Privacy & security

Hide My Email isn’t forwarding on iPhone? Check the address

The short answer

Open Settings → your name → iCloud → Hide My Email. Compare the address the sender used with the alias in the list, then check Forward To to see which inbox receives it. If the address is inactive, reactivate it before requesting a fresh message.

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01Match the sender’s address

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Look up the email address shown in the website’s account settings or in a previous confirmation email. Compare the entire address with the entry under Hide My Email. If you used Sign in with Apple to create the account, open Settings → your name → Sign in with Apple and select the app. Only designated addresses from that app or site can send through its alias.

02Check the forwarding inbox

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In Hide My Email, tap Forward To. Open that mailbox directly and search for the sender. Check its spam folder and filters. If you switch to another address from your Apple Account, check that inbox for the next message. This setting applies to the iCloud+ aliases that use that forwarding destination.

03Reactivate an inactive alias

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On iCloud.com, open iCloud+ Features and choose Hide My Email. Find the inactive address at the bottom of the list, select it and choose Reactivate address. Apple returns mail sent to an inactive address to the sender, so request a new message after reactivating it. A permanently deleted alias cannot be reactivated.

04Try a fresh message from the same sender

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Ask the site to resend the message after confirming the address on the account. If the mailbox receives new messages sent directly to it but the site’s message through the alias still fails, ask the sender whether the alias was rejected or the message bounced. Give the sender the alias to check.

Sources & further reading