Apple’s merging two key privacy features into one email domain, private.icloud.com. This change replaces the separate domains used by Sign in with Apple and Hide My Email.
Announced on June 15, 2026, both services will now create email addresses that end in @private.icloud.com. Until now, Sign in with Apple utilized @privaterelay.appleid.com, while Hide My Email used @icloud.com. The existence of two different domains confused users and made it tougher for some websites and apps to recognize both types of Apple-generated addresses as valid.
What Are These Features, Exactly?
If you’ve ever clicked “Sign in with Apple” on an app and opted to hide your email, or if you’ve used Hide My Email through an iCloud+ subscription, you’ve already engaged with these features.
They function similarly: instead of sharing your real email address with a website or app, Apple generates a random, temporary address that forwards messages to your actual inbox. Think of it like having a post office box — the mail goes there, you collect it, and no one outside knows your home address. You can delete the forwarding address anytime to stop communications from a specific service.
The main difference lies in when you use them. Sign in with Apple automatically creates these addresses when you log in to an app using your Apple ID, while Hide My Email allows you to create them manually for things like newsletter subscriptions or online forms.
Why the Change Matters
Merging both features under private.icloud.com goes beyond just tidying up. Website operators and app developers previously had to maintain separate allowlists for both Apple domains. A single domain simplifies this process, likely leading to fewer instances where Apple’s forwarded emails get marked as spam or blocked altogether.
For everyday users, the most noticeable change will be how new forwarding addresses appear. Any addresses you’re already using will keep working, according to reports from both 9to5Mac and MacRumors, so you don’t need to do anything.
This move indicates that Apple is treating these two privacy tools as a unified system instead of two overlapping products. This aligns with Apple’s broader effort to position privacy as a central feature of its ecosystem, not just an extra.
| Apple — Company Snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Ticker | AAPL |
| Stock Price | $298.01 (+0.70%) |
| CEO | Tim Cook |
| Headquarters | Cupertino, CA |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Sector | Big Tech |
| Old Sign in with Apple domain | @privaterelay.appleid.com |
| Old Hide My Email domain | @icloud.com |
| New unified domain | @private.icloud.com |
What This Means for You
If you’re a regular iCloud+ subscriber or often use Sign in with Apple, here’s what you need to know:
- Your existing addresses keep working. Everything stays as is. Old forwarding addresses on either domain will still send mail to your inbox.
- New addresses will use the unified domain. Any new Hide My Email or Sign in with Apple address created after this change will end in @private.icloud.com.
- Fewer deliverability headaches. One common frustration with Apple’s privacy email tools has been some services blocking or filtering them. A single, well-known domain should be easier for email servers to trust.
- Hide My Email still requires iCloud+. The paid plan starts at $0.99 per month for 50GB of storage. The email relay for Sign in with Apple remains free for anyone with an Apple ID.
Community Reactions
“Finally. Having two different domains always made it annoying to explain to IT why emails from @privaterelay.appleid.com weren’t spam. One domain is so much cleaner.”
“I hope they also add a way to label which service created which address. Right now my Hide My Email list is a mess of random strings and I can’t tell what’s what.”
What To Watch
- Rollout timing: Apple hasn’t announced a specific date for when new addresses will start using private.icloud.com. Given the June 15 announcement, a rollout alongside iOS 26 and macOS updates later in 2026 seems likely.
- Developer updates: App and website developers filtering or allowlisting Apple relay domains will need to add private.icloud.com to their setups. Keep an eye on Apple’s developer documentation for specific guidance.
- Hide My Email feature expansion: There’s been ongoing chatter about bringing Hide My Email to free iCloud accounts. A unified domain could lay the groundwork for a broader rollout, though Apple hasn’t made any announcements yet.
Ava Mitchell
Ava Mitchell is a digital culture journalist at Explosion.com covering social media platforms, streaming services, and the creator economy. With 4 years reporting on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and the apps that shape daily life, Ava specializes in explaining platform policy changes and their impact on everyday users. She previously managed social media strategy for a tech startup, giving her firsthand experience with the platforms she now covers.
