How to Use Hide My Email in iCloud +

Apple’s iCloud Plus is one of the new features in iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS. For iCloud paid account holders only, iCloud Plus offers several new features such as “Hide my email,” “Private relay,” and custom email domains. In addition, a HomeKit secure video feature is also available for those who have equipment that supports it. In this article, you will learn more about Hide My Email feature and how it works.

What is Hide My Email?

When you use your email online to make purchases, your email address may be sold, who in turn sell it to other sellers, and so on. To combat these people and scammers, “Hide My Email” allows you to use temporary Apple email addresses. Messages sent to these addresses are automatically sent to your primary email address.

There are two ways to use “Hide my email”. First, Sign in with Apple allows you to create an account using a randomly generated email address within a supported third-party website or app. You can also create one of these emails in iCloud Plus, in Safari, or on iCloud.com.

Hiding my email is ideal for those times when you are asked to fill out an online form or sign up for a newsletter. Then, when you tire of receiving promotional material from that email, delete it and get on with your day.

Regarding “Hide my email”, Apple explains:

Apple does not read or process any content in email messages that go through “Hide My Email” except to perform the standard spam filtering necessary to maintain our status as a trusted email provider. All email messages are removed from our relay servers after they are delivered to you, usually within seconds. “

Creating a “Hide My Email Address”

Here’s how to create a temporary Apple email address via the “Hide my email” feature.

Sign in with Apple

Perhaps the easiest way to generate a new email is through Sign In With Apple through an app or website. In the example below, we are creating an email in the official Target app. To get started:

1. Place the cursor inside a email box within the application. On a registration page, for example.
2. Press Hide my email, which should be on top of the keyboard.
3. Choose Continue (or Use) in the “Hide my email” pop-up window. If you don’t like the randomly generated email, click the refresh button to the left of the chosen email. Then use email as you would any other in the form.

Through Safari, the procedure is similar. In the following example, we are going to register an account with B&H Photos:

1. Move the cursor within an email box on an online form.
2. Press Hide my email.
3. Please select Continue / Use and then use the address from the online form.

iCloud Plus

You can also generate email addresses using iCloud Plus. On the iPhone or iPad:

1. Press the Settings app on the device’s home screen.
2. Choose your name on top.
3. Please select iCloud.
4. Press Hide my email.
5. Please select Create new address.
6. Write down the address; tap Use different address if necessary, and then label the address. Add a message if necessary.
7. Choose the Next.
8. I touched Done. Your new email address is ready to be used.

On iCloud.com, the steps to create a randomly generated email are as follows:

1. Login to your iCloud account on iCloud.com in a web browser.
2. Click on Account settings.
3. Scroll down and choose Manage under “Hide my email“.
4. Select the +.
5. Look at the new email address or update to generate another.
6. Add a label for the address and a note, as necessary.
7. Choose Create email address.

Random emails removal

The easiest way to delete randomly created emails is through the Settings application on your mobile device:

1. Press the Settings app on the device’s home screen.
2. Choose your name on top.
3. Please select iCloud.
4. Press Hide my email.
5. Select the email from the list that you no longer want to use.
6. Deactivate Forward to.
7. Confirm by selecting Deactivate in the pop-up box.
8. Repeat steps 5 through September to deactivate other emails.

To do this process through iCloud.com:

1. Login to your iCloud account on iCloud.com in a web browser.
2. Click on Account settings.
3. Scroll down and choose Manage under “Hide my email“.
4. Then click on the email you want to disable.
5. Scroll down, select Deactivate email address and confirm.

Hide My Email is a great new feature for iPhone, iPad, and once macOS Monterey, Mac is released. Used properly, it should reduce the amount of spam and marketing emails you receive.