diff --git a/components/esp_netif/esp_netif_handlers.c b/components/esp_netif/esp_netif_handlers.c
index 19c83afc47..c2d437e54b 100644
--- a/components/esp_netif/esp_netif_handlers.c
+++ b/components/esp_netif/esp_netif_handlers.c
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ void esp_netif_action_add_ip6_address(void *esp_netif, esp_event_base_t base, in
 {
     ESP_LOGD(TAG, "esp_netif action add_ip6_address with netif%p from event_id=%" PRId32, esp_netif, event_id);
     const ip_event_add_ip6_t *addr = (const ip_event_add_ip6_t *)data;
-    esp_netif_add_ip6_address_priv(esp_netif, addr);
+    esp_netif_add_ip6_address(esp_netif, addr->addr, addr->preferred);
 }
 
 void esp_netif_action_remove_ip6_address(void *esp_netif, esp_event_base_t base, int32_t event_id, void *data)
diff --git a/components/esp_netif/include/esp_netif.h b/components/esp_netif/include/esp_netif.h
index 08dd63c9d5..6dd6601509 100644
--- a/components/esp_netif/include/esp_netif.h
+++ b/components/esp_netif/include/esp_netif.h
@@ -827,6 +827,7 @@ int esp_netif_get_all_ip6(esp_netif_t *esp_netif, esp_ip6_addr_t if_ip6[]);
  *
  * @param[in]  esp_netif Handle to esp-netif instance
  * @param[in]  addr      The address to be added
+ * @param[in]  preferred The preferred status of the address
  *
  * @return
  *         - ESP_OK
@@ -834,7 +835,7 @@ int esp_netif_get_all_ip6(esp_netif_t *esp_netif, esp_ip6_addr_t if_ip6[]);
  *         - ESP_ERR_ESP_NETIF_IP6_ADDR_FAILED
  *         - ESP_ERR_NO_MEM
  */
-esp_err_t esp_netif_add_ip6_address(esp_netif_t *esp_netif, const esp_ip6_addr_t addr);
+esp_err_t esp_netif_add_ip6_address(esp_netif_t *esp_netif, const esp_ip6_addr_t addr, bool preferred);
 
 /**
  * @brief  Cause the TCP/IP stack to remove an IPv6 address from the interface
diff --git a/components/esp_netif/loopback/esp_netif_loopback.c b/components/esp_netif/loopback/esp_netif_loopback.c
index 5f5743eb82..e3687f6195 100644
--- a/components/esp_netif/loopback/esp_netif_loopback.c
+++ b/components/esp_netif/loopback/esp_netif_loopback.c
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ esp_err_t esp_netif_leave_ip6_multicast_group(esp_netif_t *esp_netif, const esp_
     return ESP_ERR_NOT_SUPPORTED;
 }
 
-esp_err_t esp_netif_add_ip6_address_priv(esp_netif_t *esp_netif, const ip_event_add_ip6_t *addr)
+esp_err_t esp_netif_add_ip6_address(esp_netif_t *esp_netif, const esp_ip6_addr_t addr, bool preferred)
 {
     return ESP_ERR_NOT_SUPPORTED;
 }
diff --git a/components/esp_netif/lwip/esp_netif_lwip.c b/components/esp_netif/lwip/esp_netif_lwip.c
index d2be37ea69..b361289fab 100644
--- a/components/esp_netif/lwip/esp_netif_lwip.c
+++ b/components/esp_netif/lwip/esp_netif_lwip.c
@@ -2623,12 +2623,12 @@ static esp_err_t esp_netif_add_ip6_address_api(esp_netif_api_msg_t *msg)
     return error;
 }
 
-esp_err_t esp_netif_add_ip6_address_priv(esp_netif_t *esp_netif, const ip_event_add_ip6_t *addr)
+static esp_err_t esp_netif_add_ip6_address_priv(esp_netif_t *esp_netif, const ip_event_add_ip6_t *addr)
     _RUN_IN_LWIP_TASK(esp_netif_add_ip6_address_api, esp_netif, addr)
 
-esp_err_t esp_netif_add_ip6_address(esp_netif_t *esp_netif, const esp_ip6_addr_t addr)
+esp_err_t esp_netif_add_ip6_address(esp_netif_t *esp_netif, const esp_ip6_addr_t addr, bool preferred)
 {
-    const ip_event_add_ip6_t addr_evt = {.addr = addr, .preferred = true};
+    const ip_event_add_ip6_t addr_evt = {.addr = addr, .preferred = preferred};
 
     return esp_netif_add_ip6_address_priv(esp_netif, &addr_evt);
 }
diff --git a/components/esp_netif/private_include/esp_netif_private.h b/components/esp_netif/private_include/esp_netif_private.h
index 085c1548a3..02426b63b2 100644
--- a/components/esp_netif/private_include/esp_netif_private.h
+++ b/components/esp_netif/private_include/esp_netif_private.h
@@ -116,20 +116,6 @@ esp_err_t esp_netif_remove_from_list_unsafe(esp_netif_t* netif);
  */
 bool esp_netif_is_netif_listed(esp_netif_t *esp_netif);
 
-/**
- * @brief  Cause the TCP/IP stack to add an IPv6 address to the interface
- *
- * @param[in]  esp_netif Handle to esp-netif instance
- * @param[in]  addr      The address to be added
- *
- * @return
- *         - ESP_OK
- *         - ESP_ERR_ESP_NETIF_INVALID_PARAMS
- *         - ESP_ERR_ESP_NETIF_IP6_ADDR_FAILED
- *         - ESP_ERR_NO_MEM
- */
-esp_err_t esp_netif_add_ip6_address_priv(esp_netif_t *esp_netif, const ip_event_add_ip6_t *addr);
-
 /**
  * @brief Get esp_netif handle based on the if_key
  * This doesn't lock the list nor TCPIP context