Apple plans to shift its Hide My Email privacy feature to a new domain in the coming weeks, a change that could make it easier for apps and websites to identify and block anonymous email addresses.
Hide My Email is an iCloud+ feature that generates anonymous email addresses, which forward messages to a user’s real inbox. Currently, these addresses use the @icloud.com domain — the same domain used by regular Apple email accounts — making them indistinguishable from standard Apple user addresses. Apple announced in a note to developers on Monday, June 16, 2026, that it will move anonymously generated addresses to the @private.icloud.com domain.
The domain change effectively signals to apps and websites that an email address is private, giving them a straightforward way to block users who rely on the feature when signing up. Apple said existing addresses will continue to function and forward mail without interruption, and noted that app and email providers will need to update their filtering to ensure messages to Hide My Email users continue to go through.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment from TechCrunch about the change or explain its reasoning. Several Apple users on Reddit criticized the move, saying it would make the service harder to use.
The announcement comes after TechCrunch reported earlier in 2026 that Apple had turned over the real account information of a user who had used Hide My Email to send an allegedly threatening email to the girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel. The Trump administration has also made broader efforts to unmask anonymous online accounts, using subpoenas to compel tech companies to hand over user information.
For iCloud+ subscribers who rely on Hide My Email to protect their identity when registering for online services, the domain change could meaningfully reduce the feature’s effectiveness if websites and apps choose to block the new @private.icloud.com addresses.
Source: TechCrunch