Apple’s Private Relay, an opt-in iCloud+ feature meant to hide users’ IP addresses while browsing Safari, does not protect traffic outside Safari and is not a full VPN, according to multiple sources [1, 2, 3].

Researchers Talal Haj Bakry and Tommy Mysk discovered vulnerabilities in Apple’s WebKit engine that can leak users’ real IP addresses even when Private Relay is active [1, 2, 3]. These flaws affect not only Safari but also other iOS browsers built on WebKit, such as Onion Browser and their own Psylo browser [1, 3].

One key vulnerability involves authentication using passkeys. Because these requests occur outside the browser, they bypass Private Relay’s protections and expose users’ IP addresses to websites and online services [2, 3].

The researchers chose not to report the issues directly to Apple, citing prior experience with long delays and inconsistent responses. Tommy Mysk said, "Our past experience with Apple tells us that reporting this issue would involve months of delays, inconsistent communication, and in some cases, denying the issue’s impact entirely." [1]

Instead, the team informed other parties including OnionBrowser and the Tor Project and implemented mitigations in their Psylo browser to prevent IP leaks [1, 3]. Apple has told 404 Media it is investigating the report but has not provided a timeline for a fix [3].

The IP leak problem came to light after researchers noticed DNS leaks in the Psylo browser following a user report in June 2026 [3]. The researchers then publicly disclosed the Private Relay flaws in early August 2026, with TechCrunch verifying the leaks on August 4 or 5 [1, 3].

Users looking for full IP address privacy across all apps are advised to use dedicated VPN services, as Private Relay only protects Safari traffic and is not a system-level VPN [2]. Apple’s recent privacy features, including “Hide My Email,” have also been found vulnerable months after their initial release [2, 3].

The next step will be seeing how Apple addresses the issue during its ongoing investigation, though no fixes have been announced yet [3].