Apple to Restrict Anonymity in Hide My Email Feature
Photo: TechCrunch
Quick answer
Apple is migrating anonymous Hide My Email addresses to the @private.icloud.com domain, making it easier for services to detect and block such emails.
Apple has announced plans to modify its Hide My Email feature, available to iCloud+ subscribers. Newly generated anonymous email addresses will be transitioned to the @private.icloud.com domain, enabling apps and web services to easily identify and block such emails.
Previously, anonymous addresses used the @icloud.com domain, making them indistinguishable from standard Apple accounts. Services can now filter messages sent to @private.icloud.com and restrict access for users relying on Hide My Email. Apple confirmed that existing addresses will remain unaffected, though platform owners are advised to update their filtering settings.
Users have already expressed concerns about the changes. On Reddit*, some noted that the update complicates the use of the feature for protecting personal data. Apple has not commented on the reasons for switching to the new domain, though reports previously surfaced about real user data being disclosed via Hide My Email at government requests.
Common questions
- What is Apple's Hide My Email feature?
- A built-in iCloud+ function that generates unique anonymous email addresses for service registrations, hiding the user's real email. All incoming messages are forwarded to the primary inbox.
- Why is Apple changing the domain for Hide My Email?
- The new @private.icloud.com domain allows services to easily distinguish anonymous addresses from regular ones, potentially leading to their blocking. Apple has not disclosed the reasons behind this change.
- How will these changes affect users?
- Existing addresses will continue working, but new ones may be blocked by services recognizing the @private.icloud.com domain. This reduces anonymity during registrations.
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