How to use iCloud Private Relay following iOS 15 update

Find out how to use iCloud Private Relay following the latest iOS 15 update which enables you to hide your IP address in Safari and more.

In this article, we unpick Apple’s latest feature which makes browsing secure and is currently launched as a public beta.

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What is iCloud Private Relay?

Apple recently released iOS 15, the latest mobile software which contains major features such as iCloud+.

iCloud+ is Apple’s premium cloud subscription service and offers various additional services including iCloud Private Relay.

This new feature has officially launched as a “public beta”, meaning a pre-release of the software has been given out to a large group of users to try under real conditions.

Private relay is an internet privacy service that hides your IP address in Safari and protects your unencrypted traffic.

When enabled, you can browse the web in a more secure and private way.

Macworld concludes that this setting informs Apple of your IP address but not the name of the sites you’re visiting, while the ‘trusted partner’ with the decryption key knows the site you’re visiting but not your IP address, and therefore not who you are.

Without this feature, the website you’re visiting typically receives your exact IP address and DNS request, meaning it can easily build a profile of who you are, your location, and your online presence.

iCloud Private Relay makes your visited websites completely ignorant of this information, preventing it from building profiles surrounding your activity.

Since this setting is currently a Beta, some websites may have issues such as content displayed for the wrong regions.

How to use the iOS 15 updated feature

First of all, ensure you have updated your device to iOS 15.

Struggling to install the latest version? Support surrounding how to do this can be found over on the Apple Support Twitter and YouTube account.

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You will also need to have access to iCloud+, which previous iCloud storage subscribers will now be automatically upgraded to at no additional cost.

However, customers who have not previously upgraded their standard iCloud package are able to purchase the plus feature using varying subscription services.

To enable iCloud Private Relay, simply head over to ‘Settings’, select ‘Apple ID’ at the top of the screen, then make your way to ‘iCloud’ and eventually click ‘Private Relay’ whereby you can turn the setting on by flipping the toggle to green.

You can also choose between two IP address locations, including ‘General’ which enables websites to provide local content in Safari or broader country and time zone for more anonymity.

Some users have expressed that they use the feature in a similar way to a VPN; in order to gain access to social media platforms in other locations aside from their own.

How is this setting different from a VPN?

While iCloud Private Relay may sound similar to a VPN as your web-browsing traffic is encrypted and sent through a relay to hide your exact location, IP, or the contents of your browsing traffic.

However, it differs due to the many shortcomings compared to a real VPN, including it only being able to works with Safari.

The Private Relay is also easily identifiable as a “proxy server,”, according to Macworld, which many large networks like those at schools or businesses will not work with.

Finally, the feature cannot hide the region your device is connecting from, instead only your specific IP location, meaning you are unable access content locked out of your region or experience websites as if you’re connecting from another country.

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