Why Did Apple Keep Hide My Email on @icloud.com After Announcing a Change?

Apple has made a U-turn on a planned change to its Hide My Email feature. This feature is available to iCloud+ subscribers and allows users to create unique email addresses when signing up for websites or apps, with messages sent to these addresses forwarded to the user's regular inbox, letting people keep their real email address private.

Why Was Apple Planning To Change The Domain

The Cupertino-based tech giant had earlier announced plans to move Hide My Email addresses to the @private.icloud.com domain. Users argued that this could make the addresses easier for websites to identify and potentially reject during sign-ups. Notably, the key advantage of Hide My Email is that its addresses use the familiar @icloud.com domain, meaning websites generally cannot tell whether an address belongs to a normal iCloud user or was created specifically through Hide My Email. The proposed change triggered criticism on social media and Reddit, with some users saying it could undermine the main purpose of Apple's email-hiding tool.

Apple Keeps Hide My Email On @icloud.com

Apple has now reversed its recent decision. The company confirmed that iCloud+ Hide My Email addresses will continue to use the @icloud.com domain. In an update to its support information, Apple said, "After further consideration and reviewing community feedback, iCloud+ Hide My Email addresses will remain on icloud.com." This means users will continue to get Hide My Email addresses that look similar to regular Apple email addresses, making them less obvious to websites that may try to identify or block disposable or masked email addresses. How to Block Spam Emails on iPhone? Step-by-Step Guide to Stopping Junk Mail Using iOS Privacy Settings and iCloud Features.

Sign In With Apple Domain Change Still Going Ahead

Apple is still going ahead with a separate change involving Sign in with Apple. The company said new Sign in with Apple addresses, which were previously issued using privaterelay.appleid.com, will be issued using private.icloud.com later this year. However, existing addresses using the older domain will continue working. Apple said, "Starting later this year, new Sign in with Apple addresses, previously issued on privaterelay.appleid.com, will be issued on private.icloud.com. Existing addresses on privaterelay.appleid.com will continue to work and forward mail to users without interruption." Mac mini Price in India, Specifications and Features Revealed; Check Availability.

Apple Asks Developers To Update Systems

The tech giant also asked developers to update their systems to support the new domain. "Developers with apps or websites that use Sign in with Apple should ensure that their account systems, email validation logic, and allowlists accept addresses on the new private.icloud.com domain in addition to the existing privaterelay.appleid.com domain," the company wrote.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 26, 2026 02:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).