Apple Account and iCloud
Hide My Email
Most people call this a throwaway address that forwards to your real one.
Hide My Email creates a unique random address that forwards to your real inbox, and you can switch it off at any time.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 16 and later
- Settings
- Apple Account
- iCloud
- Hide My Email
What it does
It requires iCloud+. Each address is unique to one service, so you can see who leaked or sold it, and disable that address alone. It works with Sign in with Apple and in Mail and Safari.
What changes
When it is on
You can generate forwarding addresses instead of giving out your real one.
When it is off
Every service gets your real address.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- One address per service, disabled individually.
- You can tell which company leaked your address.
- Included with iCloud+.
Good reasons to turn it off
- Some services reject forwarding addresses.
- Losing the iCloud+ subscription stops the forwarding.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
Helps
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: Available with iCloud+.
What your iPhone needs
- Needs iOS 15 or later
Questions people actually ask
- How do I stop spam to my email address?
- Use Hide My Email to give each service its own forwarding address, then disable the one that starts getting spam.
If it is not working
- Replies from a hidden address still come from it, so the recipient never sees your real address.
- Addresses are listed under iCloud, where they can be labelled and deactivated.
- Sign in with Apple offers it automatically.