What does iCloud Private Relay do, and is it a VPN?
iCloud Private Relay hides your IP address and the sites you visit in Safari by sending your browsing through two separate relays. It's designed so that no single company, Apple included, sees both who you are and which sites you visit. It isn't a full VPN, and it needs a paid iCloud+ plan.
The first relay is run by Apple. It sees your IP address but not the site you want, because the site name is encrypted. The second relay is run by a separate partner company. It decrypts the site name and connects you using a temporary IP address that still matches your general region, and it never sees your real IP address.
Apple says Private Relay covers Safari browsing, DNS lookups and unencrypted http traffic from apps. Encrypted traffic from other apps and other browsers goes out normally with your usual IP address, which makes it much narrower than a VPN. It needs iOS 15 or later, isn't available in every country or region, and some websites may ask for extra sign-in steps.
- Go to Settings, tap your name, tap iCloud, then tap Private Relay and turn it on
- Tap IP Address Location to choose how specific your temporary location is
- If a school or work network blocks it, your iPhone may ask you to turn it off for that network
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iCloud Private Relay
From the Network Privacy course. See how Private Relay splits your browsing across two companies, and where it stops.
Try it on the simulated phone Read the full lesson
The reading is free. The hands-on lab is part of Pro.