Protecting Your Privacy from Trackers
Whenever you browse the web, your computer broadcasts its IP address to every website you visit. Your IP address is a unique numerical identifier that functions much like a digital return address. While it is necessary for data to be sent back to your computer, it can also be used by advertising networks, data brokers, and internet service providers to track your activity across the web and determine your approximate physical location.
If you pay for an iCloud+ subscription (even the cheapest 99-cent tier), Apple includes a powerful, built-in privacy feature called iCloud Private Relay. When enabled, this feature works similarly to a VPN, masking your IP address specifically when you are using the Safari browser on your Mac.
How iCloud Private Relay Works
Unlike a traditional VPN that funnels all your computer’s traffic through a single server, iCloud Private Relay uses a dual-server architecture to prevent anyone—even Apple—from knowing both who you are and what websites you are visiting.
- When you type a URL into Safari, your request is sent to an Apple server. Apple can see your IP address, but they cannot see the website you are trying to visit (it is encrypted).
- Apple then forwards the request to a second server run by a third-party partner (like Cloudflare or Fastly). This second server can see the website you want to visit, but it cannot see your original IP address. It only sees a temporary, anonymised IP address provided by Apple.
The result is that the website you visit only sees the temporary IP address, successfully hiding your true location and identity.
How to Enable Private Relay to Hide Your IP Address
If you have an active iCloud+ subscription, turning on this feature only takes a few clicks.
- Click the Apple Logo in the top-left corner of your Mac’s screen.
- Select System Settings from the dropdown menu (or System Preferences on older macOS versions).
- Click on your Apple ID name at the very top of the left-hand sidebar.
- In the main window, click on iCloud.
- Under the "iCloud+" section, look for Private Relay and click on it.
- Click the toggle switch to turn Private Relay On.
Once enabled, the protection applies automatically to all browsing activity within Safari. Note that this feature only protects Safari; if you use Google Chrome or Firefox, your IP address will still be visible in those browsers.
How to Configure Your IP Address Location Settings
By default, Private Relay assigns you a temporary IP address that is in your general regional area. This ensures that local search results (like searching for "coffee shops near me") still work correctly while keeping your exact location hidden. However, you can change this setting if you prefer a broader level of anonymity.
- In the System Settings > iCloud > Private Relay menu, look for the IP Address Location option.
- You have two choices:
- Maintain general location: (Default) Keeps your temporary IP address in your current city or region so local content functions normally.
- Use country and time zone: Assigns you an IP address that only matches your country and time zone, providing a wider area of anonymity but potentially breaking local search results or regional sports streaming restrictions.
What to Do if a Website Breaks
Because Private Relay masks your IP address, some websites—particularly those with strict security protocols like banks or government portals—might block your access, assuming you are using a VPN to bypass geographical restrictions.
If a website fails to load properly in Safari, you do not need to turn off Private Relay entirely. You can temporarily reveal your IP address just for that specific website.
- While on the broken website in Safari, click the View option in the top menu bar.
- Select Reload and Show IP Address from the dropdown menu.
- A prompt will appear confirming that you want to reveal your IP address to this specific site. Click Continue.
The page will reload normally, and Safari will automatically hide your IP address again as soon as you navigate to a different website or close the tab.
