Can I email users who have Apple's private relay email addresses?

Summary

Emailing users with Apple's private relay addresses is possible, but requires careful consideration of authentication, email practices, and engagement. Key steps include registering with Apple, configuring systems to handle relay addresses, and authenticating sending domains (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). It's essential to maintain good sender reputation, list hygiene, and manage bounces. Focus on explicit consent, providing value, and adapting to Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) by rethinking engagement metrics and focusing on first-party data. Double opt-in processes can help verify valid users. The impact of MPP necessitates adjusting strategies related to tracking, segmentation, and personalization.

Key findings

  • Apple Ecosystem: Understanding Apple's Private Relay and MPP is crucial.
  • Registration: Registering with Apple may be necessary for sending mail.
  • Authentication: Proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is vital for deliverability.
  • Data Quality: Focus on explicit consent and obtaining valid email addresses.
  • Engagement: Adapt engagement metrics due to the impact of MPP on open rates.

Key considerations

  • System Configuration: Configure systems to handle relay addresses and bounces properly.
  • List Hygiene: Maintain good list hygiene and manage complaints effectively.
  • Value Proposition: Provide value to encourage users to share their real email addresses.
  • Strategic Adjustment: Adjust email marketing strategies to account for MPP's impact.
  • Data Privacy: Prioritize data privacy and comply with regulations.
  • Double Opt-in: Implement a double opt-in process to ensure user verification.

What email marketers say
11Marketer opinions

You can email users with Apple's private relay addresses, but it requires careful consideration of email practices, authentication, and engagement. Apple is strict on deliverability, so ensuring your email practices are clean is critical. Verify sending domains with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Focus on providing value to encourage users to share real email addresses and consider implementing double opt-ins to confirm valid users. Monitor sender reputation, engagement metrics, and implement robust suppression lists. Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) affects how you measure success, so adapt your metrics and strategies, and focus on first-party data, making it attractive for users to share information.

Key opinions

  • Deliverability: Apple is strict on deliverability for private relay addresses.
  • Authentication: Domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial.
  • Engagement: Focus on user engagement and providing value.
  • Data Collection: Encourage users to share real email addresses.
  • MPP Impact: Apple's MPP affects measurement of success and metrics.

Key considerations

  • Clean Practices: Ensure email practices are clean and compliant.
  • Double Opt-in: Implement double opt-in to verify user validity.
  • Monitoring: Monitor sender reputation and engagement metrics.
  • Suppression Lists: Use robust suppression lists for deliverability.
  • First-Party Data: Focus on building and leveraging first-party data.
  • Strategy Adjustment: Adapt email marketing strategies to account for MPP.
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailOnAcid Blog explains that Apple's Private Relay can impact email marketing by masking user email addresses. Also, it means marketers need to focus on providing value to encourage users to share their real email addresses.

August 2023 - EmailOnAcid Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit shares that you can email users with Apple's private relay addresses, but you need to ensure your email practices are clean. Also, you need to authenticate your sending domain (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) as Apple is strict with deliverability.

November 2022 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from HubSpot Blog explains that Apple's Mail Privacy Protection will influence how you measure success. That measurement comes in the form of open rates, segmentation and personalization.

January 2023 - HubSpot Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from SuperOffice Blog responds that Apple's privacy features means you need to focus on your first-party data. As users have more control over how they share their information, you need to make it attractive for them to share it with you.

January 2025 - SuperOffice Blog
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that you need to verify your sending domains, or Apple will bounce the messages.

March 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackOverflow explains that you can email Apple private relay addresses, however, it is important to verify the user's actual email address by sending a confirmation email to ensure they are valid and engaged.

October 2022 - StackOverflow
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that there are two ways these addresses get generated, either by the user via the hide my email feature or Apple generates them as part of the sign in with apple feature. Also, if you are not the owner of that app, you will not be able to email those folks.

December 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Gmass recommends sending a double-opt in email to confirm they are still a valid user. As the private relay addresses are real email addresses, if you are only sending to confirmed and engaged addresses, it's not much different than regular emails.

December 2022 - Gmass
Marketer view

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign states you can't rely on open rates to give you an accurate understanding of how well your emails are doing, as Apple MPP will distort your data.

August 2022 - ActiveCampaign
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus Blog explains that Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) affects email marketing by masking IP addresses and hiding open rates, and that private relay masks actual email addresses. Also, it means that marketers need to adjust their metrics and strategies.

July 2023 - Litmus Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum shares that you need to treat Apple private relay addresses carefully and monitor your sender reputation and engagement metrics. Also, implement robust suppression lists to maintain deliverability.

January 2022 - Email Marketing Forum

What the experts say
3Expert opinions

To email users with Apple's private relay addresses, registration with Apple is necessary. It's critical to ensure proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and maintain good list hygiene, complaint management, and bounce handling. The validity of open rates for tracking engagement is no longer dependable and metrics need to be rethought.

Key opinions

  • Apple Registration: Registration with Apple is required to email users with private relay addresses.
  • Authentication: Proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is critical for deliverability.
  • Data Handling: Maintain good list hygiene and manage complaints and bounces.
  • Metric Validity: Open rates are no longer dependable for tracking engagement.

Key considerations

  • Registration Process: Follow Apple's registration process to ensure compliance.
  • Authentication Configuration: Properly configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for your sending domains.
  • List Management: Implement best practices for list hygiene and complaint management.
  • Engagement Metrics: Rethink engagement metrics and find alternative ways to track user interaction.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares that with Apple private relay you need to register with apple to send mail.

November 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that with Apple's Private Email Relay, it's critical to ensure authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is properly configured. Also, maintain good list hygiene, manage complaints, and handle bounces. Apple is monitoring this closely.

November 2023 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise responds that Apple's Mail Privacy Protection means marketers have to rethink the engagement they are tracking. What was once measured and reported as a key metric, now needs a re-think, as you can't depend on the validity of open rates any more.

April 2024 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

To email users with Apple's private relay addresses, configure your system to send emails to the relay address and handle bounces/forwards. Register your domain with Apple. Treat these addresses like any other email address, ensuring a good sender reputation and compliance with authentication standards (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). Focus on obtaining explicit consent, providing value to users, and focusing on content, segmentation and deliverability rates. Also, use engagement metrics like conversions to measure success.

Key findings

  • Configuration: System configuration is required for sending to relay addresses.
  • Registration: Domain registration with Apple is a requirement.
  • Reputation & Authentication: Maintain good sender reputation and comply with authentication standards.
  • Explicit Consent: Focus on obtaining explicit user consent.
  • Alternative Metrics: Engagement metrics like conversions are key for success measurement.

Key considerations

  • System Setup: Configure your system to correctly handle relay addresses, bounces, and forwards.
  • Value Proposition: Provide value to users to encourage them to share their real email addresses.
  • Content Quality: Focus on the quality of your content and segmentation strategies.
  • Deliverability Optimization: Prioritize deliverability rates to ensure emails reach their intended recipients.
  • Metric Adaptation: Adapt your measurement strategy to use alternative engagement metrics.
Technical article

Documentation from Sendgrid explains that to handle Apple's privacy features (including Private Relay), marketers should focus on obtaining explicit consent and ensure you are providing value to the users. This encourages the users to share valid email addresses.

January 2023 - Sendgrid
Technical article

Documentation from Apple Developer Documentation explains that to communicate with users through the private email relay service, you need to configure your system to send email to the relay address and handle bounces and forwards appropriately. Also, you need to register your domain with Apple.

August 2023 - Apple Developer Documentation
Technical article

Documentation from Mailgun explains that to handle Apple's Private Relay, you should treat the `privaterelay.appleid.com` addresses like any other email address. Also, ensure your sender reputation is good, and you comply with email authentication standards (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).

March 2024 - Mailgun
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost explains that Apple's Private Relay can make it harder to track user behavior. Sparkpost recommends you focus on what you can control, such as content, segmentation and deliverability rates. Also, use engagement metrics like conversions to measure success.

November 2022 - SparkPost