Browse privately in Safari on iPhone

You can view the Privacy Report and adjust settings in the Safari app to keep your browsing activities private, and help protect yourself from malicious websites.

Visit sites privately

You can use Private Browsing Mode to open private tabs, which don’t appear in History on iPhone or in the list of tabs on your other devices.

Tap .
Tap in the center of the tab bar at the bottom of the screen, then tap Private.
Tabs in the Private Tab Group aren’t shared with your other Apple devices, even if you’re signed in with the same Apple ID.

You can easily confirm that you’re in Private Browsing Mode by checking that the search field bar is gray or displays the word Private.

To hide the sites and exit Private Browsing Mode, tap , then tap to open a different Tab Group from the menu at the bottom of your screen. The private sites reappear the next time you use Private Browsing Mode.

To close private tabs, tap , then swipe left on each of the tabs you want to close.

View the Privacy Report

Safari helps prevent trackers from following you across websites and viewing your IP address. You can review the Privacy Report to see a summary of trackers that have been encountered and prevented by Intelligent Tracking Prevention on the current webpage you’re visiting. You can also review and adjust Safari settings to keep your browsing activities private from others who use the same device, and help protect yourself from malicious websites.

To view the Privacy Report, tap , then tap Privacy Report .

Use iCloud Private Relay to browse the web with more privacy

When you subscribe to iCloud+, you can use iCloud Private Relay to help prevent websites and network providers from creating a detailed profile about you. When iCloud Private Relay is turned on, the traffic leaving your iPhone is encrypted and sent through two separate internet relays. This prevents websites from seeing your IP address and exact location while it prevents network providers from collecting your browsing activity in Safari.

See Protect your web browsing with iCloud Private Relay on iPhone to learn how to:

Turn iCloud Private Relay completely on or off for your iPhone.
Turn iCloud Private Relay on or off for a specific Wi-Fi or cellular network.
Turn iCloud Private Relay off temporarily.
Set the specificity of your IP address location.

Temporarily allow a website to see your IP address

If a website relies on IP filtering, monitoring, or rate-limiting, it might require your IP address to be visible. You can turn off iCloud Private Relay temporarily for that website only.

Note: iCloud Private Relay isn’t available in all countries or regions. See the iOS and iPadOS Feature Availability website.

In Safari, tap on the left side of the URL field.
Tap Show IP Address.
Your IP address remains visible to that website until you leave the website or close its Safari tab. iCloud Private Relay remains on for other websites.

To turn off or pause iCloud Private Relay for all websites, see Protect your web browsing with iCloud Private Relay on iPhone.

Control privacy and security settings for Safari

Go to Settings > Safari, then below Privacy & Security, turn any of the following on or off:

Prevent Cross-Site Tracking: Safari limits third-party cookies and data by default. Turn this option off to allow cross-site tracking.
Hide IP address: Safari automatically protects your IP address from known trackers. For eligible iCloud+ subscribers, your IP address is protected from trackers and websites as you browse in Safari. If this option is off, your IP address isn’t hidden.
Block All Cookies: Turn this option on to prevent websites from adding cookies to your iPhone. (To remove cookies already on iPhone, go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data.)
Fraudulent Website Warning: Safari displays a warning if you’re visiting a suspected phishing website. Turn this option off if you don’t want to be warned of fraudulent websites.
Privacy Preserving Ad Measurement: This prevents websites from viewing your personal information to serve you targeted ads.
Check for Apple Pay: Websites that use Apple Pay can check to see if you have Apple Pay enabled on your device. Turn this option off to prevent websites from checking if you have Apple Pay.

When you visit a website using Safari that isn’t secure, a warning appears in the Safari search field.

Helpful?

iPhone User Guide