Private Relay doesn't work on Monterey Mac

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Level 2

183 points

Private Relay doesn't work on Monterey Mac

I just upgraded to Monterey on a 2018 Mac mini, and I can't get Private Relay to work. That is, I turned it on and browsed to a "What's my IP" site. My real IP was displayed.

Things I have tried:

Quick Safari. Turn PR off and on.
Turn off all Safari extensions. Quit Safari.
Quick Safari. Turn PR off and on. Reboot.

After the last item above, PR started working (my IP was obscured), but when I checked again 15 minutes later it wasn't.

A couple other items:

When PR was working briefly, I tested it with a Safari Private Window. Didn't work.
PR works flawlessly on my iPhone when using the same network and router.

Posted on Dec 30, 2021 11:35 PM

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Answer 1

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Joe Sixpack Author

Level 2

183 points

Dec 31, 2021 6:00 PM in response to hcsitas

Avast Security was the problem. Avast adds a VPN to the Network System Prefs which it uses for its Web Shield and Email Shield. This take precedence over Private Relay. If I turn off Web Shield, then Private Relay will work, but I would be sacrificing security for privacy. Hmm. I was using Avast in part because with my ISP, Wave G, I no longer have a router firewall and I have no idea what Wave G is doing before their wire gets to me.

From the doc provided by woodmeister50:

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Answer 2

Dec 31, 2021 5:00 AM in response to Joe Sixpack

Note that Private Relay is still Beta (explicitly shows in the iCloud list). There can be some issue unique to your computer, location, ISP, etc. that may be uncovering a bug.

You should contact Apple Support directly so you can file such a bug.

You can do that by this:

https://www.apple.com/feedback/

or

Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support

Be sure to be precise and provide as much detail as possible.

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Answer 3

Dec 31, 2021 12:16 PM in response to Joe Sixpack

Joe Sixpack wrote:

..... I have Wave G service--just plug the router into an ethernet port in the wall. Maybe that is causing issues.

....

That could very well be the issue. In the Apple docs for PR, that some networks could have some issues.

I would still report your findings since Apple engineers don't spend time on this forum and get their info from the feedback page or bug reports filed with support. The engineers can't fix something if they don't know about it.

If interested, here is a doc for Private Relay and at the end there is info on some limitations:

https://www.apple.com/privacy/docs/iCloud_Private_Relay_Overview_Dec2021.PDF

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Answer 4

Joe Sixpack Author

Level 2

183 points

Dec 31, 2021 11:49 AM in response to hcsitas

Okay, I turned PR off and on in Sytem Preferences, turned Hide My IP address off and on in Safari (the prefs interact with other BTW), cleared Safari history, and rebooted the router and the computer. There is no modem. I have Wave G service--just plug the router into an ethernet port in the wall. Maybe that is causing issues.

Then I googled: what is my ip address. Google returned my actual IP, but https://whatismyipaddress.com returned a different address (so PR was working on that site). Five minutes later, however, https://whatismyipaddress.com also returned my actual IP.

-----------------

System prefs:

Safari prefs:

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Answer 5

hcsitas

Level 6

11,882 points

Dec 31, 2021 2:18 AM in response to Joe Sixpack

C’mon now, read my answer! You turned it off and on from Safari. Do it from System Preferences. And then give the Mac, router and everything in between a reboot. If that doesn’t work, try logging out of iCloud and re-logging in.

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Answer 6

Joe Sixpack Author

Level 2

183 points

Dec 31, 2021 3:57 AM in response to hcsitas

Even with the typos in my question, I think it’s clear that I didn’t turn PR on within Safari (I don’t think that’s even possible). That said, thank you for your other suggestions—I will give them a try.

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Answer 7

hcsitas

Level 6

11,882 points

Dec 31, 2021 12:39 PM in response to Joe Sixpack

That’s an obsolete router, no longer supported and lacking updates. It’s most likely the cause of the problem, but even if not, it’s insecure and needs to be replaced asap. I like my Asus 86, https://www.asus.com/Networking-IoT-Servers/WiFi-Routers/ASUS-WiFi-Routers/RT-AC86U/, can recommend. I’d hold off on the troubleshooting until. All the best.

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Answer 8

hcsitas

Level 6

11,882 points

Dec 31, 2021 4:04 AM in response to Joe Sixpack

Well, even Hubie Brown would have an issue with that. But now that you've clarified it, check Safari preferences too:

https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/privacy-sfri35610/mac

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Answer 9

hcsitas

Level 6

11,882 points

Dec 31, 2021 12:55 AM in response to Joe Sixpack

Check and set

On your Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Apple ID. Select iCloud > Private Relay

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Answer 10

Joe Sixpack Author

Level 2

183 points

Dec 31, 2021 2:14 AM in response to hcsitas

As Hubie Brown once said, “Come on now!” Did you read my question? I didn’t ask how to turn Private Relay on.

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Answer 11

Joe Sixpack Author

Level 2

183 points

Dec 31, 2021 12:04 PM in response to Joe Sixpack

It is weird that PR works sort of and briefly. I suspected my ISP is causing the problem, but PR works fine on the iPhone on the same wifi, so that can't be it.

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