D04 · Deep dive
What Your VPN Can't Hide: IMEI, IMSI, SS7 and 2G Explained
Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. The video then plays in YouTube’s privacy-enhanced mode.
A deep dive into everything below the VPN on a privacy phone. A VPN protects what the apps send, not the fact that the phone exists on the network. It covers the precise app-VPN claim (no app traffic leaves outside the tunnel), the three radio controls that do work (2G off, 5G standalone where available, MAC randomization), and the identifiers no handset can hide: the permanent IMEI, the IMSI that Cape rotates daily, and SS7 location queries between carriers.
What you’ll learn
- Know the radio-layer controls that work
- Know the identifiers no handset can hide
- State the app-VPN guarantee precisely
Chapters
The honest limits
The VPN covers app and IP traffic, not the phone's presence or radio identifiers. 2G off doesn't hide the phone from a 4G or 5G catcher. 5G standalone's concealed identity is opportunistic. The IMEI never changes on a handset, and SS7 queries are blunted, not eliminated.
Check before you rely on it
These details change. Confirm them against the vendor’s current pages.
- Cape price (~$99/mo), roaming coverage ("50+ countries") and feature list.