To deactivate hide my email on an iPhone or iPad, open Settings, tap your name at the top, then go to iCloud > Hide My Email, select the specific address you want to stop using, and tap “Deactivate Email Address.” This action is per-alias, it does not turn off the entire iCloud+ feature, so your other generated addresses keep working normally.
What is Hide My Email and why deactivate it?
Hide My Email is a privacy tool included with any iCloud+ subscription. It creates unique, random email addresses that forward messages to your personal inbox, so you never have to share your real address with websites, newsletters, or online services. While this is great for reducing spam, there are valid reasons to stop using a specific alias. For example, you might be missing important notifications because a service sends password resets or order confirmations to the masked address, and those emails are getting buried or filtered. You might also want to establish direct contact with a trusted person or organization, and giving them your actual address is simpler than explaining a random alias. In those cases, deactivating just that one Hide My Email address, rather than disabling the whole feature, gives you control without sacrificing privacy elsewhere.
How to deactivate a hide my email address on iPhone or iPad
The quickest way to deactivate hide my email is directly on your iPhone or iPad. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Open Settings and tap your name
Launch the Settings app and tap your Apple ID name at the very top of the screen. This opens your Apple Account settings, not the general device settings.
Step 2: Go to iCloud
Scroll down and tap “iCloud.” You’ll see a list of features that use your iCloud account, including Photos, Drive, and Hide My Email.
Step 3: Tap Hide My Email
Tap “Hide My Email” from the list. This screen shows every active alias you’ve created, along with the app or website it was generated for.
Step 4: Select the address and deactivate it
Tap the specific email address you want to stop using. On its detail page, tap “Deactivate Email Address,” then confirm by tapping “Deactivate” again. The alias immediately stops forwarding new mail to your inbox.
How to manage hide my email addresses on iCloud.com
If you prefer working on a computer, you can also deactivate hide my email through iCloud.com. Select “Hide My Email” from the available iCloud+ features. You’ll see the same list of active addresses as on your device. Click the one you want to disable, then click “Deactivate Email Address” and follow the onscreen confirmation. This web method is handy if you’re already at a desk or need to manage multiple aliases quickly without picking up your phone.
Deactivating vs. deleting: what's the difference?
Deactivating an address is temporary. The alias moves to an “Inactive Addresses” list, stops forwarding emails, and can be reactivated at any time, useful if you think you might need that specific address again later. Deleting, on the other hand, is permanent. To delete, you must first deactivate the address, then go to the “Inactive Addresses” section, select it, and choose “Delete address.” Once deleted, the alias cannot be recovered or reactivated, and it’s removed from all your devices. So if you’re only trying to clean up email clutter without losing the ability to use that alias again, deactivate it. If you’re certain you’ll never need it, delete it for good.
What happens after you deactivate an address
Once you deactivate a Hide My Email address, any emails sent to that alias are returned to the sender, they do not land in your inbox or any folder. The sender will see a bounce-back message, which is a clear signal that the address is no longer active. If you change your mind, you can reactivate it by going to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Hide My Email, scrolling to “Inactive Addresses,” tapping the address, and choosing “Reactivate.” You can also change the main forwarding email that all your active aliases send to. Just go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Hide My Email, scroll to “Forward To,” and pick a different address from the options associated with your Apple Account. This is useful if you’ve switched your primary email and want all future forwarded messages to go somewhere new.
