A Comprehensive Guide to Using Hide My Email on iPhone

ByJim Miller

With the release of iOS 13, Apple introduced the Sign in with Apple function, allowing users to sign up for apps and services using their Apple ID or a random email address. Now, with the iOS 15 update, Apple has taken this feature to the next level with Hide My Email integrated into Email, Safari, and iCloud. In this guide, we will explore everything you need to know about using Hide My Email on your iPhone.

Are you tired of giving out your primary email address to random websites and apps on your phone? It can be frustrating to see your inbox flooded with marketing emails and spam. That's where Apple's Hide My Email comes in. It offers a solution that simplifies the sign-up process while protecting your privacy and keeping your email inbox clean.

What Is Hide My Email on iPhone

As the name suggests, Hide My Email's main function is to keep your primary email address hidden from random apps and websites on your iPhone. Instead of using yourname@icloud.com, Apple generates and uses a random@icloud.com email address, redirecting all emails to your original email ID.

Hide My Email builds upon the Sign in with Apple function introduced in iOS 13. This feature allows you to create a virtual email address that you can share with app developers and other online services.

With Hide My Email, Apple has made the functionality even better by providing a friendlier @icloud.com domain instead of the previous @privateicloud.appleid.com domain, which was random and awkward.

How to Use Hide My Email on iPhone

Hide My Email is built into the Safari browser, Mail app, and apps that support the Sign in with Apple function. Let's take a look at how to use it in an app:

  1. Open a newly downloaded app on your iPhone.
  2. On the signup page, select the Sign in with Apple button.
  3. At the bottom, choose Hide my email and tap on Continue.

By selecting Hide my email, the developer will receive a random email address instead of your original one. But what about promotional emails from the same developer? How can they reach you without your original email ID?

Apple has got you covered. It forwards all the emails from the sent random address to your original Apple ID in the Mail app. This way, you can continue to receive emails even though the developer doesn't have your original email address. It's a win-win situation for both parties.

You can also use the Hide my email feature in the Safari browser. When signing up for a service, the Hide my email option will pop up over the keyboard. Tap on Hide my email, and it will suggest a random email ID to use. Tap on Continue, add a note related to the email ID if necessary, take a peek at the label, and tap on Use to finalize the email ID.

It's important to note that the Hide my email option is not available in browsers like Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome on the iPhone.

How to Customize Hide My Email

In iOS 15, you can customize Hide My Email and manage all the virtual email addresses you have created. Here's how:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap on your Apple ID at the top.
  3. Go to iCloud and select Hide my email from the menu.

Here, you can view all the random email addresses you have created using the Sign in with Apple option over the last two years.

From this menu, you can create a new address, give it a relevant label, add a note, and even disable the Forward to toggle for any service. Disabling the toggle ensures that you won't receive any new emails from that app or service in your primary email inbox.

How to Disable Hide My Email on iPhone

If you decide to stop using Hide My Email and want to sign up for a service using your main email ID, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Go to Profile > iCloud > Hide my email.
  3. Open the service for which you want to sign up again.
  4. Tap on Manage Sign in with Apple Settings, select Edit, and then tap on Delete followed by Stop using.

By removing your account credentials from the Hide my email menu, the next time you try to access the app or website, it will prompt you to sign up again using your main email ID.

FAQs

  • How do I check the email addresses I've created on my iPhone? You can go to Settings > Profile > iCloud > Hide my email menu to view all the email addresses created using Hide My Email on your iPhone or Mac.

  • How do I disable email forwards in my primary email account? To stop getting emails from a specific service in your primary email account, navigate to Settings > Profile > iCloud > Hide my email, select the service, and disable the Forward to toggle.

  • Is Hide My Email free? Yes, Hide My Email is free to use. However, there are additional features available for iCloud+ subscribers, such as the ability to create unlimited email addresses and hide your email address when sending emails through iCloud. iCloud paid plans start at $0.99 per month.

Wrapping Up: Use Hide My Email on iPhone

Hide My Email is an excellent addition for iPhone users who want to sign up for new services without worrying about email spam. This feature is also available on the latest macOS and iPadOS versions. Subscribers to iCloud+ enjoy even more functionality, including the option to create unlimited email addresses and use Hide My Email in the default Email app on their iPhones. So, take advantage of this feature and enjoy a more secure and organized email experience on your iPhone.