iOS 18.1: iCloud mail will soon allow change of primary address
Apple is opening up the configurability of its email service. Primary addresses can soon be changed – or disconnected from the Apple account.
(Image: nikkimeel/Shutterstock.com)
The use of the Apple account (formerly Apple ID) in connection with iCloud Mail has always been rather rigid: The Apple account also always corresponded to the primary email address used there. It was not interchangeable; you could only define aliases. With iOS 18.1, it is now more flexible. This is reported by beta testers. For the first time, Apple allows you to define a "primary" email address and even change it later. Conveniently, this does not change the Apple account itself.
Free at last, free at last
The new functionality can already be discovered in the system settings of iOS 18.1. In the iCloud settings, you can go through email and phone numbers and create new addresses there. It is then also possible to make this the primary address to which iCloud Mail is sent. Apple also allows you to change email addresses at a later date without having to delete them from your Apple account and add new ones –, including verification.
It is therefore possible to use the old email for the Apple account in parallel with a new address for iCloud Mail only. You can also deactivate a primary email for iCloud Mail if it receives too much spam; even then it can still be used for the Apple account. Aliases are still offered, but take over their actual function: the ability to better sort messages and have them sent to your own accounts.
Custom domains have been around for some time
iCloud Mail has been part of Apple's cloud service from the very beginning. Not every user uses the service. Apple only gives users 5 GB of free storage. According to the beta testers, the new feature also makes it possible to swap old iCloud.com, Me.com or even Mac.com addresses for more suitable domains. iCloud Mail has also been offering iCloud+ users the option to store their own (custom) domains for some time.
Apple recently changed the name of the Apple ID to "Apple-Account" –, a term that is also used in German. The name change has no further impact on the service.
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