Protect email privacy in Mail on Mac
You can use features like Mail Privacy Protection, Hide My Email, and email aliases to keep your information private while sending and receiving emails.
Use Mail Privacy Protection
Email messages you receive may include remote content that allows a sender to collect information when you view a message, such as when and how many times you view it, whether you forward it, what your IP address is, and other data. Mail Privacy Protection prevents senders from learning your information.
If you didn’t turn on Protect Mail Activity when you first opened Mail (macOS 13 or later), you can do so in Mail settings.
Go to the Mail app
on your Mac.Choose Mail > Settings, then click Privacy.
Select Protect Mail Activity.
When this option is selected, your IP address is hidden from senders and remote content is privately downloaded in the background when you receive a message (instead of when you view it).
If you deselect the option, you can choose to separately hide your IP address and block all remote content. When Block All Remote Content is selected, a banner is shown in a message when you view it, indicating it contains remote content; you can choose then to download the content.
Send an email using a unique, random email address
If you subscribe to iCloud+, Hide My Email allows you to send and receive messages without having to share your real email address by using unique, random email addresses that forward to the email address associated with your Apple Account.
Tip: You can see and manage your unique, random addresses, or create new ones, in iCloud settings on your Mac or in Account Settings on iCloud.com.
Go to the Mail app
on your Mac.Click
to compose a new message.Add a recipient and subject for your message.
Messages you send from a unique, random address can only be delivered to a single recipient.
Move the pointer over the From field.
Click the pop-up menu that appears, then choose Hide My Email.
If you’ve never sent this recipient an email from a unique, random address: A new address appears in the From field.
If you previously sent this recipient an email from a unique, random address: The address used previously with this recipient appears in the From field.
Write your message, then when you’re ready to send, click
.
Create, edit, or remove an email alias
An email alias is like a nickname. It can be used to help keep your real address private, or to give an alternative identity to your primary address without creating a new account. When you send emails using an alias, your email address isn’t shown to the recipients.
Go to the Mail app
on your Mac.Choose Mail > Settings, then click Accounts.
Select an account, then click Account Information.
Click the Email Address pop-up menu, choose Edit Email Addresses, then do one of the following:
Add an alias: Click
, then enter a name and email address.Edit an alias: Click the Full Name or Email Address field, then change the name or email address.
Remove an alias: Select an alias, then click
.
Send an email from an email alias
Go to the Mail app
on your Mac.Move the pointer over the From field in a message you’re writing.
Click the pop-up menu that appears, then choose an email alias.
Send digitally signed or encrypted emails
A digitally signed message lets your recipients verify your identity as the sender; an encrypted message offers an even higher level of security. To send signed messages, you must have a personal certificate in your keychain. To send encrypted messages, the recipient’s certificate must be in your keychain.
Go to the Mail app
on your Mac.Choose File > New Message.
Move the pointer over the From field, click the pop-up menu that appears, then choose the account for which you have a personal certificate in your keychain.
A signed icon (containing a checkmark) is shown in the message header and indicates your message will be signed when you send it.
Address the message to recipients.
An encrypted icon (containing a closed lock) is shown if your keychain contains a personal certificate for every recipient. If you don’t have a certificate for every recipient, click the encrypted icon in your message; an open lock replaces the closed lock, indicating the message will be sent unencrypted.
Some mailing lists reject digitally signed messages because the signature is treated as an attachment. If this happens, click the signed icon in your message; an x replaces the checkmark, indicating the message will be sent unsigned.
Note: If for some reason your certificate isn’t associated with your email address, or if you want to use your certificate with a different email address, Control-click the certificate in Keychain Access, choose New Identity Preference, then provide the requested information.