Can I email users who have Apple's private relay email addresses?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
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.
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.
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.
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.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that you need to verify your sending domains, or Apple will bounce the messages.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks shares that with Apple private relay you need to register with apple to send mail.
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.
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.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
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.
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.
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).
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.