On Monday, a report indicated that some European wireless carriers had begun blocking the Private Relay feature introduced by iOS 15. This feature is designed to give users an additional layer of privacy by ensuring that no one can view the websites that they visit.
In addition to the European carriers, it seems that T-Mobile/Sprint in the United States has begun blocking iCloud Private Relay access when connected to cellular data.
Apple had initially shipped the iCloud Private Relay feature as a “public beta,” which means that it’s disabled by default under iOS 15 and macOS Monterey. Users can enable it by going to Settings on your iPhone, tapping your name at the top, choosing iCloud, and choosing “Private Relay.”
T-Mobile was among the carriers in Europe that signed an open letter expressing concern about the impact of Private Relay. The carriers wrote that the feature cuts off networks and servers from accessing “vital network data and metadata and could impact “operator’s ability to efficiently manage telecommunication networks.”
Via an error message one user had received via the Settings app
Your cellular plan doesn’t support iCloud Private Relay. With Private Relay turned off, this network can monitor your internet activity, and your IP address is not hidden from known trackers or websites.
Apple has yet to offer a public comment as to this situation.
Please let us know if you’ve seen this issue on your end in the comments.