How to limit IP address tracking on MacBook Air running Sonoma?

allan299 wrote:

Is my understanding in reading the information provided on this topic in the user's guide, that the Sonoma 14.4 > Settings > Wifi> Details> limit IP address tracking (which hides IP address tracking in Mail and Safari) : actually only is operational when one has a subscription to the iCloud Private Relay?

That is correct. Also your WAN-side IP address is still visible to your ISP and the first relay of this service. Only the DNS records (the website you are trying to reach) is encrypted to this first relay, so neither your ISP, nor Apple knows this website. There is also a second relay as part of this service that does additional "processing" of the data traffic headers.

With the relay enabled, it doesn't "slow down" your computer, but there may be some performance hits between your computer and the website you are trying to reach.

Ref: About iCloud Private Relay - Apple Support

allan299 wrote:

But what if you do not subscribe to iCloud+? Then does selecting: limit IP address tracking function at all?! From your reply, please let me see if I am understanding you correctly: are saying that it does not function UNLESS one is subscribed to iCloud+?

That is my understanding as well. To fully gain the advantage of using the iCloud Private Relay, you have to be subscribed to the iCloud+ service.

Please take a look at the following TidBits article. Hopefully it will shed some light on the differences between the iCloud Private Relay, and the Limit IP Address Tracking option. Note that it is a couple of years old and Apple has potentially made some changes on how both of these work.

• https://tidbits.com/2022/06/20/solving-connectivity-problems-caused-by-interlocking-apple-privacy-settings/

*** deleted by Tesserax