Should I suppress Apple private relay addresses and how to handle them?
Matthew Whittaker
Co-founder & CTO, Suped
Published 12 Aug 2025
Updated 19 Aug 2025
5 min read
The introduction of iCloud Private Relay, particularly its 'Hide My Email' feature, brought new considerations for email marketers. This service allows users to generate unique, random email addresses (e.g., ending in @privaterelay.appleid.com) to use when signing up for apps, websites, or newsletters. The core question for many email senders is whether these addresses should be treated differently, specifically, whether they should be suppressed from mailing lists.
My perspective is that in most cases, you should not suppress these Apple Private Relay addresses. These are legitimate users who have actively chosen to engage with your brand while prioritizing their privacy. Treating them as invalid or unwanted subscribers can lead to missed engagement opportunities and a reduction in your active audience. However, there are nuances in handling them to ensure optimal email deliverability.
Understanding Apple Private Relay addresses
Apple Private Relay addresses are not disposable email addresses in the traditional sense, like those from services that offer temporary inboxes. Instead, they are permanent, unique aliases directly linked to a user's Apple ID. When a user signs up using this feature, Apple generates a random email address and forwards any mail sent to it to the user's actual email inbox. This means the user is actively receiving and (hopefully) engaging with your content.
Suppressing these addresses would be akin to suppressing any other legitimate subscriber who signed up for your emails. The key difference is the layer of privacy Apple provides. These users have demonstrated an intent to receive your communications, but with an added layer of anonymity for their primary email. For more on the deliverability impacts, read our guide on Apple's Sign-in with Apple private relay service.
The primary reason you might consider suppression for other types of addresses is to avoid bounces or spam complaints, which harm your sender reputation and could land you on a blocklist (or blacklist). However, for private relay addresses obtained through Sign in with Apple, this isn't typically necessary, provided you've configured your sending environment correctly with Apple. It's a different scenario than blocking disposable email addresses.
Handling soft bounces and deliverability
The main concern that prompts questions about suppressing these addresses is often related to soft bounces. While Apple Private Relay addresses are designed to be reliable, you might encounter soft bounces (e.g., temporary delivery failures). This can occur if the user's underlying mailbox is full, if there's a temporary network issue, or if their forwarding is deactivated.
However, a soft bounce does not automatically warrant suppression. Many Email Service Providers (ESPs) automatically retry sending to soft-bounced addresses for a period. If an address consistently soft bounces over an extended period, then it should be treated like any other consistently non-deliverable address and removed from your active sending list. This helps protect your sender reputation and prevents you from being added to an email blacklist.
For platforms like Braze, ensuring proper configuration for Apple Private Relay is crucial. If your backend isn't set up to communicate with Apple's relay service, emails will simply bounce. This is a technical setup issue, not an indication that the user should be suppressed. Once properly configured, emails sent to these addresses should deliver reliably.
Strategies for robust email lists
While Apple Private Relay addresses are legitimate, it's essential to maintain robust list hygiene practices across your entire subscriber base. This includes implementing measures that prevent low-quality sign-ups, regardless of whether they use a private relay address or a standard one. The goal is to build an engaged and responsive list.
Common practices (without double opt-in)
Single opt-in: New subscribers are added to your list immediately after submitting a form, without email verification.
Weak form security: Forms without CAPTCHA or other bot-prevention measures.
Broad segmentation: Sending to all contacts, regardless of their recent engagement or bounce history.
Consequences
Increased bounces: More invalid or non-existent email addresses on your list.
Spam complaints: Higher rates from disengaged or unwilling recipients.
Lower deliverability: Risk of emails landing in spam or on a blocklist.
Recommended practices (with double opt-in)
Double opt-in: Requires subscribers to confirm their subscription via email. This is the gold standard for list quality. Find out how to boost email deliverability rates.
CAPTCHA: Implement CAPTCHA on signup forms to deter bots and automated submissions.
Engagement segmentation: Segment your audience based on recent opens, clicks, or purchases. Exclude inactive subscribers from regular campaigns.
Higher engagement: Your messages reach truly interested recipients, leading to better ROI. Learn how to increase email click through rate.
Stronger sender reputation: Positively impacts your sending domain's standing with ISPs.
I often advise a welcome series of a few emails. Only continue sending to those who show positive engagement (opens or clicks) with these initial messages. This approach helps filter out unengaged users, including those whose private relay addresses might be consistently soft bouncing or who simply aren't opening your emails. For more in-depth troubleshooting, review our article on bounces from Apple's privaterelay.appleid.com and how to fix them.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Always treat private relay email addresses as legitimate subscribers if they originated from a direct sign-up using 'Sign in with Apple'.
Ensure your email sending platform is properly configured with Apple's developer portal to communicate with relay services effectively.
Implement double opt-in for all new subscribers to verify email addresses and confirm user intent, reducing bad data.
Use CAPTCHA or other bot-prevention methods on all signup forms to prevent automated, fraudulent sign-ups.
Segment your email list based on engagement, regularly removing or suppressing inactive subscribers.
Common pitfalls
Misinterpreting a soft bounce from an Apple Private Relay address as a reason for immediate, permanent suppression.
Failing to configure your sending domain with Apple, leading to unnecessary bounce rates for legitimate subscribers.
Treating Apple Private Relay addresses the same as traditional disposable email addresses, leading to missed engagement.
Neglecting list hygiene practices, which can lead to poor sender reputation, even with legitimate subscribers.
Not using double opt-in, which increases the risk of spam complaints and higher bounce rates from invalid addresses.
Expert tips
Monitor bounce rates specifically for private relay domains to identify potential configuration issues.
Educate your product and marketing teams about the legitimacy and handling of Apple Private Relay addresses.
Focus on delivering valuable content to all subscribers, which naturally encourages engagement and reduces bounces.
Regularly review your subscriber acquisition methods to ensure high-quality and engaged sign-ups.
For non-technical marketers, relying on an ESP that handles Apple Private Relay configuration automatically can simplify management.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says you should be able to send to Apple Private Relay addresses fine, provided users signed up directly and you're registered with Apple.
2024-10-21 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says a user who uses an Apple private email address is likely real and interested in your content.
2024-10-21 - Email Geeks
Maximizing your email engagement
In summary, resisting the urge to automatically suppress Apple Private Relay addresses is key to maximizing your reach and engagement with legitimate users. These users value privacy but are still interested in your content. The focus should be on proper technical configuration with Apple and maintaining strong list hygiene practices that apply to all subscribers, such as implementing double opt-in and actively managing engagement.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your emails reach your intended audience, maintain a healthy sender reputation, and avoid unnecessary trips to the spam folder or accidental placements on an email blocklist.
