Hide My Email
Apple iCloud+ feature that creates unique, random email aliases that forward to your real inbox.
HN commenters like it for giving each service its own unique alias123, for aliases on the regular iCloud domain that are harder to block than other relays45, and for being cheap with iCloud+.67 The most common complaints are Apple lock-in89 and clunky alias management, with unreliable autofill prompts and one report of a Forward To setting that silently fails to change.101112
Why people recommend it
Per-service aliases · 3
Users give each service a unique address, which helps them organize accounts and catch spammers or data sellers.
“I've been trying to update my Forward To address for months on multiple versions of macOS and iOS, and it doesn't work.”
“I love Hide My Email and it's been the best feature about iCloud ever since it came out.”
Show 1 more
“I pay mainly for Hide My Email, just to organise things per domain, and it's cheap.”
Everyday reliability · 3
Several commenters say they use it constantly and that it works well.
“This is why I love Apple's Hide My Email. I use it ALL the time”
“I use hide my email and single use credit card numbers all the time, its a fantastic system”
Show 1 more
“I use this feature extensively and would like to continue to”
Shared iCloud domain · 2
Aliases share icloud.com with normal addresses, so commenters say they are harder to detect and block than SimpleLogin or addy aliases.
“This is a huge selling point.”
“is the reason why I use iCloud over other email alias services like simplelogin and addy”
Usable outside Apple · 3
Some generate aliases on icloud.com or through a Chrome extension and save them in 1Password or Firefox.
“I use Hide My Email largely without integration to the Apple ecosystem”
“Hide My Email is pretty much the only Apple service I use”
Show 1 more
“My workflow is to use Passwords and Hide my on safari”
Low cost · 2
Commenters describe it as cheap with an iCloud+ subscription, at about $0.99/month.
“I pay mainly for Hide My Email, just to organise things per domain, and it's cheap.”
“if you have iCloud+ Apple's($0.99/month) hide my email is good”
Caveats and dissent
Apple lock-in · 2
Commenters say the aliases tie you to Apple, though some accept this as the price of a shared domain.
“I use hide my email and single use credit card numbers all the time, its a fantastic system”
“This is a huge selling point.”
Clunky management · 2
Removing or bulk-cleaning aliases is described as obnoxious, and the interface as not polished.
“HME was never hassle-free. I would say that it works on ~40% of form fields.”
“This is why I love Apple's Hide My Email. I use it ALL the time”
Unreliable autofill · 1
One paying user says the alias prompt appears on only about 40% of form fields.
“HME was never hassle-free. I would say that it works on ~40% of form fields.”
Forward To bug · 1
One user with many aliases says changing the Forward To address has silently failed for months on macOS and iOS.
“I've been trying to update my Forward To address for months on multiple versions of macOS and iOS, and it doesn't work.”
Address format changes · 2
Commenters objected to an update adding a 'private.' tag to alias addresses, saying it makes them easier to identify and block.
“I love Hide My Email and it's been the best feature about iCloud ever since it came out.”
“HME was never hassle-free. I would say that it works on ~40% of form fields.”
Requires iCloud+ · 2
The feature is only available with a paid iCloud+ subscription.
“if you have iCloud+ Apple's($0.99/month) hide my email is good”
“If you have iCloud+ Apple has an email aliasing service called Hidemyemail.”
Often compared with
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- Apple is about to make Hide My Email useless 6 mentions
- iCloud+ Hide My Email addresses will remain on icloud.com 4 mentions
- macOS 15.8.2 Breaks OpenGL 1 mention
- IP and DNS Leaks in WebKit Affecting Proxy Browsers and iCloud Private Relay 1 mention
- US citizen charged after GrapheneOS phone wipes during airport search 1 mention
- Apple 'Hide My Email' Vulnerability Reveals Peoples' Real Email Addresses 1 mention
Also written as iCloud Hide My Email. Data: hide-my-email.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 17
“I've been trying to update my Forward To address for months on multiple versions of macOS and iOS, and it doesn't work.”
“I use hide my email and single use credit card numbers all the time, its a fantastic system”
“This is a huge selling point.”
“is the reason why I use iCloud over other email alias services like simplelogin and addy”
“I use this feature extensively and would like to continue to”
“I pay mainly for Hide My Email, just to organise things per domain, and it's cheap.”
“I use disposable emails via simplelogin (?) and iCloud hide my email.”
“I use this feature often and I'm very disappointed.”
“HME was never hassle-free. I would say that it works on ~40% of form fields.”
“My workflow is to use Passwords and Hide my on safari”
“Hide My Email is pretty much the only Apple service I use”
“I use Hide My Email largely without integration to the Apple ecosystem”
“before I switched to Hide My Email”
“I love Hide My Email and it's been the best feature about iCloud ever since it came out.”
“if you have iCloud+ Apple's($0.99/month) hide my email is good”
“This is why I love Apple's Hide My Email. I use it ALL the time”
“If you have iCloud+ Apple has an email aliasing service called Hidemyemail.”