What are email aliases in iCloud Mail?

An email alias is an alternate email address. It’s like a nickname and helps to keep your real email address private. After you set up a primary iCloud Mail address, you can create up to three @icloud.com email aliases.

After you create an alias, you can send and receive mail from that alias on iCloud.com and on any device that has Mail turned on in iCloud settings. When you send emails using an alias, your email address isn’t shown to the recipients. By default, emails sent to an alias appear in your primary inbox.

Aliases can’t be changed, transferred or converted to primary accounts. You can delete an email alias at any time. If you have three email aliases and you delete one, you must wait 7 days before you can create a new one.

Note: If you had five MobileMe email aliases when you moved your account to iCloud, you retain the five aliases. However, if you delete one of your five aliases, you can’t create a new one to replace it.

To set up and use an email alias, see any of the following: