2 tips for protecting your web browsing privacy

Jul 29, 2024

If you have an iCloud subscription, you might be aware of recent challenges regarding Apple’s private relay service. And, you may not know why you’re getting notifications or what they mean.

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What is iCloud Private Relay and why should I consider using it?

iCloud Private Relay is part of an iCloud+ subscription ($.99 to $9.99) and helps protect your privacy when you browse the web in Safari. It’s already built in to your iPhone and iPad — and even your Mac desktop. Please note that it’s not the same as using a VPN, and it only works on the Safari browser.

iCloud Private Relay is designed to protect your privacy by ensuring that when you browse the web in Safari, no single party — not even Apple — can see both who you are and what sites you’re visiting. You can get all the details from Apple by clicking here. Instructions on how to turn it on or off is at the bottom of this post.

TIP #1: If you have an iCloud subscription, turn it on and use Safari to browse the Internet.

While iCloud’s Private Relay service has recently been experiencing down outages, Apple is working to correct the challenge and is typically very stable. Explained in simple terms, the services hides your IP address from websites you visit keeping them from having enough data to profile you. It also helps prevent ad-targeting and phishing attacks.

TIP #2: If you don’t have an Apple subscription and don’t want the expense of a VPN — or if you have a PC or Android phone, consider using Duck Duck Go.

DuckDuckGo offers a browser alternative that’s privacy-focused. It’s an American software company and their browser is free. You can also set DuckDuckGo as your default search engine — ensuring Google isn’t tracking you and compiling data about you. They also offer a PRO version that includes a private VPN and more for right at $100 bucks/year that you can use on all devices (5 at once).

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To turn iCloud Private Relay on or off for a Wi-Fi network on a mac, you can do the following: 

1. Go to the Apple menu 
2. Select System Settings 
3. Click Network in the sidebar 
4. Click Wi-Fi on the right 
5. Click Details next to the network name 
6. Turn Limit IP address tracking on or off 

You can also turn iCloud Private Relay on or off for each device you want to use it on: 

1. Go to Settings 
2. Select [your name] 
3. Select iCloud 
4. Select Private Relay 
5. Tap Private Relay