Hello, hope you enjoyed watching the first episode, from our macOS Monterey series.
Continuing on to Episode 2,
titled: macOS Monterey…iCloud+ Safari.
I’ll show how, to setup and use some of the cool features and enhancements,
added to iCloud+ and Safari, in macOS Monterey.
So, Let’s Get Started.
In order to take full advantage, with some of the features in Safari, like,
how to hide your IP or email address, from trackers.
An iCloud+ account is required.
What is iCloud+?
Let’s break down the key differences, between iCloud & iCloud+
Basically, iCloud, is the standard free, 5GB cloud storage plan,
received with every new Apple ID, sign up.
And, iCloud+, is just a rebrand,
of the current, paid subscription plan, offered by Apple,
for additional cloud storage.
With the following features added,
at no additional cost to your current paid subscription plan.
Features added to iCloud+, are the following:
rivate Relay, Hide My Email and HomeKit Secure Video.
The features, I’ll be looking at, in this episode,
is Private Relay and Hide My Email.
Private Relay, ensures your browsing traffic is encrypted.
By hiding your IP address and Safari browsing activity,
from network providers and websites.
And, Hide My Email, allows you to share a unique random address,
that forwards messages to your personal inbox.
Furthermore; it should be noted, to use the Hide My Email feature in Safari,
Two-Factor Authentication, has to be activated.
I’ve included a link, on how to Activate, Two-Factor Authentication, for your Apple ID,
in the description below.
How To Upgrade to iCloud+
Therefore, to upgrade to an iCloud+ subscription plan, in macOS Monterey.
Launch, System Preferences.
Then, click on the Apple ID icon, shown here.
From the Private Relay item, click on the Upgrade button, and select a subscription plan.
That’s all there is to it.
Let’s see Private Relay and Hide my Email in action.
Starting off with Private Relay.
Let’s check if Private Relay is turned on for Safari.
Launch, System Preferences.
Click on the Apple ID.
If you see a message under Private Relay title, “Turn on Private Relay for Safari”.
Or to check current, Private Relay settings, do the following.
Click the Option button here.
Then click on the Turn on for Safari.
Furthermore, you can choose to Maintain General Location, to provide local content.
Or, Use Country and Time Zone, to use a broader IP address location,
in your country and time zone.
I’ll choose, to use the the broader option.
Now, launch Safari.
Visiting sites like, SpeedTest and WhatIsMyIPaddress,
where I know my IP address is usually, visible.
I can see that an IP address for both sites, shows that Private Relay is activated and working.
And a random IP address is issued for the Private Relay,
replacing my real IP address and location.
To view a Privacy Report,
of the last 30-days,
of what sites and trackers, were prevented from, tracking you.
Do the following.
With Safari open.
Click Safari on the menubar, and click on Privacy Report.
Moving on…Hide My Email Address.
As mentioned, earlier. For the Hide My Email feature to work,
two-factors authentication has to be enabled.
And that’s all that’s needed for Hide My Email to work.
That and of course an iCloud+ account.
As demonstrated, whenever, filling in forms that requires, an email address.
Simply, select the Hide my Email pop-up,
to use a unique random email, that get’s forwarded, to you personal inbox.
As shown.
To manage, unique emails issued on certain sites.
Launch, System Preferences and like before, click on the Apple ID icon.
From Hide My Email Title, click the option button.
From here, you can view, edit or delete,
the unique email addresses, issued on certain sites.
As shown.
Gotta admit, Private Relay and Hide My Email,
is truly a couple of cool awesome features, added to Safari in macOS Monterey.
Next…Safari Tab Titles.
Using the usual, separate tab layout, we’re accustomed too, as shown,
it’s now a matter of choice, on how your Tab Titles, are organized.
You can now choose to use, the usual separate tab layout or a compact one.
By simply, clicking on Safari on the menubar, and select, Preferences.
Click on Tabs and you can choose which tab layout you want to use.
Compact or Separate. I’ll choose, Compact.
The compact Tab layout, serves many purposes, right in the Tab Title.
You have the option, to Search right on the Tab Title,
optionally choosing a different Search engine,
by clicking on the Search Magnifier, and your search engine of choice.
Or right click on the Tab Title and choose to create or add to a Tab Group.
Furthermore, clicking on the 3-dots icon, here.
You have the options to share, add to Notes, create Quick Note
and many more options, as shown.
Additionally, from the Preferences windows,
you have the option to Automatically, collapse Tab Titles into icons.
Basically, when you have a number of open Tab Titles,
you can choose to collapse all Tab Titles into icons. As shown here.
As demonstrated, by checking and un-checking the checkbox here.
Also, from the Safari, Preferences window.
You can choose, to adapt the website color scheme, to the tab bar or choose not too.
Again, by checking and un-checking the checkbox, shown here.
Finally, let’s take a look at…Safari Tab Groups.
Tab Groups, is a cool feature, to organize all your tabs in Safari.
I find the best way to work with Tab Groups,
is by creating various Tab Groups, right from the get go.
This way, it much easier and faster to organize my tab groups, as I’m browsing.
By simply adding sites, to the appropriate Tab Groups categories, created earlier.
You can still create, Tab Groups while browsing,
by simply right-clicking on a Tab Title and choose to create a new tab group,
as shown.
Furthermore, right-clicking on a Tab Group in the side bar,
you’re able to copy, paste and share your tab group list, as shown.
And that’s all there is to it,
Thanks for watching…
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Peace.