Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 App blocks your wireless carrier from knowing the sites you visit on your iPhone. An update adds encryption to all connections, while also promising faster access for all apps.
1.1.1.1 App with Warp will remain free, but Cloudflare is launching an even quicker version for a monthly fee.
Privacy is job 1.1.1.1
An iPhone can’t change the DNS (Domain Name Server) it uses when accessing the internet over a cellular connection. That means your carrier (AT&T, Verizon, etc.) can always track the sites you visit.
Anonymania’s blog explains that the original version of 1.1.1.1 App sets a up a VPN (Virtual Private Network) so iPhones can use Cloudflare’s DNS server, which won’t track users. The company hired KPMG to audit its practices annually to confirm that it’s not selling user information.
1.1.1.1 App with Warp: Stronger and faster
The new version takes that function and builds on it. “The 1.1.1.1 App with Warp ensures that all connections from mobile devices are encrypted to prevent third-parties from snooping,” Cloudflare said in a statement. Encryption prevents data being transmitted to and from the iPhone from being readable by anyone unauthorized.
VPNs have a bad reputation of slowing down connections. Cloudflare promises that this isn’t the case with its new offering; It claims internet access will actually get faster: “The app takes advantage of Cloudflare’s global network to improve mobile Internet reliability, automatically routing around Internet brownouts and slow downs, and it speeds up connections for better performance.”
1.1.1.1 App with Warp is currently in beta. To sign up to test it, download the free 1.1.1.1 App for iOS or Android. Current users should update the software to be placed in a queue.
This version of the software is free, but the company is prepping a Warp+ version that it promises will be even faster. This will come with a monthly fee, as-yet undisclosed.
“At the end of the day, our mission is to help build a better Internet by making it faster, more secure and more reliable for everyone in the world,” said Matthew Prince, co-founder and CEO of Cloudflare. “We’ve fundamentally changed how web properties connected to the Internet; now we are bringing the same technology to anyone who wants a faster, more secure, and more reliable mobile Internet experience.”
