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Apple Account and iCloud

iCloud Private Relay

Most people call this hiding your browsing from your network and from websites.

Safari browsing is sent through two separate relays so no single party, including Apple, can see both who you are and which site you are visiting.

Region dependent

Whether you see this depends on your country and carrier.

  • Not available in every country
  • We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.

Where to find it - iOS 16 and later

  1. Settings
  2. Apple Account
  3. iCloud
  4. Private Relay

What it does

It requires an iCloud+ subscription. It covers Safari browsing, DNS lookups and some unencrypted app traffic. It is not a VPN and does not let you choose a country.

What changes

When it is on

Safari traffic is relayed and your IP address is hidden from sites.

When it is off

Your network and the sites you visit see your real address.

Should you turn it on?

Good reasons to turn it on

  • Your network operator cannot build a browsing profile.
  • No single party sees both your identity and your destination.
  • Included with iCloud+ at no extra cost.

Good reasons to turn it off

  • Some corporate and school networks block it.
  • Region specific services can misread your apparent location.
  • It only covers Safari, not every app.

Battery

No real change

Privacy

Helps

Performance

Depends how you use it

Cellular data

No real change

Storage

No real change

Out of the box: Off until enabled, and it requires an iCloud+ plan.

What your iPhone needs

  • Needs iOS 15 or later
  • Not available in every country

Where this setting used to live

Apple moves settings between releases. This is every location we have on file.

  1. iOS 16 and later

    Settings > Apple Account > iCloud > Private Relay

  2. iOS 15

    Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Private Relay

Questions people actually ask

Is iCloud Private Relay a VPN?
No. It covers Safari and some system traffic, and it does not let you choose which country you appear to be in.

If it is not working

  • If a network blocks it, iOS offers to turn it off for that network only.
  • Choosing Maintain General Location keeps local results working correctly.
  • Availability varies by country.

Related settings