What is iCloud Private Relay?

iCloud Private Relay explained

Apple’s iCloud Private Relay routes your Safari traffic through two separate servers to obscure your IP address and encrypt DNS queries.

1. The first server (Relay 1) is owned by Apple
2. The second (Relay 2) is run by a third party.

The goal is to ensure no single party can see both your IP address and the site you’re visiting.

This two-hop architecture resembles a simplified form of a dVPN, but it’s limited. It only works in one app – Safari – and doesn’t cover traffic from apps or other browsers.

Unlike true VPNs, Private Relay doesn’t let users choose their exit location, doesn't encrypt all internet activity, and doesn’t include advanced privacy tools like split tunneling or kill switches.

How does Private Relay work?

Here's what happens when you use Safari with iCloud Private Relay:

1. Your DNS request from Safari is encrypted on your device.
2. Traffic is sent to Apple’s Relay 1, which replaces your IP address.
3. It’s then forwarded to Relay 2, which sends the request to the final destination.

Note: Relay 1 knows your identity but not your destination. Relay 2 knows the destination but not your identity. This setup is designed to preserve your privacy — but only within Safari. All the other traffic coming to and from your device is unprotected.

How private is Private Relay?

While Apple encrypts DNS requests, it still logs some user metadata on Relay 1 for network operations. This includes your real IP address. Apple is transparent about this, but the logging practices of Relay 2 remain unknown.

With dVPNs like NymVPN, your metadata is never exposed to a single party. Its mixnet architecture uses multiple hops with unlinked nodes, ensuring complete unlinkability between source and destination.

To understand the implications of Apple’s metadata collection, dive deeper in Nym’s guide Can you be tracked while using a VPN?.

These are good first steps for privacy, but for Nym they are not sufficient for users seeking comprehensive privacy protections.

What Private Relay doesn’t do for your privacy

Despite Apple’s efforts, Private Relay has major limitations, especially for users outside of Safari or concerned about true anonymity.

• No system-wide coverage: It only protects traffic in Safari. Everything else — email, apps, downloads — is unprotected.

• No kill switch: If the connection fails, your data could leak without warning, exposing your real IP.

• No multi-platform tunneling: Apps like Signal, Outlook, or BitTorrent don’t benefit from any of Private Relay’s protections.

• No geo-spoofing: Unlike a VPN, you can’t switch server regions (via choosing your exit node) to bypass geographic restrictions or censorship.

For privacy beyond the browser, Private Relay falls way short.

Nym’s verdict: Private Relay is not a VPN replacement

Apple’s Private Relay is a useful step toward mainstream privacy. It raises awareness and offers basic protection for casual Safari users. But for users who care about true anonymity, censorship resistance, and surveillance protection, it doesn’t go far enough.

If you want to prevent metadata leaks, protect all device traffic, and avoid corporate or government interference, a dVPN like NymVPN is a far better choice.

Ready to level up your privacy?

How NymVPN is building a private Internet

Privacy-focused users need more than browser-only protection. Decentralized VPNs like NymVPN provide end-to-end anonymity, even under surveillance-heavy conditions.

For real privacy, try NymVPN

NymVPN’s decentralized infrastructure isn’t just a feature: it’s both a philosophy and network design. Unlike Apple’s centrally operated relays, Nym’s servers are run independently, which makes surveillance and censorship nearly impossible. It’s privacy that scales.

If you’re serious about digital freedom, NymVPN offers what Apple’s relay doesn’t: end-to-end anonymity, system-wide protection, and flexible routing.