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Is Private Relay Safe?

Private Relay privacy label · by GENERALS & GREAT MINDS MANAGEMENT LLC · checked November 2026

  • Nothing linked to you
  • Recently updated
App Privacy label Developer-reported · checked November 1, 2026
Used to track you
0types

None declared

Linked to you
0types

None declared

Not linked to you
1type
Short answer

On the label it is low-risk: Private Relay collects some data but says none of it is linked to you or used for tracking. None of it falls in Apple's most sensitive categories (health, financial, location, contacts or your own content). In total the label lists 1 data type; 28% of secure email apps we checked declare tracking.

At a glance

Private Relay privacy in one look

Data exposure on the label
Not linked to you
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4

Built only from the developer's App Store label. It describes disclosure, not tested behaviour.

Verdict from the label
Not linked to you

Private Relay collects some data but says none of it is linked to your identity, and none is used for tracking.

Try it

Did Private Relay ask for something?

Pick the permission prompt you saw. We compare it with what Private Relay's developer declared.

It asked me for access to…
Tap a prompt to compare it with the label.
Not on the label

Location is not on Private Relay's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not on the label

User Content is not on Private Relay's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not on the label

Contacts is not on Private Relay's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not declared on the label

Private Relay declares no tracking, so a tracking prompt would contradict its label. Decline it, and consider reporting the mismatch to Apple.

Not on the label

Health & Fitness is not on Private Relay's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

A permission is what the app can reach on your iPhone; the label is what the developer says leaves it. They answer different questions.

Line by line

What Private Relay collects, explained

Data typeWhat it coversWhere to limit it
Contact InfoNot linked to you Your name, email address, phone number or postal address. Use Sign in with Apple with Hide My Email where offered, and check the app's account and marketing preferences.
Reading the label

What Private Relay's label means for you

Private Relay's label has 1 type under “Data Not Linked to You”. A data type can appear in more than one section when it is used for different purposes — for example, identifiers used for both analytics and advertising.

Every type on Private Relay's label is in the “not linked” section, so the developer says the data is stripped of anything that identifies you before it is used. That is typical of anonymous analytics and crash reporting. Not linked is still collected: the data leaves your phone.

None of the data types fall into the categories most people consider sensitive: health, financial information, precise location, contacts, browsing history or the content you create.

Email apps see every message and contact. Third-party mail clients may route mail through their own servers to offer features like push or AI summaries. Check whether the client connects to your provider directly or stores your mail on its servers.

Among the 141 secure email apps in our snapshot with a label, 28% declare tracking, 60% collect data linked to you and 23% say they collect nothing. Private Relay lists 1 data type, fewer than the average of 2.9 for this group.

Productivity apps tend to collect the work you do in them — documents, notes and files — so User Content is common. The question is whether it syncs to the developer's servers and how it is protected there.

On your iPhone

Settings to check for Private Relay

  1. 1

    Sign-in

    When creating an account, Sign in with Apple can give the app a relay address from Hide My Email instead of your real one.

  2. 2

    Lock the app

    On iOS 18 and later, touch and hold the icon and choose Require Face ID. Anyone who picks up your unlocked phone then needs your face, fingerprint or passcode to open it.

  3. 3

    Notifications

    Settings › Notifications › Private Relay › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.

Cross-app tracking

Does Private Relay track you?

No tracking declared

There is no “Data Used to Track You” section on Private Relay's label.

Does Private Relay track you? Full answer and how to stop it →

iOS 18 and later

Lock Private Relay behind Face ID

  1. Find Private Relay on your Home Screen or in App Library.
  2. Touch and hold the icon until the quick-actions menu opens.
  3. Tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID / Require Passcode, depending on your iPhone).
  4. Tap Require Face ID again to confirm. Private Relay now asks for authentication every time it opens.

The lock is an iPhone feature, so it works whether or not Private Relay has a passcode of its own. It does not change what the app sends to its developer.

Lock or hide Private Relay: step-by-step guide →

From the App Store record

About Private Relay

DeveloperGENERALS & GREAT MINDS MANAGEMENT LLC
App Store categoryProductivity (also Utilities)
Latest version1.0.38, released September 2026
First releasedMarch 2026
RequiresiOS 16.0 or later
Size13 MB
Age rating4+
Languages1 (EN)
Bundle IDcom.privaterelaynetwork.mobile

The current version shipped in September 2026, so the app is actively maintained and its label is likely current. Labels are updated by developers when practices change.

Read with care

What the label cannot tell you

  • A label is self-reported. Apple publishes the developer's answers and can reject apps that misrepresent them, but it does not independently verify what Private Relay sends.
  • It does not say where data is stored, how long it is kept, whether it is encrypted, or which companies receive it. The privacy policy covers those points.
  • Optional data counts: if a feature lets you add something (a profile photo, a phone number), the type is listed even if you never use the feature.
  • Data handled only on your iPhone is not 'collected', so a no-collection label is compatible with an app that reads your files locally.
  • Third-party sign-in, payment processors and SDKs are supposed to be included, but a label can lag behind a new version.

The question to ask Private Relay's developer: Does my email pass through the app maker's servers?

How it compares

Private Relay vs similar secure email apps

Data types listed on each App Store privacy label
Tracks youLinked to youNot linkedCollects nothing

Fewer types is not automatically safer: a cloud backup app has to collect your files to work. Compare like with like.

Checking another app?

Look up any of our apps in seconds, or put two labels side by side.

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All secure email apps → Who tracks you? A–Z → Apps that collect contact info → Privacy label decoder →

Do it now

Your Private Relay privacy checklist

Tick what you have done
Tick each step as you do it on your iPhone.

Done. You have applied every control the label points to.

Quick quiz

True or false?

  1. Q1Private Relay's privacy label says it uses data to track you.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    False: there is no Data Used to Track You section on Private Relay's label.

  2. Q2Apple tests every app to confirm its privacy label is accurate.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    Labels are self-reported by developers. Apple can reject or remove apps that misrepresent practices, but it does not audit each label.

  3. Q3Private Relay collects Contact Info.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    True: Contact Info appears on its label, in the Not Linked to You section.

  4. Q4Data “Not Linked to You” is never sent off your iPhone.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    It is collected and sent; the developer says it is de-identified rather than tied to your account or device.

  5. Q5Tapping “Ask App Not to Track” can stop an app from working.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    Apple's rules require apps to work the same whether or not you allow tracking.

Questions people ask

Private Relay privacy FAQ

Is Private Relay safe to use?
Based on its App Store privacy label, private Relay collects some data but says none of it is linked to your identity, and none is used for tracking. Whether that is acceptable depends on what you will store in it. The label is developer-reported, not an independent security test.
Does Private Relay track you?
No. Private Relay's label has no Data Used to Track You section.
What data does Private Relay collect?
Contact info. None of it is linked to your identity.
Who makes Private Relay?
GENERALS & GREAT MINDS MANAGEMENT LLC, according to the App Store. It was first released in March 2026 and the current version is 1.0.38.
Can I lock Private Relay with Face ID?
On iOS 18 or later, touch and hold Private Relay's icon and choose Require Face ID (or Touch ID / Passcode). This is an iPhone feature and works for most downloaded apps, whether or not the app has its own lock.
How does Private Relay compare with other secure email apps?
Across 141 secure email apps with labels in our snapshot, 28% declare tracking and 23% say they collect no data. Private Relay lists 1 data type against an average of 2.9.
Does my email pass through the app maker's servers?
The privacy label cannot answer that. Look for it in Private Relay's privacy policy or support pages, linked from the App Store listing. Check whether the client connects to your provider directly or stores your mail on its servers.
How do I delete my data from Private Relay?
Apps that let you create an account must also let you start account deletion from inside the app (an App Store rule since June 2022). Deleting the app from your iPhone alone does not delete data already sent to the developer.
Facts on this page come from Private Relay on the App Store, as reported by the developer. Checked 2026-11-01. How we collect data · Report a correction