Apple testing custom iCloud+ email domains

Apple has now begun developer testing of custom iCloud email domains which will launch publicly in the fall as part of other new features advertised under the iCloud+ umbrella name.


STORY HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Custom email domains for iCloud Mail addresses
  • This feature is currently available in beta
  • This is part of Apple’s iCloud+ offering

WWDC21 slide showing an iCloud+ logo set against a light gray background

Apple starts testing custom iCloud+ email domains

As spotted by users on Reddit, people can now personalize their iCloud email address with a custom domain name. This also works with Apple’s excellent Family Sharing feature—you can even invite family members to use the same domain with their own iCloud email accounts.

Custom email domains are one of the new features of iCloud+.

With it, anyone with an iCloud email address (meaning anyone with an Apple ID account) can now use a custom domain name with their email address (for example, chris@MyGreatCompany.com) instead of the default yourname@icloud.com format.

How to create an alias for your iCloud email address

If you use iCloud Mail as a private email provider because the service doesn’t scan your inboxes nor does it inject ads in emails, then using a custom email domain may make a lot of sense considering its association with your company or personal brand.

How to create a custom iCloud+ email domain

Anyone can create a custom email domain for their iCloud Mail by visiting the account settings section on the iCloud Beta website in their favorite web browser.

  1. Visit beta.icloud.com in your web browser.
  2. Click “Account Settings” in the iCloud web interface.
  3. Now hit “Manage” next to “Custom Email Domain”.
  4. Select if you’d like to use a custom domain name for yourself or your Family Sharing circle.

You’ll be asked to pick the desired custom domain for your iCloud Mail, as well as add an existing @iCloud.com email address to use with the custom domain—and that’s all there’s to it!

WWDC21 slide listing iCloud+ features like Private Relay, Hide My Email and HomeKit Secure Video

After iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and other Apple OS updates release publicly in the fall, you’ll be able to create these things through the regular iCloud portal at iCloud.com as well.

What is iCloud+ and when does it launch?

Following “plus” branding that we first saw used by paid streaming services (Disney+, AppleTV+, Paramount+, etc), Apple is now distinguishing between a set of iCloud services that are available to all customers at no charge whatsoever and those that require payment.

In a nutshell, iCloud+ includes everything the regular iCloud offers but with several new features available to those who would pay for additional iCloud storage. Before the change, paid and free services were all advertised under the same iCloud moniker.

On June 7, 2021, Apple announced these perks would be exclusively available to iCloud+ users:

  • Custom email domains: Personalize your email address with a custom domain name
  • Private Relay: Browse your favorite websites in Safari without being tracked
  • Hide My Email: Create private email aliases that forwarded messages to your inbox
  • HomeKit Secure Video: Camera footage doesn’t count against your iCloud storage limit

iCloud+ will publicly launch in the fall.