How to Use Custom Domains on iOS 15 with iCloud+

Apple introduced custom email domain hosting in iOS 15 as part of its iCloud+ subscription, allowing users to personalize their iCloud Mail with private web domains. This feature enables individuals and Family Sharing groups to link up to five custom domains directly to their Apple accounts, replacing standard "@icloud.com" addresses with professional, personalized handles. This guide outlines how custom domain hosting works on iOS 15, its key limits, and the exact steps to configure your domains.

Understanding the Five-Domain Capability

Under an iCloud+ subscription (available on 50GB, 200GB, and 2TB tiers), Apple allows an account to host up to five separate custom domains. This limit applies across the entire account or Family Sharing group.

Key capacity rules include:

  • Total Domains: Up to 5 custom domains per iCloud account or Family Sharing plan.
  • Email Addresses per User: Each person can create up to 3 active email addresses per domain.
  • Family Sharing Support: Up to six family members can share access to the configured domains, using their own distinct email addresses on those domains without seeing each other's mail.

Prerequisites Before Configuration

To configure custom domains on iOS 15, ensure you have:

  1. An active iCloud+ subscription.
  2. Two-Factor Authentication enabled on your Apple ID.
  3. Administrative access to your domain registrar (such as Cloudflare, Namecheap, or GoDaddy) to edit DNS records.
  4. An existing primary iCloud Mail address set up on your device.

How to Configure a Custom Domain on iOS 15

Configuration begins on your iOS device and concludes with DNS updates at your domain registrar.

1. Initiate Domain Setup

  1. Open Settings on your iOS 15 device.
  2. Tap your Apple ID banner at the top.
  3. Select iCloud, then tap iCloud Mail.
  4. Tap Custom Email Domain.

(Alternatively, you can access this via beta.icloud.com or icloud.com/settings under the Custom Email Domain section).

2. Select Access Type

Choose who will use the domain:

  • Only You: Restricts the domain exclusively to your personal Apple ID.
  • You and Your Family: Allows members of your Family Sharing group to create addresses under the domain.

3. Enter Domain Details

  1. Type in the custom domain name you own.
  2. If you already have existing email addresses configured on that domain, enter them to associate them with your iCloud account. If you do not have any yet, select the option to add addresses later.

4. Update DNS Records

To direct mail traffic to Apple’s servers, log in to your domain registrar's control panel and add the specific DNS records provided by Apple:

  • MX Records: Routes incoming mail to iCloud Mail servers.
  • TXT Records (SPF): Authenticates Apple's servers to send emails on behalf of your domain to prevent spoofing.
  • CNAME Records (DKIM): Adds a cryptographic signature to outgoing mail to verify sender authenticity and prevent messages from landing in spam folders.

5. Verify the Domain

Once the DNS records are saved at your registrar, return to your device and tap Verify. DNS propagation can take anywhere from a few minutes up to 48 hours. After Apple validates the records, the domain status changes to active.

Managing and Using Your Custom Addresses

Once verified, you can select your custom email address as the default "Send From" address in Settings > Mail > Default Account. Any mail sent to your custom domain arrives directly in the native Apple Mail inbox alongside your standard iCloud emails, protected by iCloud's built-in spam filtering and privacy protections. You can repeat this setup process for up to four additional domains within the same iCloud+ account.