ntroduced a few years ago with iOS 15, Apple’s iCloud+ service with iCloud Private Relay has gained popularity since the beginning of the new year as a way to bypass new internet content restrictions. But it’s useful for more than getting around content blockers.
Here’s how to use it and how it can be useful for you.
What Is It?
iCloud+ is a subscription that provides additional iCloud storage, along with a handful of security enhancements: Hide My Email (which I found particularly useful for avoiding spam when signing up for holiday discounts at retailers), Custom Email Domain, HomeKit Secure Video support, and iCloud Private Relay.
iCloud Private Relay protects your privacy while browsing the internet. It acts as sort of a “hands-free” VPN, masking your IP address so that you can’t be tracked while accessing the internet via Safari, only providing a general geographic location. You can make it even more secure by providing only your country and time zone while browsing.
This may not be enough for those who want to access content that isn’t available in their current country. Only a VPN service can let you change your browsing country. But for those that don’t want to fine-tune a VPN and just want to browse the net without being tracked, it’s a great solution.
Will This Allow Me To Access Blocked Internet Content?
Recent legislation that went into effect at the beginning of the year requires age verification via ID before accessing adult sites in places like Florida. Popular adult content providers, such as PornHub and their network of sites, have responded by blocking access to their sites from these locations completely, arguing that the lack of privacy and inconsistent enforcement results in less internet safety, not more.
The end result is that, if you live in a state where the ban is in place, even if you visit a restricted site using iCloud Private Relay over WiFi, you’ll still see the blocked version of the site. This is one thing that services like NordVPN can help you bypass completely since you have precise control of your virtual location as well as your IP address.
However, browsing over cellular is a different story. With iCloud Private Relay enabled, you can access any website that you’d be able to in your current country, even if you’re physically in a restricted location. Of course, this still won’t give you access to those sites that have changed their access policies entirely and no longer allow anonymous browsing.
If you’re thinking that this means age verification legislation is easily bypassed and that careful parenting is still the solution for ensuring minors in your care don’t access content they shouldn’t, you’d be right.
So Is iCloud Private Relay Better than VPN?
It depends. If you require access to sites that aren’t normally available in your country, then iCloud Private Relay won’t solve the issue. Only a VPN provides a comprehensive solution for precise location browsing.
It’s also only available on Safari. So if you use a different browser to access the internet, iCloud Private Relay won’t help you.
However, iCloud+ provides other benefits than just IP and location masking through iCloud Private Relay. Especially if you need more iCloud storage, the per-month charge is quite reasonable.
It’s also extremely cheap to try out. For less than a dollar, you can enable iCloud+ for a month and see if iCloud Private Relay meets your needs. Just open then Settings app on your preferred Apple device to get started.