iCloud+ to Let iCloud Mail Users Personalize Their Email Domain Name

[MacRumors]

At its WWDC keynote on Monday, Apple announced that iCloud is getting a premium subscription tier called "iCloud+," which includes tentpole privacy features like Private Relay and Hide My Email. Another feature included in iCloud+ that wasn't discussed in the keynote is the ability to create a custom email domain name.

From Apple's iOS 15 features preview page, under the iCloud+ section:

Custom email domain
Personalize your iCloud Mail address with a custom domain name, and invite family members to use the same domain with their iCloud Mail accounts.

In essence, what this means is that when iCloud+ goes live, Apple will allow users to change their iCloud Mail address completely. For instance, the email address jonnyappleseed@icloud.com could be changed to jonny@appleseed.com, forgoing the icloud domain reference entirely for a more personalized or businesslike look.

Additionally, Apple will allow users to invite family members to use the same domain name with their own iCloud Mail accounts, although it's not currently clear if family members will need to be part of Family Sharing for this to work.

For users of Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and other email providers, this sort of email address personalization has been available for a long time, so Apple could eventually prise some customers away from the competition with this move. It remains to be seen whether custom email domains for iCloud Mail will have certain limitations that rivals don't set, though.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1401987130252042241

We've reached out to Apple for additional information. Either way, expect more details as we approach the launch of iCloud+ in the fall.

Article Link: iCloud+ to Let iCloud Mail Users Personalize Their Email Domain Name

 

[idmean]

Yay, I was right back in January! https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-predict.2279278/?post=29479962#post-29479962

 

[m.x]

Is it possible to keep the @icloud.com address and add an additional @mydomainname.com?

 

[ruka.snow]

Ah thats cool. I am paying Microsoft for an Exchange email address that is more than I need just now.

 

[macintoshmac]

This is a good start, but they should increase the Inbox space from 5 GB for it to make sense. As of right now, 5 GB is not worth much unless you are just starting out with iCloud as a family and are in your honeymoon period with it.

 

[rowanmmcdonald]

Ok, that’s cool and all but any word on why iOS iCloud Mail still won’t background sync mail read status?! It’s been half a decade now 🤯

 

[Apple_Robert]

Is this a one of change, or can you change the name later on?

 

[macintoshmac]

Ah thats cool. I am paying Microsoft for an Exchange email address that is more than I need just now.

In that case this is going to be great! For personal uses as well, where the email throughput is not high, this is a nice add-on.

 

[macintoshmac]

Is this a one of change, or can you change the name later on?

Good question, you never know with Apple. Will need more details on this.

 

[Mr. 123]

Does one need a domain name for this to work or can you just create one via the settings app?

 

[Middling]

This is a good start, but they should increase the Inbox space from 5 GB for it to make sense. As of right now, 5 GB is not worth much unless you are just starting out with iCloud as a family and are in your honeymoon period with it.

This feature is only available as part of the paid iCloud+ so you'll be paying at least $0.99/month which will get you 50GB of storage.

 

[joelhinch]

Good question, you never know with Apple. Will need more details on this.

I would predict they are additional alias’
Which you can send and receive as.

 

[joelhinch]

Does one need a domain name for this to work or can you just create one via the settings app?

You would need your own domain. And the mail pointers set to apples servers.

 

[bob24]

Now this might get me to move my emails to iCloud! I have been refraining for a long time as I don't want to be stuck with an Apple branded domain which can't be migrated to another provider if I want to.

 

[macintoshmac]

This feature is only available as part of the paid iCloud+ so you'll be paying at least $0.99/month which will get you 50GB of storage.

I am talking inbox space, not storage space.

 

[bilbo--baggins]

Finally might be able to move from Google Workspace (g suite). Had resigned myself to think it would never happen. Hopefully there won’t be any disappointments.

 

[ArPe]

Cool will use President@whitehouse.com and deal with the spam.

 

[Middling]

I am talking inbox space, not storage space.

They both utilise the same pooled space don't they?

 

[Apple_Robert]

You would need your own domain. And the mail pointers set to apples servers.

It is a shame Apple can’t take care of that as well with the new feature. A one stop setup would be ideal. Still a nice feature. I may end up paying the $8 yearly domain fee (or whatever it is).

 

[bob24]

I am talking inbox space, not storage space.

I don‘t use iCloud email, but I think inbox space and file storage space are part of the same bucket which is minimum 50gb if you are on a paying offer?

 

[bob24]

It is a shame Apple can’t take care of that as well with the new feature. A one stop setup would be ideal. Still a nice feature. I may end up paying the $8 yearly domain fee (or whatever it is).

They *might* have a partnership with a domain registrar to let you create the domain name, automatically set it up, and pay for it from within the iCloud ecosystem. I think Microsoft had that on outlook.com for some time but have stopped.

 

[Apple_Robert]

They *might* have a partnership with a domain registrar to let you create the domain name, automatically set it up, and pay for it from within the iCloud ecosystem. I think Microsoft had that on outlook.com for some time but have stopped.

Ah. Good thought. Fingers crossed.

 

[macintoshmac]

They both utilise the same pooled space don't they?

I don‘t use iCloud email, but I think inbox space and file storage space are part of the same bucket which is minimum 50gb if you are on a paying offer?

Oh yes, just read through an Apple support document, and inbox storage is equal to free space in the iCloud account.

 

[macintoshmac]

They *might* have a partnership with a domain registrar to let you create the domain name, automatically set it up, and pay for it from within the iCloud ecosystem. I think Microsoft had that on outlook.com for some time but have stopped.

They still have with GoDaddy.

 

[NightFox]

I hope this makes my life easier. I'm one of those who's been stuck with two AppleIDs that Apple won't let me merge, but I'm not sure whether this'll improve things or make it even more confusing.

I have:

me@privatedomain.com as my main AppleID for everything except email (which has a rubbish email address)
me@icloud.com for my email (which my domain service fwds all my email send to me@privatedomain.com to)

Hopefully this means I'll be able to use my me@privatedomain.com email address with my me@privatedomain AppleID, but I'm not sure if Apple will allow an email alias to be used if that alias is already the 'name' of another AppleID.

I get confused even trying to explain that. What happened to 'it just works'?