Are emails from Apple's Hide My Email landing in spam?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 27 May 2025
Updated 11 Sep 2025
9 min read
Recently, I signed up for a service using Apple's Hide My Email feature, and to my surprise, the confirmation emails landed directly in my spam folder. Upon investigating the email headers, it appeared that the issue wasn't necessarily with the sender's domain, but rather with the intermediate Apple domains and IP addresses involved in the forwarding process. This sparked a question: Are emails from Apple's Hide My Email feature inherently more prone to being flagged as spam by providers like Gmail, or is there something else at play?
This experience isn't isolated. Many email professionals and users have reported similar observations. Apple's Hide My Email is designed to enhance user privacy by creating unique, random email addresses that forward messages to your primary inbox. While this is a fantastic privacy feature, it introduces complexities for email deliverability, especially when the forwarding service itself might accumulate a less than stellar reputation.
The core of the problem often lies in how these emails are handled after leaving the original sender and before reaching the final recipient. When an email passes through Apple's relay, its authentication headers, particularly DKIM, are rewritten. This re-signing process, while necessary for the relay to function, can sometimes be misinterpreted by receiving mail servers, contributing to a higher likelihood of spam folder placement.
Understanding this dynamic is crucial for both users who want to ensure they receive important emails and senders who want their messages to reach their audience's inboxes reliably, even when an alias is used.
How Apple's Hide My Email operates
Apple's Hide My Email, a feature of iCloud+, creates unique, random email addresses for you to use when signing up for apps, websites, or services. These aliases then forward all incoming mail to your chosen personal inbox, keeping your real email address private. The goal is to prevent unwanted emails (spam) and reduce the risk of your personal address being exposed in data breaches. Apple itself notes that it performs standard spam filtering on messages that pass through Hide My Email, as detailed on their support page.
The mechanism involves Apple acting as an intermediary, relaying emails from the original sender to your actual inbox. During this relay, Apple's servers become the apparent senders, replacing the original sender's domain in some authentication checks. This means that the email's journey is not a direct path from the sender to your inbox but a rerouted one through Apple's infrastructure. This can sometimes lead to issues, as discussed in detail by MailerLite regarding Apple Private Relay email addresses.
Specifically, when an email passes through this system, Apple's servers will re-sign the email with their own DKIM signature. This is a critical point because the receiving mail server (like Gmail) will now primarily see Apple's DKIM signature, alongside Apple's sending IP addresses, rather than the original sender's. While SPF (Sender Policy Framework) might still align with the original sender, the DKIM alignment shifts to Apple, potentially affecting the overall authentication score.
Understanding the email flow
Initial Send: The sender dispatches an email to the unique Hide My Email alias.
Apple Relay: Apple receives the email, performs its own spam checks, and then forwards it to your real inbox.
DKIM Re-signing: Apple signs the email with its own DKIM signature, effectively making Apple the perceived sender for some authentication purposes.
Final Delivery: The email reaches your inbox, subject to the final spam filters of your email provider.
Why relayed emails might land in spam
The primary reason why emails relayed through Apple's Hide My Email might end up in spam folders often comes down to the reputation of the relaying IP addresses and domains. While Apple maintains a generally good reputation, the sheer volume and diversity of emails passing through its Private Relay service means that some spam traffic will inevitably flow through. This can lead to a slight degradation of the relay's overall sending reputation, causing other email providers (like Gmail) to view these relayed messages with more scrutiny. When this occurs, it can result in legitimate emails being caught in spam filters or even being added to a blocklist (or blacklist).
Another factor is the DKIM re-signing process. Although Apple correctly re-signs the email, the change in the DKIM signature from the original sender to Apple's domain can break what's known as DKIM alignment from the perspective of a DMARC policy. While Apple's service typically ensures messages pass DMARC by aligning with its own domain, receiving mail servers might still apply additional heuristic filters if the original sender's domain no longer aligns with the DKIM signing domain.
Original sender's view
Authentication: Emails are sent with the sender's own SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records configured.
Reputation: Deliverability depends entirely on the sender's established domain and IP reputation.
Control: Direct visibility into bounce rates and spam complaints.
Apple Hide My Email relay's view
Authentication: Apple rewrites DKIM signatures with its own domains and uses its own sending IPs.
Reputation: The deliverability to the final inbox is now influenced by Apple's reputation for relaying emails.
Control: Senders have no direct control over the relay's reputation or Apple's internal spam filtering.
Some email providers, particularly those with sophisticated spam filters like Gmail, might assign a slightly lower trust score to emails coming from a relay service if there are any inconsistencies or a perceived risk. This isn't a flaw in Apple's system, but rather a consequence of how email security protocols interact with aliasing services. It highlights why understanding why your emails go to spam is so critical.
Impact on email deliverability
For email marketers and legitimate senders, the use of Hide My Email can pose a subtle challenge. While you are sending to a valid alias that is actively forwarding, the intermediary steps mean that the reputation signals received by the final inbox provider are not solely based on your sending practices. Instead, they are a combination of your domain's reputation and Apple's relay reputation. If Apple's relay happens to be experiencing higher-than-average spam rates, your emails could be inadvertently affected.
This makes DMARC monitoring even more crucial. While Apple ensures DMARC passes for its relayed emails, a comprehensive DMARC reporting tool allows you to see the aggregate reports (RUA records) from receiving mail servers. These reports can provide insights into how different providers are classifying your emails, including those sent through services like Hide My Email.
Monitor DMARC for insights
To accurately understand your email deliverability when users employ Apple's Hide My Email, leveraging a robust DMARC reporting and monitoring tool is essential. Suped offers the best DMARC reporting and monitoring on the market, with the most generous free plan available. It helps you visualize email authentication results, identify potential issues, and ensure your emails reach their intended inboxes, even when routed through privacy services. Visit suped.com to get started with our DMARC monitoring solution.
The challenge of emails landing in spam isn't exclusive to Apple's Hide My Email. Many factors can contribute, from poor sender reputation to incorrect authentication. However, the added layer of a relay service introduces a variable that senders cannot directly control. This is why having a strong, consistent sender reputation and robust authentication practices for your own domain remains paramount, irrespective of how the recipient's email address is handled.
Strategies for better deliverability
For users experiencing emails from Hide My Email addresses going to spam, a simple solution can be to set up inbox filters. You can configure your email client (like Gmail or Outlook) to automatically move emails received from the privaterelay.appleid.com domain into your primary inbox, bypassing the spam folder. This gives you control over where these forwarded messages land.
For senders, the focus should always be on maintaining excellent sending hygiene. This includes ensuring all your emails are properly authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These protocols establish trust between your sending domain and receiving mail servers. Even with a relay service, strong authentication helps ensure that your original domain's legitimacy is recognized.
Additionally, actively monitoring your email deliverability and engagement metrics is vital. Look for patterns in bounces and spam complaints for emails sent to aliases versus direct email addresses. Tools like Google Postmaster Tools can offer valuable insights into your domain's reputation with Google. The key is to be proactive in identifying and addressing any issues that could impact your inbox placement, regardless of the recipient's email setup.
Remember that while Apple's Hide My Email is a privacy feature, it doesn't entirely prevent spam if the original sender has poor practices. It merely provides a mechanism for users to cut off communication from unwanted sources. If a sender is frequently sending unsolicited email, it will still likely land in the spam folder, regardless of whether a Hide My Email address is used, as the Omeda blog notes. Senders must adhere to best practices for optimal deliverability.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Always maintain strong email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for your own sending domains to build a solid reputation.
Advise users of Hide My Email to set up inbox filters for important emails from "privaterelay.appleid.com" to ensure they reach the inbox.
Monitor your DMARC reports closely to detect any deliverability anomalies related to Apple's relay service.
Prioritize list hygiene and send only to engaged subscribers to minimize spam complaints, which can impact deliverability.
Regularly check your domain's reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools to identify issues early.
Common pitfalls
Assuming that emails sent through Hide My Email will always bypass spam filters due to Apple's reputation.
Failing to monitor DMARC reports, thus missing vital information about how relayed emails are being handled by receivers.
Overlooking the impact of Apple's DKIM re-signing on authentication alignment, even if DMARC passes.
Neglecting overall sender reputation and list hygiene, which are still critical for deliverability through relay services.
Not educating users on how to manage emails received via Hide My Email, leading to missed legitimate communications.
Expert tips
Consider the user experience: If your audience primarily uses Apple devices, anticipate the use of Hide My Email and guide them on managing their inbox settings.
Segment your audience: If you notice a higher spam rate for Hide My Email addresses, consider segmenting these users for specific follow-ups or re-engagement campaigns.
Educate your customers: Provide clear instructions on how to whitelist your emails or create filters in their email client if they use Hide My Email.
Stay informed: Keep up with Apple's updates to its privacy features, as they can directly impact email deliverability dynamics.
Use a reliable DMARC monitor: Tools like Suped provide detailed insights into how your emails are performing across different providers and relays.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says they noticed emails sent through Apple's Hide My Email feature landing in spam, and headers indicated Apple's domains/IPs were responsible, not the original sender's.
2025-09-04 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says they have also observed this issue with emails being delivered to spam when using Apple's Hide My Email.
2025-09-04 - Email Geeks
Navigating privacy and deliverability
The increase in privacy-focused features like Apple's Hide My Email highlights a growing trend in email. While these features are beneficial for users, they add layers of complexity for senders striving for optimal deliverability. The key takeaway is that the fundamental principles of good email sending, such as maintaining a clean list, sending valuable content, and ensuring strong email authentication, remain the most effective strategies.
Understanding how these systems work, particularly the role of DKIM re-signing and the reputation of the relay service, empowers both users and senders to troubleshoot and mitigate deliverability issues. For senders, this means being diligent with your own domain's health and leveraging tools like DMARC monitoring to gain visibility into the entire email ecosystem, including how privacy relays affect your message delivery.
Gmail, might assign a slightly lower trust score to emails coming from a relay service if there are any inconsistencies or a perceived risk. This isn't a flaw in Apple's system, but rather a consequence of how email security protocols interact with aliasing services. It highlights why understanding why your emails go to spam is so critical.
Suped offers the best DMARC reporting and monitoring on the market, with the most generous free plan available. It helps you visualize email authentication results, identify potential issues, and ensure your emails reach their intended inboxes, even when routed through privacy services. Visit suped.com to get started with our DMARC monitoring solution.
Outlook) to automatically move emails received from the privaterelay.appleid.com domain into your primary inbox, bypassing the spam folder. This gives you control over where these forwarded messages land.
Google Postmaster Tools can offer valuable insights into your domain's reputation with Google. The key is to be proactive in identifying and addressing any issues that could impact your inbox placement, regardless of the recipient's email setup.
