# iCloud Mail forwarding: set it up, filter it, turn it off

> Forward iCloud Mail automatically: all mail or only some with rules, on iCloud.com, Mac and iPhone, to Gmail, and how Hide My Email forwarding works.

Updated: 2026-11-01 · Fact-checked: 2026-11-01 · Canonical: https://commandmail.app/en/guides/icloud-mail-forwarding · Deutsch: https://commandmail.app/de/anleitungen/icloud-weiterleitung-einrichten.md

This guide gets your new iCloud Mail delivered automatically to a second address: either everything, or only what a rule picks out[^1][^2]. You set it up once on iCloud.com by opening Settings, choosing Mail Forwarding, entering the destination and deciding whether iCloud keeps a copy[^1]. You'll also learn how to turn it off and what to check when nothing arrives.

Command Mail is our product and appears below as one possible destination. The steps at Apple are the same for any destination. They follow Apple's help pages as of 2026-11-01; this guide doesn't claim a test run with a real iCloud account.

## The short version

1. Sign in at icloud.com/mail, open the menu at the top of the Mailboxes list and choose Settings[^1].
2. Choose Mail Forwarding in the sidebar, select "Forward my email to" and type the destination address[^1].
3. Only select "Delete messages after forwarding" if iCloud shouldn't keep a copy[^1].
4. To forward only some mail, add a rule under Settings → Rules instead; each rule takes exactly one forwarding address[^1][^2].

## Which kind of forwarding do you need?

iCloud offers two server-side options: automatic forwarding of all mail, and rules that forward only matching mail[^1]. Mail on Mac can also forward with a rule, but only while the app is open[^3].

| Goal | Where | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| All mail to a second address | iCloud.com → Settings → Mail Forwarding[^1] | One destination; custom domain addresses on iCloud+ are forwarded too[^1] |
| Only some mail, for example one sender | iCloud.com → Settings → Rules[^2] | One forwarding address per rule, up to 500 rules, may take up to 15 minutes to apply[^1][^2] |
| Forwarding from your own Mac | Mail → Settings → Rules[^4] | Works only while Mail on that Mac is open[^3] |
| Hide My Email addresses | iCloud+ → Hide My Email → Forward to[^6] | Only addresses associated with your Apple Account[^6] |

For forwarding that keeps running, use one of the two iCloud.com options. They work at Apple, even with your Mac closed[^1][^3].

## Before you start

You need an iCloud Mail address and access to iCloud.com in a browser. Apple describes forwarding only there, through the menu at the top of the Mailboxes list[^1]. Sign in with the Apple Account the address belongs to; if you have more than one Apple Account, the other one shows you a different mailbox[^5].

Use a computer for this. Apple says that signing in on a phone or tablet gives you a different set of apps and features than signing in on a computer[^5].

If you turned on Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, iCloud.com only shows Find My iPhone and iCloud Settings at first. To get Mail back on iCloud.com, turn on Access iCloud Data on the Web in iCloud settings on one of your devices; Advanced Data Protection can stay on[^5].

## How to set up iCloud Mail forwarding

These steps come from Apple's guide to automatic forwarding[^1].

1. Go to icloud.com/mail and sign in to your Apple Account if needed.
2. Open the menu at the top of the Mailboxes list and choose Settings.
3. Choose Mail Forwarding in the sidebar.
4. Select "Forward my email to" and type the destination address in the text field.
5. Decide whether iCloud keeps a copy. If it shouldn't, select "Delete messages after forwarding".

Apple's guide doesn't describe a confirmation step in the destination mailbox[^1]. So the way to know forwarding works is a test message, described further down.

Keep the copy for the first while, until everything turns up at the destination. That way iCloud stays complete if something goes missing. The copies do use iCloud storage[^1]. And when storage is full, Apple says you can no longer send or receive email with your iCloud address[^9].

## Forward only some email with a rule

A rule on iCloud.com checks incoming mail against conditions you set and then takes an action, such as forwarding to another address[^1][^2]. Apple's own example is a rule for mail from a particular sender[^2].

1. Go to icloud.com/mail, then open the menu at the top of the Mailboxes list → Settings.
2. Choose Rules in the sidebar, then the add button in the top-right corner.
3. Give the rule a name.
4. Below Message, set which emails the rule should catch.
5. Below Action, choose forwarding and enter the destination address.
6. Select Add.

Apple names three limits. Each rule can only use one forwarding address[^1]. You can have up to 500 rules, and they apply in the order they appear in the list[^2]. New or changed rules can take up to 15 minutes to affect incoming mail[^2], so don't test a fresh rule straight away.

You change or delete rules in the same place: Settings → Rules, select the rule, then Save Changes or Delete[^2].

## Forwarding with Mail on Mac

Mail on Mac has its own rules under Mail → Settings → Rules[^4]. Apple says you can use them to reply to or forward messages automatically when Mail is open[^3]. With the Mac off or Mail closed, such a rule forwards nothing.

That makes it a poor fit for forwarding you want to rely on. It suits a setup where Mail is open anyway, such as a desk machine that runs all day. If you use iCloud Drive, the rules are also available on your other Macs that have Mail selected in the iCloud Drive options[^4].

## Can you forward iCloud Mail from an iPhone?

Apple describes automatic forwarding only on iCloud.com[^1]. The guide doesn't mention a switch for it in the iPhone's Settings app.

You can open iCloud.com in the iPhone's browser, but Apple says a phone or tablet gets a different set of apps and features than a computer[^5]. So set forwarding up on a computer if you can. After that it runs at Apple, whether you read mail on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

## Forwarding to more than one address

Automatic forwarding has one text field for one destination[^1]. For rules, Apple states that each rule can only use one forwarding address[^1].

Apple also applies rules in list order[^2]. The Apple guides reviewed here don't establish whether several rules forward the same message to several destinations. So they don't establish a setup for reliably delivering the same message to multiple destinations.

## Hide My Email and custom domains

With iCloud+, Hide My Email creates random addresses whose mail goes to your personal email account[^7]. All of these addresses forward to the same address, and Apple only lets you choose an email address associated with your Apple Account[^6].

You change the destination on iCloud.com under iCloud+ → Hide My Email in the Forward to section, or on your iPhone under Settings → [your name] → iCloud → Hide My Email → Forward To[^6][^7]. To see these messages in Mail on iCloud.com, the forwarding address has to be your iCloud Mail address or one of your custom domain addresses[^15]. Apple doesn't say whether automatic forwarding from the first section then passes them on as well.

If you set up a custom email domain with iCloud+, Apple says automatic forwarding also covers mail sent to those addresses[^1]. The storage rule applies to them too: when iCloud storage runs out, new mail to your custom domain addresses stops arriving[^8].

## How to turn off iCloud Mail forwarding

You turn it off in the same place[^1]:

1. Go to icloud.com/mail and sign in if needed.
2. Open the menu at the top of the Mailboxes list and choose Settings.
3. Choose Mail Forwarding in the sidebar and deselect "Forward my email to".

Rules that forward keep running on their own. Delete or change them under Settings → Rules as well if nothing should go out anymore[^2]. Rules in Mail on Mac you switch off under Mail → Settings → Rules by deselecting the rule's checkbox[^4].

## Forward iCloud Mail to Gmail

To read iCloud mail in Gmail, enter your Gmail address as the destination for automatic forwarding[^1]. That's the route Google itself recommends now: POP fetching ("Check mail from other accounts") stops supporting new users after the first quarter of 2026, and existing users can keep it until January 2027[^12]. As replacements Google names automatic forwarding at the other provider, or adding the other account in the Gmail app for Android, iPhone or iPad[^12].

The opposite direction, from Gmail or another provider into iCloud, you set up at that provider. For Gmail, see [Gmail forwarding](https://commandmail.app/en/guides/gmail-forwarding); for Outlook, [Outlook forwarding](https://commandmail.app/en/guides/outlook-forwarding).

## Forward iCloud Mail to Command Mail

Command Mail brings several of your own addresses into one inbox, where your AI agent works within the permissions you grant[^13][^14]. Every connected address has its own private inbound address, and that's where iCloud forwards to[^13].

1. Connect your iCloud address in Command Mail. During initial setup, Connect a mailbox leads to the Set up forwarding page, with your private inbound address under Forward to and a Copy button. Additional addresses you connect under Settings → Connections → Connect a mailbox; copy the inbound address straight from the address entry there.
2. On iCloud.com, enter it under Settings → Mail Forwarding in "Forward my email to", and leave "Delete messages after forwarding" off[^1].
3. Send a test message to your iCloud address from another account and open it in Command Mail. According to the app code, Command Mail uses a usable address from the From header for the sender display; if there isn't one, it uses the SMTP envelope sender. Check that the expected sender appears.

An agent with the `mailboxes` permission can connect the address itself and tell you the inbound address[^13]. According to the app code, the setup guidance Command Mail gives it has steps for Gmail, Outlook.com and custom domains, but none for iCloud, so you do the iCloud.com part yourself with this guide.

Forwarding delivers copies. Sorting, archiving or reading in Command Mail leaves your iCloud mailbox unchanged[^13]. Free covers one address, the last 90 days and no sending[^14]. Sending needs Pro, which the plan overview lists at €19 a month for the first 100 paying Pro accounts for as long as their subscription runs, and €29 after that[^14].

You set up sending separately for each sender address[^13]; for iCloud addresses, the app code pre-fills Apple's outgoing server and asks for an app-specific password. The details are in [Apple Mail and AI](https://commandmail.app/en/guides/apple-mail-ai).

Older mail doesn't come through forwarding. Command Mail imports MBOX and EML exports once through the CLI, without ongoing sync[^13]. Mail on Mac exports a mailbox as an .mbox package[^11]. According to the app code, the CLI only reads files ending in .mbox or .eml inside a folder, so it may find zero messages in such a package. Check first with `commandmail import <path> --mailbox you@icloud.com --dry-run`, which reports how many messages it found without uploading anything.

## Did it work?

Send a test message to your iCloud address from another address. It should show up in iCloud, if you keep the copy, and shortly after at the destination[^1].

For a rule, send one test message that matches its conditions and one that doesn't. Only the first should arrive. Wait up to 15 minutes after creating the rule before you test[^2].

In Command Mail, Settings → Connections shows “Last mail” with date and time for the address once forwarded mail has arrived. Until then it says “No mail has arrived yet”.

## Problems and fixes

**Mail is missing on iCloud.com, or you can't find Settings.** If Advanced Data Protection is on, turn on Access iCloud Data on the Web in iCloud settings on one of your devices[^5]. On a phone or tablet iCloud.com offers a different set of features than on a computer, so switch to a computer[^5].

**Nothing arrives at all.** Check under Settings → Mail Forwarding that "Forward my email to" is selected and the address is right[^1]. Also check your iCloud storage: when it's full, Apple says your iCloud address no longer receives email[^9].

**The rule doesn't forward.** New and changed rules can take up to 15 minutes, and rules apply in list order[^2]. Check whether a rule higher up already handles the same messages differently, and whether the conditions below Message match your test message.

**The Mac rule forwards only sometimes.** Rules in Mail on Mac only work while the app is open[^3]. For forwarding you can rely on, use forwarding or a rule on iCloud.com.

**Single messages are missing at the destination.** Look in iCloud's Junk folder; Apple doesn't say whether mail it marks as junk is forwarded. iCloud deletes messages in Junk automatically after 30 days[^10].

**Hide My Email messages don't reach the address you want.** These addresses forward to their own destination under Forward to, and that has to be an address on your Apple Account[^6].

**Older mail is missing.** Forwarding only sends incoming mail[^1]. Move older mail with an export from Mail on Mac and an import at the destination[^11].

**Command Mail still says “No mail has arrived yet”.** Check the inbound address on iCloud.com character by character, ideally copy it again, and send a test message from a different address.

## Next steps

Keep the copy in iCloud for the first few weeks and watch your storage[^1][^9]. To bring several addresses together in one place, see [All your email addresses in one inbox](https://commandmail.app/en/guides/all-addresses-one-inbox). How Apple Intelligence, ChatGPT and Claude work with Apple Mail is covered in [Apple Mail and AI](https://commandmail.app/en/guides/apple-mail-ai).

[Start Command Mail for free](https://commandmail.app/login?signup=1), forward your iCloud address and connect your agent.

## Sources and date

As of 2026-11-01. The Apple and Google help pages and Command Mail's own pages were retrieved on that day. Statements about the private inbound address, the sender display from the From header or SMTP envelope, the “Last mail” display, the setup guidance for agents, the pre-filled iCloud outgoing server and how the CLI reads export folders also rest on the app code at commit `89ee733` (`src/lib/server/intake.ts`, `cloudflare-inbound.ts`, `mailbox-setup.ts`, `src/lib/mail/smtp-presets.ts`, `cli/mail-export.ts`, `cli/main.ts`, `src/routes/onboarding/+page.svelte`, `SettingsPage.svelte`, `messages/en.json`). This guide doesn't claim a run with a real iCloud account.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I set up iCloud Mail forwarding on my iPhone?

Apple describes forwarding only on iCloud.com, under Settings → Mail Forwarding; the guide doesn't mention a switch in the iPhone's Settings app. If you sign in to iCloud.com on a phone or tablet, Apple says you get a different set of apps and features than on a computer. Use a computer with a browser if you can. Once it's on, forwarding runs at Apple, whichever device you read mail on.

### Does iCloud forward the email I already have?

Apple describes forwarding and rules for incoming mail and doesn't describe a way to send existing mail on with them. To move older mail, export the mailbox in Mail on Mac with Mailbox → Export Mailbox, which creates an .mbox package, and import it at the destination if that service accepts such files.

### Can iCloud forward to more than one address?

Automatic forwarding has one text field for one destination. For rules, Apple also specifies one forwarding address per rule. The Apple guides reviewed here don't describe whether several rules forward the same message to multiple destinations.

### Should I keep a copy in iCloud or delete it after forwarding?

With Delete messages after forwarding ticked, iCloud keeps no copy; without it, every forwarded message uses iCloud storage. Keep the copy at first, until you've seen everything arrive at the destination. Keep an eye on storage, because Apple says a full iCloud account can no longer send or receive email.

### Can Hide My Email addresses forward to any address I choose?

No. All Hide My Email addresses forward to the same address, and Apple only allows email addresses associated with your Apple Account. You change it on iCloud.com under iCloud+ → Hide My Email in the Forward to section, or in Settings on your iPhone.

## Sources

1. [Apple Support: Automatically forward email in Mail on iCloud.com](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/icloud/mm6b1a3960/icloud), accessed 2026-11-01
2. [Apple Support: Set up rules to filter email in Mail on iCloud.com](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/icloud/mm6b1a3f8a/icloud), accessed 2026-11-01
3. [Apple Support: Read and respond to emails in Mail on Mac (tip on rules)](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/mail/mlhlp1010/mac), accessed 2026-11-01
4. [Apple Support: Change Rules settings in Mail on Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/mail/cpmlprefrules/mac), accessed 2026-11-01
5. [Apple Support: Sign in and use iCloud.com](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/icloud/mm281e3e7d/icloud), accessed 2026-11-01
6. [Apple Support: Create and edit Hide My Email addresses on iCloud.com](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/icloud/mm1a876f7aed/icloud), accessed 2026-11-01
7. [Apple Support: Create and manage Hide My Email addresses in Settings on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/iphone/iphcb02e76f7/ios), accessed 2026-11-01
8. [Apple Support: Personalize iCloud Mail with a custom email domain](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/icloud/mme8ed800b5d/icloud), accessed 2026-11-01
9. [Apple Support: Mailbox size and message sending limits in iCloud](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102198), accessed 2026-11-01
10. [Apple Support: Manage junk mail in Mail on iCloud.com](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/icloud/mm6b1a2ced/icloud), accessed 2026-11-01
11. [Apple Support: Import or export mailboxes in Mail on Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/mail/mlhlp1030/mac), accessed 2026-11-01
12. [Google Help: Upcoming changes to Gmailify and POP in Gmail](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/16604719?hl=en), accessed 2026-11-01
13. [Command Mail: documentation, sections on forwarding addresses and importing existing mail](https://commandmail.app/en/docs), accessed 2026-11-01
14. [Command Mail: plans and agent permissions](https://commandmail.app/llms.txt), accessed 2026-11-01
15. [Apple Support: Use Hide My Email in Mail on iCloud.com](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/icloud/mmca4d729d79/icloud), accessed 2026-11-01

[^1]: [Apple Support: Automatically forward email in Mail on iCloud.com](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/icloud/mm6b1a3960/icloud), accessed 2026-11-01
[^2]: [Apple Support: Set up rules to filter email in Mail on iCloud.com](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/icloud/mm6b1a3f8a/icloud), accessed 2026-11-01
[^3]: [Apple Support: Read and respond to emails in Mail on Mac (tip on rules)](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/mail/mlhlp1010/mac), accessed 2026-11-01
[^4]: [Apple Support: Change Rules settings in Mail on Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/mail/cpmlprefrules/mac), accessed 2026-11-01
[^5]: [Apple Support: Sign in and use iCloud.com](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/icloud/mm281e3e7d/icloud), accessed 2026-11-01
[^6]: [Apple Support: Create and edit Hide My Email addresses on iCloud.com](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/icloud/mm1a876f7aed/icloud), accessed 2026-11-01
[^7]: [Apple Support: Create and manage Hide My Email addresses in Settings on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/iphone/iphcb02e76f7/ios), accessed 2026-11-01
[^8]: [Apple Support: Personalize iCloud Mail with a custom email domain](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/icloud/mme8ed800b5d/icloud), accessed 2026-11-01
[^9]: [Apple Support: Mailbox size and message sending limits in iCloud](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102198), accessed 2026-11-01
[^10]: [Apple Support: Manage junk mail in Mail on iCloud.com](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/icloud/mm6b1a2ced/icloud), accessed 2026-11-01
[^11]: [Apple Support: Import or export mailboxes in Mail on Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/mail/mlhlp1030/mac), accessed 2026-11-01
[^12]: [Google Help: Upcoming changes to Gmailify and POP in Gmail](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/16604719?hl=en), accessed 2026-11-01
[^13]: [Command Mail: documentation, sections on forwarding addresses and importing existing mail](https://commandmail.app/en/docs), accessed 2026-11-01
[^14]: [Command Mail: plans and agent permissions](https://commandmail.app/llms.txt), accessed 2026-11-01
[^15]: [Apple Support: Use Hide My Email in Mail on iCloud.com](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/icloud/mmca4d729d79/icloud), accessed 2026-11-01

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