Private Relay slowing speed test results

Pros:

• iCloud Private Relay uses 2 separate relay hops, owned by separate companies and operations, where no single company has access to who you are, what you're loading, and what sites you've been to.
• Less likely to be blocked than commercial VPNs, by geographically-restricted content providers, like Netflix, because the service guarantees you cannot use it to forge your country or time zone.
• Included with an iCloud+ subscription, which bundles together other potentially-useful web services from Apple.

Cons:

• Only intercepts all web traffic from Safari and all non-encrypted (e.g. non-SSL/https) network traffic if you're on a public, unencrypted WiFi network, such as ones often found at coffee shops, hotels, and the like.
• May be slightly slower than a commercial VPN because one proxy is usually faster than 2. But for most use-cases, this difference should be trivial.
• Cannot be used to forge your location to access geographically-restricted content not available in your actual area.
• Like with a commercial VPN, you can still be tracked by a service/site owner when you log into that service/site.
• Like with a commercial VPN, site login shortcuts (e.g. a "Remember Me" or "Trust this computer" check box) that let you bypass additional login challenges, often fail, because the site cannot establish you as a trusted endpoint. However, if you're using either type of service for privacy, this probably shouldn't matter to you.
• Like with a commercial VPN, it may be blocked by certain networks for a variety for reasons, including:
  • Compliance/auditing requirements, as often seen with schools and many workplaces, especially in highly-regulated industries
  • If you subscribe to a third-party or ISP-administered security suite or content management service (parental controls, etc), you may be denied private relay because it would render these services moot.
  • If you have a free or discount connection to the Internet by a provider who views the right to opt out tracking for marketing purposes as a premium feature
  • If you connect to a network in a place that otherwise prioritizes surveillance over privacy for any reason.

Additionally, I've noticed some sites that depend entirely on marketing revenue - like howtogeek.com, for example - completely block access to any of their resources if they detect either a conventional ad blocker, or any kind of identity obfuscation, like a VPN or Private Relay.

Any VPN will reduce measured speed as it jumps from step to step, Private Relay is far from being the worst and at

Least you know where your data is going, and more importantly not going, unlike commercial VPNs where your data is often sold on. Obviously don’t run Private Relay together with a commercial VPN.

In my own experience, data speeds with Relay turned on are unpredictable.

When Relay was first released, I noticed it’d cut my expected speeds in half. As time went on, I noticed it barely cut speeds. But with iOS/iPadOS17, I’ve been noticing speed hits again, and this time it’s been cutting them even more significantly.

It’s not usually noticeable during everyday tasks, but it DOES make downloading apps, app updates, and system updates slower.

On my MBP, I've recently noticed a 50-80% reduction in expected speeds. Just turned it off and now I'm back within about 10% of expected!

I appreciate that privacy has a cost, but this feels very steep.

Even worse with me... At home I have a Fibre connection with 540mbs down with chrome, and safari was with private relay and insane 1.2mbs down. Came here to look for the issue. Now I have Turned it off and it's the same as Chrome. A 500x Speed cost is absolutely not worth it. I'm sure many VPNs are much less than that. I'd accept 10%.

fluxmc302 wrote:

A 10x reduction in speed is not at all typical nor acceptable though. and given that it is auto enabled... its a concern that should be addressed.

The author said 10% reduction not 10x reduction. Don’t put words in my mouth.

10% is acceptable if you are concerned about tracking,

I turn it off because too many websites in my country fail, eg signing up for Times Radio,

Same here. absurdly slow with private relay on I only get 60mbs down, with it off I get 600mbs down. no thats not a typo.

A 10x reduction in speed is not at all typical nor acceptable though. and given that it is auto enabled... its a concern that should be addressed.

How to know what security and/or privacy Private Relay adds to VPN ?