# How mobile proxy IP rotation works, and how to control it

A mobile IP is not assigned to you; the carrier lends it to a whole cell of subscribers. Rotating is asking the network for another one, and the skill is knowing when to ask.


## Where mobile IPs come from

Carriers have far fewer public IPv4 addresses than subscribers, so they use [carrier-grade NAT](https://hodlproxy.com/glossary/cgnat): hundreds or thousands of phones in an area share one public address at the same time, and each device is handed an address from a regional pool when it attaches to the network. That is why mobile IPs are trusted, and why they change whenever a device reconnects.


## Two ways to rotate

|  | Rotating pool | Dedicated device |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What rotates | The gateway picks another device per connection | Your own modem asks the carrier for a new address |
| Trigger | Every new connection, unless a sticky session holds the exit | A signed link, an API call or a timer you set |
| Time to new IP | Immediate | Usually a few seconds while the modem reconnects |
| Billing | Per GB, from $2.62 down to $1.58 | Per device and term, unlimited traffic, from $31.05 a month |


## What happens during a device rotation

1. The modem drops its data session and attaches to the network again.
2. The carrier assigns an address from its pool for that region; it is usually different, occasionally the same.
3. Open connections through the old address are cut; clients reconnect through the new one.
4. The country and carrier stay the same: rotation changes the address, not the network.


## How often to rotate

| Job | Rotation | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Logged-in accounts | Never during a session; between sessions at most | An address change mid-session looks like a stolen cookie |
| Scraping mobile-first sites | Per connection on the pool | Spreads requests across many carrier IPs |
| Ad and app verification | Per check | Each check should look like a different user |
| App testing from one region | Per test run | Clean state for every run |
| After a block or CAPTCHA | Immediately, and slow down | The address is fine; the pace was not |


## Rotation is not a disguise

- A new IP with the same cookies, login and browser fingerprint is still the same visitor.
- Rotating faster than real phones do (every few seconds on one account) is itself a signal.
- Carrier pools are regional: many rotations in a row can return addresses from the same small range.


## Rotation at HodlProxy

```bash
# A new UK carrier IP on every connection
curl -x http://USER-cc-gb:PASS@mob.hodlproxy.com:9000 https://api.ipify.org

# The same carrier IP for 20 minutes
curl -x http://USER-cc-gb-sid-acc7-ttl-20m:PASS@mob.hodlproxy.com:9000 https://api.ipify.org
```

Dedicated devices rotate when you open their signed rotation link, call the API, or on a timer of N minutes set in the dashboard. Details in the [mobile documentation](https://hodlproxy.com/docs/mobile).


## Questions

**Does rotating a mobile proxy change the country?**

No. Rotation asks the same carrier for another address in the same network; to change country, choose another device or another country parameter on the pool.

**How long does a rotation take on a dedicated device?**

Usually a few seconds while the modem reconnects. Connections open at that moment are cut and must reconnect.

**Is the new IP always different?**

Almost always. A carrier can occasionally hand back the same address; check the exit and rotate again if needed.

**Do other people use the same mobile IP?**

Yes, by design: through CGNAT, real subscribers share each carrier address. That sharing is what makes mobile IPs hard to block. A dedicated device is still yours alone as a proxy.

Source: https://hodlproxy.com/guides/mobile-proxy-rotation