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Looking to protect your online data? Apple’s iCloud Private Relay is a handy way to protect your data, boosting your privacy and security while connected to the internet.
What Is iCloud Private Relay?
Apple touts iCloud Private Relay as a vital security tool with similar functionality to a virtual private network (VPN), encrypting your internet traffic and obscuring your internet activities. However, despite iCloud Private Relay sounding like a VPN from the outside, on closer inspection, it has some key differences from a VPN, which means you won’t be ditching your traditional VPN any time soon.
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay was designed to help encrypt more of your online information and was first launched in 2021.
you’re able to use iCloud Private Relay if you’ve got an iCloud+ subscription, which starts at $0.99 per month. Furthermore, your device must run at least:
If your device meets the minimum requirements, iCloud Private Relay is available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. If you want to set up the feature, you may refer to our guide onhow to use Private Relay in Safari.
How Does iCloud Private Relay Work?
Private Relay sends your internet data through two relays. The first relay hides the websites you visit, while the second creates an IP address separate from yours.Apple Support says ithandles the first relay and that a “third-party content provider” deals with the other half.
When you use Safari on your Apple device, iCloud Private Relay takes your internet request and encrypts it. This means that the data you send and receive becomes scrambled in a way that’s unreadable to anyone who might intercept it. This encryption process is crucial for protecting sensitive information like passwords and personal messages.
After encryption, your request is sent to two separate internet relays run by different entities. The first relay assigns you an anonymous IP address linked to your region but not your actual location. This ensures that websites can provide relevant content without knowing exactly where you are. The second relay, which is unaware of your IP address, decrypts the web address you want to visit and sends your request there.
In addition to your network provider being unable to see your browsing history, Apple states in the above link that it also has no access to your web information when using Private Relay. So, from a privacy standpoint, iCloud Private Relay is safe.
It’s worth noting that iCloud Private Relay does not work across all browsers on your device. For example, your web browsing history will still be visible if you use Google Chrome with Private Relay enabled on your device.
Is iCloud Private Relay the Same as a VPN?
iCloud Private Relay isn’t entirely the same as a VPN, but it performs similar functions.
Below, you’ll discover some of the main similarities that iCloud Private Relay has with a VPN provider.
Does iCloud Private Relay Hide Your IP Address?
Many people buy VPNs to hide their IP addresses from third parties, and Private Relay lets you do the same. Once you’ve activated the feature, others will have difficulty verifying who you are and what your online behavioral patterns are.
For this reason, iCloud Private Relay is a helpful tool if you want to perform basic privacy-related functions—such as hiding your data from advertisers.
In addition to Private Relay, you might want to add extra layers of online protection by learning otherways to stop advertisers from tracking you. For example, you’re able to regularly clear your cookies and use a cookie-blocking browser.
iCloud Private Relay Doesn’t Encrypt All of Your Device Data
Following on from the above, most folks use a VPN to protect their online data—all of their online data coming from the device. A VPN protects all the data sent to and from your device, creating a secure tunnel to the VPN server that encrypts all of your traffic.
Unfortunately, that’s not the case with iCloud Private Relay, which only protects your Safari browser data. It’s still useful but doesn’t protect all of your traffic in the same way as a VPN.
Does iCloud Private Relay Let You Change Your Location?
iCloud Private Relay lets you make some adjustments to your location, but only in limited capacities. You can choose from two options:Maintain general locationandUse country and time zone.
Maintaining a general location will not reveal where exactly you are, but you’ll still be able to access local content such as news sites. Meanwhile, the country and time zone option will give you an IP address from the broader region you’re currently based in.
To choose your preferred location option:
How Does Private Relay Make It Harder for Others to Access My Information?
In addition to hiding your IP address, Private Relay protects your information via a handful of other methods. The largest of these is encrypting your Safari web traffic; in this essence, it works similarly to a VPN for your browser.
Which Web Browsers Does Private Relay Work With?
As of December 2023, you can only use iCloud Private Relay with Safari. Even if you’ve activated the feature on your Apple device, you aren’t protected on Chrome, Firefox, or any other browser.
If you don’t like using Safari (or rarely use it), you’re probably better off looking for an alternative. Should you prefer not to pay, you’re able to use one of the manyfree VPN services to protect your privacy.
3 Advanced VPN Features iCloud Private Relay Doesn’t Have
iCloud Private Relay misses many of the more advanced features that complete VPN services have, and it’s these that might sway you towards using a regular VPN.
1. Server Location Options
One clear feature iCloud Private Relay doesn’t feature is options for switching locations. With most VPNs, you can change the country your VPN server is based in, making your traffic appear as if it were coming from that location.
When you change your location with a VPN, you can connect to multiple servers worldwide. Many users do this so that they canwatch geo-restricted movies and TV shows, but you also have the benefit of third parties not being able to even guess where you actually are.
2. Logging Policy
Another key difference between iCloud Private Relay and VPNs relates to the logging policy. AsApple [PDF]mentions on page 9 of its Private Relay Overview:
“Private Relay’s design, combined with a minimal logging policy, ensures that proxy logs do not contain enough information to connect a user’s IP address or account information with their browsing activity.”
The above is a stark contrast from many VPNs, which have a no-log policy instead. No-log means that none of your information is collected when using the service.
3. Kill Switch
Another VPN feature that isn’t available with Private Relay is aVPN kill switch, which stops you from using the internet when your VPN connection drops. Basically, if the VPN software detects an issue with its connection, it kills your regular internet connection to stop any traffic from reaching your regular ISP, protecting your privacy. Once you’re connected again, you’re able to use everything as normal.
iCloud Private Relay: Useful, but Not a VPN
So, is iCloud Private Relay a VPN? In short, No.
On the face of it, you can get a solid base level of protection. Considering that you only need to pay for iCloud+ to get Private Relay, the tool is useful if you regularly use Safari and only want basic protection features.
