How To Fix MacOS Safari’s Connectivity Issues: Disabling Private Relay and Hide IP Address

Author: erics, Posted March 3rd, 2025 at 9:52:06am

If you’ve ever encountered a scenario where Safari on macOS Sonoma cannot reach a local or internal web service (while Firefox and curl work just fine), the issue may be due to Apple’s strict security features. Specifically, iCloud Private Relay and the Hide IP Address from Trackers option can interfere with certain local network connections.

This blog post will walk you through how to disable these settings to restore proper connectivity.

Issue: Safari Cannot Access Internal or Local Services

In my case, Safari was unable to reach a local project listening on port 8000 on the same FQDN while Firefox and curl could access it without issue. If you’re facing a similar problem, read on!

Solution 1: Disable iCloud Private Relay

Private Relay is an iCloud+ feature that reroutes your internet traffic through Apple’s servers, potentially blocking access to local network services.

Here are the steps to disable Private Relay:

• Go to System Settings → Click on your Apple ID (top-left corner).
• Select iCloud.
• Scroll down and locate Private Relay.
• Toggle Private Relay Off.
• Click Done and restart Safari.

Solution 2: Disable “Hide IP Address from Trackers”

Safari’s Hide IP Address from Trackers setting can also interfere with local connections by modifying how network requests are sent.

Here are the steps to disable Hide IP Address:

• Open Safari → Settings.
• Navigate to the Privacy tab.
• Uncheck “Hide IP Address from Trackers”.

Conclusion

If you’re experiencing Safari connectivity issues on macOS Sonoma while other browsers work fine, disabling Private Relay and Hide IP Address might be the fix you need. These settings, designed to enhance privacy, can unintentionally block local services and internal network access. By making these adjustments, Safari should function as expected.

If you found this guide helpful, let me know in the comments!

Categories: How-To's, Technology Tags: apple, Blocked, Disable, Hide, Hide IP Address, howto, IP, IP address, MacOS, Private, Private Relay, Relay, Safari, tips, Unblock