How to use iCloud with a custom email domain

During the WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference), Apple announced its new premium iCloud+ subscription in June 2021, which adds additional security and convenience features to the company’s popular storage service. One of those features is the ability to run your iCloud email inbox through a custom domain. We explain what advantages having a custom domain has and how exactly you link the iCloud with your personal domain.

1. Sign into iCloud Mail Beta with your Apple ID: Sign-in page for iCloud Beta (create an Apple ID first, if necessary). A paid iCloud+ subscription is required.
2. Under “Account Settings”, click “Manage” in the “Custom Email Domain” section.
3. Select the account type (personal or family account), enter the existing domain (if necessary, register the domain with a provider beforehand) and click “Continue”.
4. Open the account with your domain provider and adjust the domain settings. For iCloud select “Update your domain registrar’s settings”, click on “View” and transfer the values to the account you have with the provider.
5. Click “Finish set up” - a message will appear indicating whether this was successful. Then set up the desired email addresses.

With the introduction of the new paid subscription for Apple’s cloud service, users can freely design the iCloud email address how they want. So instead of the standard addresses that follow the same pattern name@icloud.com, for example, custom domains like name@desireddomain.com are possible. You can use this domain to send your iCloud emails as usual.

Linking the iCloud to your personal domain can pay off for a variety of reasons:

• Companies gain respectability through personalized domains, for example.
• Emails from a custom account appear more professional than emails from an icloud.com address.
• A custom domain offers maximum flexibility when it comes to hosting.
• You can use your own email domain with iCloud and also with any other mail platform.
• Moreover, you can decide yourself which provider you register your desired address with.

To be able to send iCloud emails via a custom domain, you first of all need your own domain. If you already have your own individual Internet address, you are one step ahead at this point. Otherwise, the first step is to purchase a domain from your trusted provider.

Once you have a personal domain, simply follow the instructions below to link the iCloud+ email service with the custom domain.

As mentioned above, linking iCloud email and a custom domain is only possible if you have purchased a domain beforehand. This involves registering a domain, which you can choose to do with a registrar or service provider. Here’s the process in a nutshell:

1. Decide on a registrar or provider that you want to register your domain with.
2. Think of a meaningful name and a suitable domain extension for your domain, which you can later use, for example, as the basis for your custom email domain with iCloud.
3. Use the verification tool of your chosen provider to check the availability of your desired domain.
4. Register the domain if it is available.
5. Verify the domain purchase within 15 days.

For a detailed guide on the domain registration process including many useful tips and tricks, look no further than our article “How to buy a domain”.