Apple has announced an upcoming change that will unify the email domains used by Sign in with Apple and iCloud+ Hide My Email. Later this summer, the company will begin issuing new private email addresses through a single shared domain, private.icloud.com, making email management more consistent across both privacy-focused features.
According to Apple, new addresses created through Sign in with Apple will move from privaterelay.appleid.com to private.icloud.com, while new Hide My Email addresses will also use the same domain instead of the current icloud.com format. Existing addresses will continue working normally, so users will not experience any disruption when receiving forwarded emails.
In its developer documentation, Apple said:
“Later this summer, Apple will unify the email domains used by Sign in with Apple and iCloud+ Hide My Email under a single, shared domain: private.icloud.com. Existing addresses on the legacy domains will continue to work and forward mail to users without interruption.”
The update mainly affects developers and email service providers that rely on domain-based rules and email validation systems. Apple has advised developers to update account systems, allowlists, and email validation logic so they accept the new private.icloud.com addresses alongside existing domains.
Meanwhile, email service providers should review any filtering, routing, or suppression rules that specifically reference Apple’s relay domains and include the new domain before the rollout begins.
Apple has not provided an exact launch date for the transition, but the company says the change will arrive later this summer. For everyday users, the switch should happen quietly in the background while maintaining the same privacy protections and email forwarding functionality already offered by Sign in with Apple and iCloud+ Hide My Email.
