There is a belief that Apple users sometimes even excessively praise Apple products for their security & online safety. But there isn’t much of a belief that you should use privacy tools on Apple devices. So, welcome to our little lecture, which we like to call “Let’s talk about two popular privacy tools for Apple devices, iCloud Private Relay and a VPN, which you should already know because you’ve read our headline.”
Let’s start with the basics — what is a VPN? A VPN is not us trying to explain it because you already know what it is. But if you really don’t know, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) encrypts your internet traffic and sends it through a secure server, hiding your IP address and keeping your online activities private.
Now, the other half of our lecture — what is iCloud Private Relay? It’s an Apple privacy feature that protects users’ IP addresses and browsing history. It sends internet traffic through two relays: the first, managed by Apple, assigns a temporary IP address without seeing the browsing history; the second, run by a third party, knows the visited websites but not the real IP address.
iCloud Private Relay pros & cons:
Minimal impact on internet speed, BUT usually lacks robust security features;
Seamless integration within the Apple system, BUT requires a paid iCloud+ sub;
Enhanced privacy with dual-hop architecture, BUT only works on Apple devices & is most effective on Safari.
iCloud Private Relay use cases:
Casual browsing: ideal for Safari/iOS users, offers simple privacy;
Avoiding basic tracking: masks IP to avoid trackers;
Enhancing privacy for Apple services: increases privacy on services like Music or iMessages.
But what if you need security on public Wi-Fi? What if you need to safeguard your communications from interceptions or unauthorized access? And what if you want to make it harder for anyone to monitor your online activities? These are just a few additional use cases where iCloud Private Relay would not be enough. What would be enough? A VPN.
Have you tried iCloud Private Relay? If yes, share your experience. If you’re an Apple user but haven’t tried it, let us know why!
