How to Configure the iCloud Email Server on Any Device

What is iCloud SMTP?

SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol) is an internet standard protocol that dictates how messages through a series of commands travel from the sender to the email server. Besides, it can transit mail from server to a server and client.

What is iCloud SMTP: iCloud SMTP is the protocol that Apple uses for its iCloud service to send e-mails from devices (e.g. iPhones, iPads, etc.) and from the iCloud Mail client.

iCloud SMTP Server Address smtp. mail. me. com domain, while for the port number; it defaults to 587. This SMTP port number is standard in the industry due to its supporting STARTTLS encryption — meaning that your emails can’t be intercepted during transmissions.

What iCloud SMTP is used for

In addition to being primarily used for Apple’s devices, iCloud Mail and iCloud SMTP can also be used to send:

Gmail, Thunderbird, Yahoo Mail & other clients/services – With an iCloud SMTP address, you can send emails using popular clients and services such as Gmail, Thunderbird, Yahoo Mail, etc.

Webapp triggered user emails – Password resets Purchase confirmation Shipping notifications etc.

Notifications from Internet of Things (IoT) devices – For e.g. Configure your smart alarm system to notify you via iCloud SMTP when there is an anomaly.

Custom Application Sending Emails – You can set up your application to use iCloud SMTP to send messages to users — providing the application with email-sending capabilities.

This is something to keep in mind, iCloud can be limited in some ways (that I’ll outline [further below]), and, of course, an [alternative] to it.

Monday, 2 October 2023 Why use iCloud as SMTP?

Yes, there are limitations to it (what doesn’t have limitations?), still when we use iCloud as an SMTP, it provides some benefits too:

Stability and reliability—Thanks to the robust email infrastructure of Apple, iCloud SMTP delivers your messages on time.

Robust security – With iCloud SMTP, your data stays encrypted, and your encryption keys reside in Apple data centers. That is, there’s a next-level security, which you can详细read about on the official website.

Cost-effectiveness – iCloud is free for all users with an Apple ID, which means it is one of the more budget-friendly options for personal use.

Apple Privacy Policy – Apple focuses on user privacy and restricts the collection and use of personal data. If you are interested in details, then do visit the official Privacy Policy page.

Backup and archiving — Copies of emails are usually stored on all devices in iCloud’s servers, synchronizing them. Best of all, it allows your emails to be stored and backed up without you having to think too much about it.

No-fuss setup – the same will be explained in a minute, but configuring iCloud as an SMTP server is a breeze, especially if you’re already in Apple’s ecosystem.

Note: I’ve formulated these benefits of iCloud SMTP with our email deliverability expert, Yaroslav. So you can rest assured you’re not reading a biased review.

iCloud SMTP server settings configuration

And now — as promised — let’s set up the iCloud SMTP server settings.

Step 1. Make sure to turn on two-factor authentication

First, you must turn on two-factor authentication, which Apple says is intended to ensure that you’re the only person who can get into your account.

Now, you’ve most likely already turned this feature on during set up of your device, but if you want to take a moment to double check, sign in to your Apple ID account.

You’ll find the two-factor authentication setting under Account Security, and if you have it on — good, go to Step 2. If you do not, just follow the onscreen prompts to add a trusted phone number or device, or a security key, which would serve as two-factor authentication.

Step 2. Get an App Password

After turning on 2FA, you will then create an app-specific password to actually use iCloud SMTP. Apple created app-specific passwords as an extra layer of protection for when you're using the iCloud mail server on other clients or apps.

And here’s how you can get one:

Sign into your Apple ID account.

Note that generating an app password requires logging in with your password (no Touch or Face ID) and two-factor authentication.

Click Sign-In and Security, then select App-Specific Passwords.

Click Generate an app-specific password.

Give your app password a name (the name is a placeholder, you can name it anything you want it, like ‘My App 1’, etc).

Confirm your Apple ID password, and complete the process.

Note: After you generate your app-specific password, you won’t be able to see it again. So, please secure store it. The one I use and recommend for this personally is 1Password.

Step 3. Fill in the appropriate iCloud SMTP settings

Finally, put the following information in your app or email client:

SettingDetailsSMTP server namesmtp. mail. me. comSMTP port587SMTP encryptionSSL / TLS / STARTTLSUsernameYour entire iCloud Mail email address:

Examples of iCloud SMTP Configuration

Now that I walked you through the setup of iCloud SMTP step-by-step, let’s take a look at a few practical examples.

1. Gmail
2. Sending Gmail Emails Using your iCloud Address All you need to do is:
3. Log in to your Gmail account.
4. Click the cogwheel icon in the right corner and then push the See all settings button.

Head over to the Accounts and Import tab and hit Add another email address (under ‘Send mail as’). You are reading about data until October 2023.

In the blank fields, enter your name and iCloud email address. Also, ensure that Treat an alias for Gmail is unchecked to send messages on behalf of your iCloud account.

Find out more here, about Treat as an alias.

Then add the iCloud SMTP configuration settings, and click on Add Account.

P.S. Remember to use your app-specific password.

When you’ve finished, Gmail will send you a confirmation code to your iCloud email address. And after verifying your account, you can send emails from your Gmail account using your iCloud email address!

Thunderbird

The process is a little easier for Thunderbird. All you have to do is:

1. Open Thunderbird.
2. Under Account Actions, click on Add Mail account.
3. You would then insert your iCloud email address and the app-specific password.

And there you go, you can now use Thunderbird as an alternative to send messages from your iCloud email account!

Nodemailer

For demonstration purposes, let’s say you want to send emails through Nodemailer. If that is the case, you will have to add iCloud SMTP settings to the transporter object, for example:

(It would be custom email domain as well, if you’re using iCloud SMTP, however you will need to specify it in the sender: field that I’ve added to the code) You will, however, have to have an iCloud+ subscription to do so.

iCloud POP3 settings — How to configure

Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) — One protocol that downloads emails from a server for local storage and then deletes them from the server.

Keeping this in mind, it is no wonder that iCloud does not support POP3, because Apple is all about synchronization and a seamless ecosystem.

Settings to set up iCloud IMAP: iCloud IMAP configuration

In any case, Apple’s protocol of choice for retrieving iCloud e-mail is IMAP, or Internet Message Access Protocol, a standard now supported by most of the world’s e-mail programs. Like cloud email, it saves the messages you receive on the mail server, unlike POP.

If you're configuring iCloud email server settings for receiving emails, you'll need the following IMAP configuration details: 

SettingDetailsIMAP server nameimap. mail. me. comIMAP port993IMAP encryptionSSLTLSSTARTTLSUsernameCompleteiCloudMail e-mailaddress:

Up for more reads? If you want to check, you can read our article on POP vs IMAP differences. Or, if you prefer, check out our way-cool video!

Setting up an iCloud SMTP server: How to troubleshoot

To spare you the trouble, I searched Apple’s community forums and Stack Overflow for the most common iCloud SMTP server errors. Here are the most frequently encountered problems:

Apple system status – The first thing you should do is head to Apple’s official System Status page to check whether iCloud Mail services are online or not.

Up-to-date software — You need to verify that your email client (e.g., Thunderbird, iCloud Mail, etc.) is up to date (or that you have the latest version of the programming language you’re using installed) if everything is working correctly.

Encryption settings – If default SSL is giving you a hard time, change it to TLS or STARTTLS.

Here’s an example of a notification you’ll see if you’re having trouble with encryption:

"[Error: unable to verify the first certificate] at TLSSocket." onConnectSecure (_tls_wrap. js:1474:34) at TLSSocket. emit (events. js:315:20) at TLSSocket. _finishInit (_tls_wrap. js:917:8) at TLSWrap. ssl. onhandshakedone (_tls_wrap. (UNABLE_TO_VERIFY_LEAF_SIGNATURE)   at Object.createHangUpError (node:internal/http_client:322:13) `

Correct SMTP port – The port for iCloud SMTP is 587 by default but if it doesn’t work for you then use 25 as another option. But I should note that you should only do this in a staging environment, for security purposes.

Firewall and antivirus– you might have firewall or antivirus software in which your SMTP is being considered suspicious and hence blocking the traffic. So you can either make an exception or disable it entirely.

Enable your account [if you have iCloud Mail] – On your Mac, iPhone, iPad, etc. go to the iCloud Mail app settings and enable your account.

Here’s how it appears for Mac:

App-specific password — Finally, I know I sound like a cliche internet provider’s customer support person who tells you to restart the router, but I swear — please make sure you are using the app-specific password.

I know I’m a dullard, but don’t repeat my error and spend 2 hours of your life trying to log in with your normal password. 

What to Avoid When Trying to Use iCloud as a SMTP Server

Since iCloud SMTP is for personal use, and Apple is not an Email Service Provider, then it is only expectable that it has some limitations, such as:

Limits on sending – Because Apple sets strict limits, it is not exactly ideal for sending high volume email. Moreover, there’s not even an option to upgrade the plan to get a higher limit.

A little chart to recap the sending limits for you:

SafeguardLimitDaily message limit1000 messagesDaily recipients limit1000 recipientsRecipients per message limit500 recipientsMessage size (incoming and outgoing)20MB per message, 5GB per mail with Count Drop enabled

Want to send a lot of email? Take a look at our top 10 mass email service providers list below!

No advanced features – iCloud SMTP does not include advanced features like specialized dedicated IPs, analytics that helps you improve your deliverability like most other competitive SMTP service providers do, in this day and age.

No dedicated support – There’s no sign of an actual customer support team that you can reach for iCloud SMTP, and your best bet is customer support for the Apple community.

HIPAA compliance and legal issues – If your business is required to comply with certain regulations such as HIPAA, iCloud SMTP may not be the best option for you. The main reason is that Apple doesn’t offer BAAs for iCloud and, without a BAA, a service cannot be HIPAA-compliant.

Custom domain name — As stated above, the only way to have a custom domain name with iCloud SMTP is to have iCloud+. I see this as a major minus, considering that most basic SMTP providers now come with said feature.

An email service for reliable iCloud SMTP — the Mailtrap Email API/SMTP

The same limit of 1,000 messages daily applies to iCloud SMTP. So let me introduce you to Mailtrap Email Delivery Platform and its Email API/SMTP Email platform with 10,000 e-mails per second (yes, you’ve