Apple Reconsiders Merging ‘Hide My Email’ and ‘Sign In With Apple’ Domains

Under the updated rollout, existing Hide My Email addresses will remain on standard icloud.com domains.

Why Apple Kept Hide My Email on iCloud.com

The original plan announced in June sought to unify both systems under the new private.icloud.com domain.

Conversely, moving Hide My Email addresses to a separate domain would have allowed aggressive platforms to easily identify and block those disposable aliases, forcing users to hand over their real email addresses.

Pro Tip: If you currently use iCloud+ Hide My Email, no action is required on your part. Your existing aliases will continue forwarding mail to your real inbox without interruption, utilizing the standard icloud.com domain.

Changes Ahead for Sign in with Apple

While Hide My Email stays put, Sign in with Apple addresses will still transition to the new infrastructure later this year. According to Apple’s updated guidance, these addresses will be issued on private.icloud.com instead of the legacy privaterelay.appleid.com domain.

Developers maintaining apps or websites that support Sign in with Apple must update their systems.

Did You Know?

Hide My Email is a paid iCloud+ feature designed to generate unique, random email addresses for different web services, allowing users to deactivate or delete those aliases whenever spam becomes an issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my existing Hide My Email addresses stop working?

No. Existing Hide My Email addresses will continue to work normally and forward mail to your personal inbox without interruption, staying on the standard icloud.com domain.

What happens to Sign in with Apple addresses?

Starting later this year, new Sign in with Apple addresses will be issued on private.icloud.com instead of privaterelay.appleid.com, according to Apple. Older addresses will continue forwarding normally.

Do website developers need to update anything?

Yes. Developers with apps or websites utilizing Sign in with Apple must ensure their backend systems accept the private.icloud.com domain in addition to the legacy privaterelay.appleid.com domain.

Apple Reconsiders Merging 'Hide My Email' and 'Sign In With Apple' Domains
Photo: macrumors.com

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