Apple Private Relay and Email Tracking Issues

Understanding Why Apple Emails May Not Update Status After Sending

Apple's Hide My Email feature, which uses the @privaterelay.appleid.com domain, is designed to protect user privacy by forwarding messages to a user’s real email without revealing it.

While Apple does not explicitly state that Hide My Email blocks tracking, its privacy protections can impact email tracking in several ways:

  1. IP Address Masking – The recipient's real IP address is hidden, preventing location tracking.

  2. Pixel and Read Receipt Blocking – If the user enables Mail Privacy Protection in Apple Mail, tracking pixels may be blocked or loaded remotely, limiting visibility into email opens.

  3. Temporary or Revocable Addresses – Users can disable or delete these relay addresses at any time, disrupting long-term tracking.

Therefore, while the relay service itself does not block tracking, Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection features can significantly limit email tracking efforts.