When Apple announced iCloud+ at WWDC 2021 developer conference, one key feature that caught the attention of a lot of internet users was “iCloud Private Relay”. But what exactly is iCloud Private Relay? Is it Apple’s new way of calling a VPN in iOS 15? That’s what we will be discussing in this article about Apple’s iCloud Private Relay, and learn if it is better than a VPN or not.
What is iCloud Private Relay?
iCloud Private Relay is Apple’s latest privacy-friendly addition to enhance the privacy of users while browsing the web on Safari. It is part of the new iCloud+ subscription that’s available for paid iCloud customers. Behind the scenes, Private Relay uses a dual-hop architecture while you browse the internet. All the web traffic that leaves your device is encrypted and sent through two internet relays.
- What is iCloud Private Relay?
- Apple Private Relay vs VPN
- Is Private Relay Better than Traditional VPN Services?
- How to Enable iCloud Private Relay in iOS 15
- How to Enable iCloud Private Relay in macOS 12
- Alternatives to Apple’s iCloud Private Relay
Think of it as a VPN, but Apple’s implementation of Private Relay isn’t exactly the same as what you would find on a VPN. Check the next section to learn more on how Private Relay differs from a traditional VPN service.
For starters, Private Relay maps users to a different location in their region. This is unlike VPN, where users can choose the destination. To put that in perspective, you may not necessarily be able to access a website that’s banned in your country with Private Relay. That’s clearly not the case with a VPN where you can choose any supported location in the world to access geo-restricted content. So if you were planning to use Private Relay to watch the best Netflix shows that are not available in your country, you are out of luck.
Will Private Relay replace a paid VPN? No, you don’t get the ability to bypass geo-restrictions and browse with your desired location. Is it better than a free VPN in most cases? Yes, if all you want to do is browse the internet without being tracked and you happen to be a paid iCloud user who also uses the Safari browser, you could switch to Private Relay.
How to Enable iCloud Private Relay in iOS 15
Open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap on the Apple ID preview card present at the top, and choose iCloud.
Open System Preferences of your Mac and click on “Apple ID” at the top-right corner.
Note: At this point, I would like to point out that Privacy Relay is enabled by default when you get the iCloud+ subscription. So this process will come in handy if you disabled the feature in the past.
So, that’s pretty much everything you should know before using iCloud Private Relay. As mentioned earlier, iCloud Private Relay is not a VPN killer, and paid VPN services are still superior in terms of features and flexibility. To learn more about other iCloud+ features, check out our in-depth explainer linked here. You can also explore other amazing iOS 15 features, including how to screen share in FaceTime on iOS 15, blur the background in FaceTime video calls, and more.
