Apple iOS 18 and email deliverability

Suggest Edits

iOS 18 brings changes to Apple Mail that affect how emails are displayed and categorized. While these updates don’t alter email deliverability rules, they influence visibility and engagement. If your emails aren’t optimized, they might get buried in inbox folders or cut off in previews. Understanding these changes helps ensure your messages still reach and engage your audience.

Key changes in iOS 18

Branded Mail

Apple now lets businesses display their brand logo in the inbox using Apple Business Connect, similar to Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI). To use Branded Mail, you need:

A DMARC policy set to “reject” or “quarantine”.
Correctly configured DNS records, including MX, A, and AAAA records.
Other required authentication settings.

Sign-up is free and helps improve brand recognition across Apple services like Maps, Wallet, and Siri.

Apple Mail categories

Apple Mail sorts emails into predefined categories, similar to Gmail’s tabs:

Primary: Personal messages and time-sensitive info
Transactions: Receipts and order details
Updates: Newsletters and notifications
Promotions: Marketing emails and offers

These categories are enabled by default. While they don’t block emails, they affect visibility. Emails in the “Promotions” folder may get lower open rates. Crafting engaging subject lines and valuable content can help.

Digest View

Apple Mail groups emails from the same sender in Digest View. Longer emails may get cut off, requiring users to click “See More” to view the full message. To ensure key details aren’t hidden:

Keep emails short and structured.
Place important information at the beginning.

Apple Intelligence summary

Apple’s AI now generates email summaries, replacing preheader text. This can be an issue for image-heavy emails if the AI doesn’t generate a useful summary. To ensure clarity:

Use text to highlight key messages. Don't rely only on images for important information.
Test different wording and formatting to improve the text that appears in summaries.

How iOS 18 updates affect deliverability

While these updates don’t change deliverability rules, they impact engagement and visibility. Key factors:

Categorization: Emails in “Promotions” or “Updates” may be overlooked, while time-sensitive messages are more likely to stay in “Primary.”
Digest View: Long emails may be truncated, reducing engagement. Keeping them brief ensures visibility.
AI summaries: Since preheader text is replaced, ensure key messages appear in text format for clarity.

Best practices for adapting to iOS 18

To stay ahead with iOS 18, follow these tips.

Use Branded Mail

Display your brand’s logo in the inbox using Branded Mail to increase brand recognition and stand out.

Optimize for categories

To increase placement in the “Primary” tab:

Send relevant, time-sensitive content.
Avoid overly promotional language in subject lines.
Personalize emails based on recipient behavior.

Keep content short and engaging

Since Digest View groups emails, brevity is key. Ensure content is clear and compelling to encourage recipients to read the full message.

Prioritize text-based content

Apple’s AI-generated summaries rely on text. Ensure key messages and calls to action appear in text format, not just images.

Personalize your emails

Go beyond using the recipient’s name. Use purchase history and preferences to create relevant and engaging content.

Maintain a positive sender reputation

A positive sender reputation improves deliverability. Follow best practices for authentication, avoid spam tactics, and ensure your emails provide value.

Test and monitor performance

Regularly test emails in Apple Mail to see how they appear under the new features. Monitor engagement and adjust your strategy to maintain visibility.

Updated 2 days ago