IPv4 vs IPv6 — Simple Explanation

IPv4 uses 32 bits (e.g. 192.168.1.1), so there are about 4 billion possible addresses. The internet has run out of new IPv4 addresses in many regions, so IPv6 was introduced.

IPv6 uses 128 bits and looks like 2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334. It supports a huge number of devices and is the long-term standard. Many networks and sites support both; you can check your IP to see whether you’re on IPv4 or IPv6.