Every time you connect to a web page, that page’s server also connects to you and knows your IP address. Apple’s new Private Relay feature is an elegant way to break that connection without breaking anything else.

Every Apple OS update brings new privacy-protecting features, and iOS 15 is no exception. For example, there are new settings to block tracking pixels in emails; generate disposable, anonymous email addresses; and turn on Private Relay. It’s a way to hide your location and block yet another way bad guys can track you across the web.

“[Private Relay] will be the first step toward cybersecurity for many users who otherwise wouldn’t have considered taking action,” Daniel Markuson, a privacy expert at NordVPN, told Lifewire via email. “I would say this will raise awareness of cybersecurity in general, and this is a big win for the entire industry.”

When you connect to the web, websites and trackers can determine your physical location using your IP address. An IP address is a unique number that identifies every computer on the internet, including your home router. Because IP addresses rarely change, they are a great way to track a user and find their true physical location, often down to the individual building.