ThisCalculator

Everyday

Wi-Fi MAC Address on Galaxy S9: How to Find It

Updated · Standard formula, shown below

Wi-Fi MAC Address on Galaxy S9: How to Find It

This guide shows you exactly where to find the Wi-Fi MAC address on a Samsung Galaxy S9. You’ll need this unique identifier for network filtering, MAC address authentication, or troubleshooting connection issues. The steps take about a minute and require no additional apps or special permissions.

What You’ll Need

  • Samsung Galaxy S9 (any carrier or variant)
  • The phone should be powered on and unlocked
  • No need for an active Wi-Fi connection; the MAC address is visible even when offline

Step-by-Step

  1. Unlock your Galaxy S9 and go to the home screen.
  2. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the notification shade. Tap the gear icon (⚙�) in the top-right corner to open the Settings app. Alternatively, find and tap the Settings app icon in the app drawer.
  3. Scroll down in the Settings menu and tap Connections. This is usually the first option in the list.
  4. Under Connections, tap Wi-Fi. This opens the Wi-Fi settings page.
  5. On the Wi-Fi page, look at the top-right corner of the screen. You’ll see three vertical dots (â‹®) – this is the More options menu. Tap it.
  6. From the dropdown menu, tap Advanced. This opens the advanced Wi-Fi settings.
  7. Scroll down to the IP settings section. Your Wi-Fi MAC address is listed there, labeled MAC address. It looks like a series of six pairs of letters and numbers (e.g., 3C:5A:B4:12:9F:08).
  8. You can write it down or take a screenshot (press Power + Volume Down simultaneously) for reference.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing with Bluetooth MAC: The Bluetooth address is also a MAC address, but it’s different. The Wi-Fi MAC is found under Connections > Wi-Fi > Advanced, not under Bluetooth settings.
  • Looking for a physical sticker: Unlike some older devices, the Galaxy S9 doesn’t have the MAC address printed on the back or under the battery. It’s only in the software.
  • Checking while Wi-Fi is off: The MAC address is still displayed even if Wi-Fi is turned off, so you don’t need to enable it first. However, if the Wi-Fi toggle is off, the settings page might show a disabled state; simply scroll down anyway – the MAC address is still there.
  • Using the wrong menu: Some users tap on the connected network name and look for the MAC address there. That page shows the IP address and other details, but not the MAC address. You must go through the Advanced menu.

Tips

  • Take a screenshot: It’s easy to misread or mistype a MAC address. A screenshot ensures you have the exact string.
  • Use it for network filtering: If you’re setting up MAC address filtering on your router, copy the address exactly as shown, including colons.
  • Note the format: The address is in hexadecimal (0-9 and A-F). It’s case-insensitive, so 3c:5a:b4 is the same as 3C:5A:B4.
  • Don’t share it casually: Your MAC address is a unique identifier for your device on a network. While it’s not a direct security risk to share it, it can be used for tracking or impersonation on local networks.

Troubleshooting

I don’t see the “Advancedâ€� option in Wi-Fi settings. Make sure you’re tapping the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of the Wi-Fi screen, not the one in the main Settings screen. If you’re still not seeing it, try rotating your phone to landscape mode – sometimes the menu layout changes and the option becomes visible.

The MAC address field is blank or shows “Unavailable�. This is rare but can happen if the Wi-Fi hardware is in a strange state. Try toggling Wi-Fi off and on again, then return to the settings. If it still shows nothing, restart your phone and check again.

I can’t find the Wi-Fi settings at all. Go to Settings (the gear icon in the notification shade), then tap Connections. If you don’t see Connections, you might be on a very old Android version – but the Galaxy S9 shipped with Android 8.0, which has this layout. If you’ve upgraded to Android 10 or later, the path remains the same.

The address I see doesn’t match what my router shows. This can happen if your phone uses a randomized MAC address when connecting to Wi-Fi networks (a privacy feature on Android 10+). To see the actual hardware MAC, you’re looking at the right place – the address shown in Advanced is the true hardware MAC. The router may show a different, randomized address for privacy. If you need the exact hardware MAC for MAC filtering, use the one from the phone’s settings.

I need the MAC address but my screen is broken. You can connect the phone to a computer via USB and use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to get the MAC address, but that requires enabling Developer Options and USB debugging. A simpler approach: if you have a backup of the phone, you might find it in the backup data, but that’s not straightforward. In most cases, contacting your carrier or Samsung support with proof of purchase may help.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the Galaxy S9 have a different MAC address for each Wi-Fi band (2.4GHz vs 5GHz)?
A: No, the Wi-Fi MAC address is the same for both bands. It’s a single hardware identifier for the Wi-Fi chip.

Q: Can I change the Wi-Fi MAC address on my Galaxy S9?
A: On Android 10 and later, the phone automatically uses a randomized MAC address when connecting to new networks. However, you cannot manually change the hardware MAC address without rooting the phone, which voids warranty and is not recommended.

Q: Why does my router show a different MAC address than my phone?
A: This is due to MAC randomization. The phone generates a random MAC address for each network to protect your privacy. The address shown in your phone’s settings (under Advanced) is the real hardware MAC, but the router sees the randomized one. You can disable randomization for a specific network by going to its settings and turning off “Random MACâ€� (if available).

Q: Is the Wi-Fi MAC address the same as the IMEI?
A: No. The IMEI is a different identifier for cellular networks, while the MAC address is for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. They are completely separate.

Q: Do I need to be connected to Wi-Fi to see the MAC address?
A: No, you can see it even when Wi-Fi is turned off. Just follow the steps; the MAC address is displayed regardless of connection status.

Q: How do I copy the MAC address to my clipboard?
A: You can’t directly copy it from the settings menu. You’ll need to manually type it or take a screenshot and use an OCR app to extract the text.

Related

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.