iCloud Private Relay Down for Some Users

[MacRumors]

Apple's iCloud Private Relay option is not working for some users, according to Apple's System Status page. The feature is experiencing an outage and is unavailable at the current time.

According to Apple, the outage started at 11:40 a.m. Pacific Time and it is ongoing. Those who are having iCloud Private Relay issues may have received a notification letting them know that the feature is currently down, but will be re-enabled when it's back up and working.

On Apple devices, going to the iCloud Private Relay setting shows that it is temporarily unavailable due to a technical problem.

iCloud Private Relay is an Apple service that ensures Safari traffic leaving an iPhone, iPad, or Mac is encrypted. It uses two separate internet relays to ensure that companies cannot access personal information like IP address, location, and browsing information to create a detailed profile about you.

iCloud Private Relay is accessible to anyone with a paid iCloud account, priced starting at $0.99 per month.

Article Link: iCloud Private Relay Down for Some Users

 

[Techwatcher]

So that's what happened on my phone earlier.

 

[211]

I hate getting the notifications for this. Is there a way to switch them off?

 

[MeasterHD]

Can confirm not workimg on my M1 MacBook and iPhone but seems working on iPad

 

[doboy]

Sometimes it's private, sometimes it's public No wonder I got the message.

 

[MeasterHD]

I hate getting the notifications for this. Is there a way to switch them off?

Nope unless you’ll turn private relay off.

 

[lysingur]

It's already back in operation.

 

[zorinlynx]

This is one of those features that I'm glad is available in case I have to use a dodgy untrusted network, but would never leave on all the time. It just makes routing less efficient and adds latency to everything.

Many large services on the Internet have servers distributed around the world so that you're talking to a system close to you network-wise. The Google servers you're using might be in the downtown of the city you're in, for example. iCloud Private Relay ruins this efficiency because now your traffic might be relayed through god-knows-where before it goes to the service you're using.

 

[jonnyv34]

Turning it off and back on again solved the problem.

 

[Unsupported]

This is one of those features that I'm glad is available in case I have to use a dodgy untrusted network, but would never leave on all the time. It just makes routing less efficient and adds latency to everything.

I've not noticed any problems.

I have it enabled and can't see any difference in speed between Safari using iCloud Private Relay, and Firefox which isn't, when I check with speedtest.net and compare results.

 

[Unsupported]

It's already back in operation.

Not for me here.

 

[AeroEngineer]

So I got this notification as well. Turned it off (had a message at the button saying it's unavailable) and turned it on again. No notification that it's unavailable now, so who knows..

 

[Unsupported]

No notification that it's unavailable now, so who knows..

Apple - Support - System Status

Status for all planned and unplanned events for Apple Services.

www.apple.com

See if you're using it here, using Safari of course:

https://whatismyipaddress.com/

 

[chriscl]

Still broken for me (Germany) on both iPad and iPhone.

 

[rezwits]

it's in beta, just sayin'

 

[msackey]

I hate getting the notifications for this. Is there a way to switch them off?

Oh, on the contrary, I like getting notifications for this. I don’t have the notification anymore since I swiped it away, but if you swipe it partly, are there no options to turn off notification?

 

[msackey]

I've not noticed any problems.

I have it enabled and can't see any difference in speed between Safari using iCloud Private Relay, and Firefox which isn't, when I check with speedtest.net and compare results.

I’m not aware that Firefox uses it. I know Safari does and it’s the only app that mostly would, no?

 

[MrGimper]

Turned it off day one, massively kills my bandwidth.

 

[Unsupported]

I’m not aware that Firefox uses it. I know Safari does and it’s the only app that mostly would, no?

Firefox doesn't, I said so:

"... Safari using iCloud Private Relay, and Firefox which isn't..."

Only two Apple apps use it, Safari and Mail, AFAIK.

 

[lysingur]

Turned it off day one, massively kills my bandwidth.

Do you mind doing a speed test?

I read a lot of people saying it slows down their internet speed but I hardly feel it at all. The only thing that slows it is the hundreds of tabs that I have open.

Could it be the user's location? If Privacy Relay is similar to VPN, then that makes sense. The speed of VPN servers varies depending on your proximity to them.

 

[Unsupported]

Oh, on the contrary, I like getting notifications for this. I don’t have the notification anymore since I swiped it away, but if you swipe it partly, are there no options to turn off notification?

I wonder if we'll see a Notification when it's back up ?

 

[chriscl]

And…it’s back. I got a notification that it was back and my traffic was being protected, and an IP check shows an IP address for „icloud private relay“ again.

 

[Unsupported]

Do you mind doing a speed test?

Yes please.

Maybe if you're outside of North America, the slowdown is more palpable.

I'm in Spain, and as I said I really can't see much, if any difference in speed...

 

[MrGimper]

Do you mind doing a speed test?

I read a lot of people saying it slows down their internet speed but I hardly feel it at all. The only thing that slows it is the hundreds of tabs that I have open.

Could it be the user's location? If Privacy Relay is similar to VPN, then that makes sense. The speed of VPN servers varies depending on your proximity to them.

I’m in the UK and I’ve had it kill my speed from 380mbit down to 80-100mbit regularly.

 

[jmgregory1]

This afternoon all my emails from mailing lists I’ve been getting for ever, stopped loading images and included a note that my network settings were not allowing them to be loaded. I assume this outage is what caused the problem…