Your iPhone has free built-in tools that can help you hide your IP address on the web. This is a privacy-focused feature introduced by Apple in 2017 that protects you from trackers and sites creating a history of your browsing patterns.
Hiding your IP address also prevents tracking of your personal information and can keep ad trackers at bay. Here are several ways you can do so.
iCloud Private Relay
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay feature enables users to hide their IP address when using Safari, which can make it harder for trackers to collect data on browsing activity. The feature, which is available as a beta version in iOS 15 and macOS Monterey, works by sending requests through two separate internet relays to mask user information.
This makes it impossible for websites or advertising trackers to build a profile on a specific person’s internet activity, and can help users avoid tracking by third parties.
Currently, this feature is only available to iCloud+ subscribers as a “beta” feature, but Apple has reportedly plans to include it as a part of iOS 16 this year.
To enable this feature, go to Settings -> Apple ID -> iCloud -> Private Relay and turn it on. It’s free to use, and you can also subscribe to iCloud+ for a monthly fee to get access to all the features.
Mail Privacy Protection
One of the most privacy-conscious changes that came with iOS 15 and Apple’s popular Mail app was Mail Privacy Protection. This feature blocks advertisers from tracking your IP address and whether you opened an email.
These trackers are a common way to collect information from users that can be sold to advertisers and third parties. They can include your IP address, device type, screen resolution, and other information.
When an Apple Mail user opens an email, the images are downloaded from the sender’s web host and the email content is cached by the Mail app. This data is then stored on Apple’s Privacy Cache.
The data is then sent to the Apple servers, which use a proxy server to route the traffic and create a generated IP address that corresponds with your geographic area. This is a huge change that can affect any email marketing program, so it’s important to understand how this will impact your strategy.
Safari’s Hide IP Address Option
Safari is Apple’s default web browser, so it comes with a few different settings for keeping your browsing private. These include options for AutoFill preferences, frequently visited sites, pop-up blockers, content blockers, tracking, cookies, and more.
Your IP address is a unique number that connects your device to the internet. It can be used to track your location, target advertisements, and trade data between other parties.
Thankfully, Apple’s iOS 15 update has a handy feature that can help you hide your IP address on iPhone and iPad devices. It lets you toggle a “Hide IP Address” option on select websites temporarily, and is useful when you need to access work or government websites but don’t want your online activity tracked by third parties.
To use this feature, open Safari and select a website where you want to disable the ‘Hide IP Address’ option. After that, simply tap the accessibility icon in the URL bar to turn it off.
Third-Party Apps
Your public IP address is the identifier used by websites and apps to identify you on the Internet. It’s also often used by advertisers to track your online activity and deliver personalized ads based on where you live or what you’re looking for.
However, your public IP address can be used by hackers and cybercriminals to reveal your approximate location or even your physical address. This can be a dangerous thing, and is why many people want to hide their IP addresses.
The most common way to hide your IP address is by using a virtual private network (VPN) server. A VPN is a software application that masks your IP address and reroutes your entire internet traffic through a server in another location, thereby giving you a new IP address for every website or service you access.
