Google Says 51% of Users Reach It Over IPv6 as Home Routers Still Default to IPv4
Updated
Updated · Engadget · Oct 25
Google Says 51% of Users Reach It Over IPv6 as Home Routers Still Default to IPv4
3 articles · Updated · Engadget · Oct 25
Summary
Google measured IPv6 usage at just under 51% of its users on Oct. 17, 2026, up from about 33% on the same date in 2020, even though many home routers still have the newer protocol switched off.
IPv4's 4.3 billion addresses were effectively exhausted in 2011, pushing providers toward IPv6 while many networks relied on home NAT and carrier-grade NAT to stretch the older system.
That stopgap usually works for web browsing and streaming, but it can break peer-to-peer gaming and other direct connections because incoming traffic may not reach the right device or customer.
IPv6 gives devices their own public addresses and can ease those issues, but it requires ISP support—about 85% of Comcast and AT&T users have access versus under 25% at Frontier.
Adoption still varies widely worldwide, with France near 87%, the US at 55% and China just above 6%; users who enable IPv6 should keep the router firewall on and watch for VPNs that tunnel only IPv4.