The iCloud Private Relay was one of the centerpieces of WWDC 2021. When you upgrade to iOS 15, MacOS Monterey, you’ll see a new feature called Private Relay in the iCloud Settings menu or iCloud Preference Mac. If you have the iCloud+ service and have paid for an iCloud plan, you can simply turn on this switch to activate iCloud Private Relay. When you enable this, all of your Safari browsings will be routed through two internet “hops,” or relays. Because your data is encrypted before being delivered to Apple, your ISP will not be able to view any of your web browsing requests.
While Private Relays and VPNs are similar, but not exact, we must determine whether a VPN and a Private Relay can coexist. If you want to access prohibited content in your country, a VPN is still the best solution. It’s also the only solution that encrypts any data sent from your iPhone or Mac. For the casual user who wants less tracking and more privacy, Private Relay is a fantastic option.
You can use both a VPN and a Private Relay at the same time. This is the case because Private Relay contains filters that allow certain types of traffic to avoid it. In an Apple Developers video, Apple explained Private Relay and indicated the traffic that will be exempt from it. Developers can tweak their apps to take advantage of these exclusions and continue to use a VPN even if Private Relay is enabled.
When an app requests access to a local network, private domains, network extensions, VPNs, or a proxy, Private Relay recognizes this traffic and allows it to flow. In other words, if a VPS is in use, Private Relay will not interfere. Similarly, you can use Private Relay even if your VPN is switched off, or you can opt to disable it.
What will change for you?
If you wish to hide the IP address with a VPN, you can pick between Private Relay and the VPN. Both alternatives will suffice. If you still wish to use the VPN, you can do so and Private Relay will take care of the rest.
Using a VPN and Private Relay together on iOS and macOS adds an extra layer of security. Even if you don’t want to use a VPN, you can still access regional content while maintaining your privacy.
We can Enable/Disable Private Relay on Mac/iPhone, Just like Manage VPN on Mac.
Also Read: Private Relay vs VPN. – Pros & Cons
Does private relay work for apps?
To summarise from above, for apps to work with Private Relay, developers will need to make the necessary changes. If you’re a user, it has no bearing on you. Rather, it gives you the choice of being anonymous. So, yes, it does work for apps.
Does iCloud private relay slow down the internet?
There is a chance of the internet working slow if you use private relay in isolation. But using private relay along with VPN, you will find the internet to work faster.
Access Private Relay Service on Mac or iPhone! Turn on for Safari, @privaterelay.appleid.com Manage.
