iCloud+ is a new service that promises to make your online activities more private and more secure. It’s included at no extra cost with a premium iCloud subscription, and it works across all your Apple devices.
Here’s what Private Relay, Hide My Email, and HomeKit Secure Video in iCloud+ can do for you.
It’s been a while since Apple made any significant changes to the fundamentals of iCloud. So iCloud+ was one of the biggest (albeit not the most exciting) surprises to come out of today’s WWDC keynote.
Included with a premium iCloud subscription, iCloud+ bundles a trio of features that better protect your privacy and make you more secure when you’re using iPhone, iPad, and Mac online.
iCloud+ brings Private Relay and more
Private Relay is arguably the biggest aspect of iCloud+. It works a lot like a VPN, sending all your online traffic through two relays and encrypting it so that it’s impossible to intercept. Not even Apple can view it.
Hide My Email, which is built into Mail, Safari, and other Apple apps, lets you use randomized email addresses and keep your own a secret. Messages are forwarded to your main email address so you don’t miss a thing, but your actual email address cannot be seen by third parties.
Finally, there’s HomeKit Secure Video. This gives you unlimited storage for your HomeKit security cameras, and in true Apple style, keeps it secure so that no one else can access your data.
Coming this fall
iCloud+ launches this fall alongside iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey. It’s included at no extra cost with a premium iCloud subscription, available for as little as $0.99 a month.
