Learn here how to temporarily change android MAC address without rooting to protect privacy and smooth interoperatibility.
MAC is the acronym for Media Access Control. Its address is a unique code made up of 12 (XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX) characters for a particular hardware like say the network adapter of WiFi devices.
There are many reasons for wanting to change the MAC address of your device. For instance, if you want to connect to a WiFi hotspot then it will be a good idea to change the MAC address temporarily. It will protect your privacy. Another very good reason to opt for this is to ensure smooth interoperability.
For instance, your internet service provider binds their service to a particular address and you want to change your network card or want to install a new router you will find that the service won’t work properly anymore. It may not even work at all. You can solve this problem by changing the MAC address of the new interface.
You can of course change this address permanently or temporarily depending on your requirement. Usually you need a rooted phone to change the address but to change the address temporarily you can use a phone that is not rooted.
To temporarily change android MAC address without rooting the first thing you need is to know the MAC address. To find it on your tablet just touch the Menu key and go to Settings. Scroll down to About Tablet and there select Status. Just scroll down and view the address. If you are using an android phone you can do the same thing or alternatively on About Phone select Hardware Information and see the address. Another way is to select Wireless Network from Settings and there select WiFi settings and get the address from the Advanced section.
Next thing is to download a free app called the Android Terminal Emulator. Install it on your device. You need to know the name of your card to actually make the change. So open the app and type
ip link show
You will get a list of the different interfaces. On the list search for the address that matches the one that you found out earlier. Now to change it to the temporary address just type in the following commands:
ip link set AAAA address XX:XX:XX:YY:YY:YY
ip link set AAAA broadcast XX:XX:XX:YY:YY:YY.
Here AAAA is the name of the interface that you want to change and XX:XX:XX:YY:YY:YY is the new temporary address that you are assigning to the hardware. Remember that the address is made up of characters so it can be numbers or alphabets. Now to check whether the address has changed just type
ip link show AAAA
While denoting the new address it is important to keep in mind that only the last 3 sets should be changed. The first three sets should be kept same. If you change them you will face a lot of authentication issues.
As these changes are temporary whenever you reboot your device the MAC address will change back to the original address so you will have to repeat the above instructions again.
There are also some apps available on Google Playstore which supposedly help in temporarily changing the MAC address without rooting like the MAC changer app. All you have to do is follow the instructions given in the app.
For some additional information on keeping your privacy when you’re on a MAC, you can read more from VPN Vanguard. They have all kinds of information on how to make sure your information is secure, even if it’s not by using the methods we described above, but mainly through using a VPN)