Apple has made giving users access to privacy controls a higher priority than other corporations, and they’ve continued that legacy by introducing the iCloud Private Relay. How does their new service help users and what are the limitations? We break down all of the pros and cons of Apple’s new privacy service. 

Using iCloud private relay on your phone only protects you on safari

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What Is iCloud Private Relay?

Apple recently introduced a new privacy service for their customers. If you have an iCloud+ account, you have access to the new iCloud Private Relay Service. With it, you will be protected when using the Safari browser on any Apple device that you have activated the service on. Your internet page views will be encrypted and sent through two relays or “hops.” As a result, neither Apple, your ISP, nor the website you are visiting will be able to know both who you are and that you tried to visit any specific site. 

What Are the Limitations of iCloud Private Relay?

Unfortunately, the iCloud Private Relay service only covers user actions on the Safari app. If you use another browser on your phone such as Chrome or Firefox, your activity will not be encrypted. Even if you have another iPhone, it must be logged into your account before it is protected.

While this new Apple service is very similar to a VPN, don’t call it that. For one thing, the only IP customization option you can select is between allowing a site to know your general location or not. You cannot pick specific regions or countries, so you cannot use this service in order to stream geo-blocked video content.

Is iCloud Relay Up To Snuff?

Secondly, Apple’s iCloud Relay works as a proxy server, rather than a VPN. A proxy server does not necessarily encrypt your data before you send it to them, so it could be intercepted and read by your ISP or attackers before it reached the proxy. This could also lead to issues as some sites don’t play well with traffic that it knows is going through a proxy. 

Finally, you are trusting your data to Apple, one of the largest companies in the world. While Apple seems more pro-user privacy compared to other “Big Tech” corporations, that may change at any point. 

How Can I Protect All of My Internet Activity?

Thankfully, there’s an easy way to protect all of your devices at once! With a FlashRouter, you’ll be able to create a VPN-enabled Wi-Fi network that will extend coverage of your VPN provider to any device that connects to your network! Whether you want to encrypt all of the network traffic on your computers and keep hidden from your ISP or you’re interested in streaming Netflix libraries from abroad on your smart TV, a FlashRouter can get you covered today!

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How Does a VPN Protect Me Better Than iCloud Private Relay?

Using a real VPN provider instead of iCloud Private Relay will allow you to choose a server in any number of countries. This can help you be more anonymous on the internet as well as stream geo-blocked content. Instead of being forced to use whatever server Apple wants, you can choose your own destiny!

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