MAC Address.

Steps to Change MAC Address on Android Devices

We have two different methods to change the MAC Address on Android devices. One for rooted Android devices and another for non-rooted ones.

How to Install Magisk & Root Android with TWRP

Check root availability:

How to check if your device has root or not? Simply download the below app and see if your device have root access.

Download Root Checker

Heads up!

While changing the MAC Address, you MUST NOT change the first 6 characters in the MAC Address. The first 6 characters represent the manufacturer and changing it will result in issues. For example: if your MAC Address is x3:24:ty:d1:99:4r, you must not change the first six characters.
For generating valid MAC address, you can use this MAC Address generator: MAC address generator.

Method 1. Change MAC Address on Android device without Root

There are two limitations to this method:

This method mostly works only Android devices with MediaTek processors. But you could always give a shot on other devices too.
The change is temporary. The device MAC Address will be back to original one upon restart.

Follow the below steps to change the MAC address on non-rooted Android devices:

Go to Settings > WiFi and Networks > Open the WiFi Settings > Tap on your WiFi network > Scroll down till you find the WiFi MAC Address. Note this down.
Download and open the below app: Download Terminal Emulator
Type this in the terminal app:
```
ip link show 
```
In the result displayed, find your interface name. For the purpose of this tutorial, let us consider that the interface name is ‘amore01’. Now, type the below command in the terminal:
```
ip link set amore01 XX:XX:XX:YY:YY:YY
```
Note: In the above, you have to replace ‘amore01’ with your own interface name and ‘XX:XX:XX:YY:YY:YY’ to whatever MAC address you wish to change to.
Done. Now simply go to your WiFi settings and verify if you can see the changes.

Method 2. Change MAC Address on rooted Android device

Download and install Busybox on your Android device: Download
Download and open the below app: Android Terminal Emulator
In terminal window app and type this command:
```
su 
```
If not done already, the app will now ask you to grant root access. Grant the same.
To know your network interface name, type this in the terminal app:
```
ip link show 
```
For the purpose of this tutorial, we will consider it as ‘amore01’.
Next, type the below command in the terminal window:
```
busybox ip link show amore01
```
Don’t forget to change the ‘amore01’ part in the above command. The above command will show your current MAC address information.
To change the MAC address on your device, type the following command:
```
busybox ifconfig amore01 hw ether XX:XX:XX:YY:YY:YY
```
In the above, you have to replace ‘amore01’ with your own interface name and ‘XX:XX:XX:YY:YY:YY’ to whatever MAC address you wish to change to.
Done! Now simply go to your WiFi settings and verify if you can see the changes.

These are two simple methods to change MAC addresses on Android. Did these work for you? Need help? Let us know in the comments below!