Using my own domain with iCloud email

Jon,

I'm not sure what you're worked up about since you haven't posted of having a problem or of even trying it. Since you may not have done either, I'll explain a bit about how it supposedly works. iCloud mail allows you to specify an alternative SMTP server or even more than one. From Apple's end, there's little more they can do. Once you enter the alternative server, Mail will try to validate it.

No one has suggested that it won't work. The problem I (and seemingly others) are having is that the other host is not allowing it to happen. In my case, if I forward my GoDaddy-based email account to iCloud, I lose the ability (at GoDaddy) to use that SMTP.

I could be wrong about what's not working, and I'm definitely open to correction on this but you might have to actually try it and then tell us what didn't work before you can be a part of that.

Hi Anton

It is true I am new to trying to sort this out. But I have been reading and researching about it and the fact that you even have to get into complex workarounds is a little much I find. This thread and another independent web page here and there is all there is about this issue, which I find strange. I am trying to migrate from Google, and I have to say, in the Gmail setup, everything is VERY open and flexible and setup-able. You just tell it the email address you want to send from and away you go.

I have tried to set this up on my computer, although I am nervous about deleting my account (does that then delete my iCloud stuff, or is it just the Mail settings? All bit blurred the way Apple presents it with Yosemite and iOS8 - or maybe it is just that I am new to it). Anyway, I have tried simply replacing my iCloud email address with the one I want in Mail preferences, but it seems that, even if I select the Gmail server, Mail tells me that my email address is not verified. Which is strange, as it is my main address for all my iCloud, etc. logins, and is stated as verified and primary and so on on that part of the system. Even if I got that working, I don't like the idea that if I send mail from my iPad, I will have to remember to manually select my 'other' non-iCloud address, every time I want to send a mail. Not necessary, I say!

Or have things changed? I am indeed hoping that my frustration is unfounded and that you will put me in my place and tell me you are doing exactly everything I want to do with no problems! Please let me know!

Jon

My apologies, Xavier, for this late response. I meant to not share all folders from IMAP. This is a a setting in Gmail, not Mail

What do you mean "deleting your account"? In Mail? In "Internet accounts"? You won't be deleting your account, but remove the account from Mail or from your computer.

What will deleting achieve for you? You want to start anew setting this up?

Still working for me. Haven't upgraded past Mavericks 10.9.5, Mail.app 7.3 and still running iOS 7.1.2 on my iPad and iPhone 4S. Curious still about Exchange, but honestly not interested in fixing what's not broken for me.

One success I stumbled on today was being able to at least cut out one of the redundant emails in the FROM drop down list when drafting new mail in Mail.app. It use to show my domain email address, the iCloud address associated with it AND the .me address. By logging into iCloud and disabling one of the two email options for sending (iCloud or .Me), saving the setting, and then restarting Mail.app, it now only shows the personal domain email address and the one iCloud address I left active. Since I manage three emails with this setup, that slimmed down my mail FROM options by 3 addresses. So now I only see 6. Of course for the most part it doesn't matter because my mail applications all default to replying using the correct outgoing mail address. I only use the drop down list if I want to change it.

If all that confused you, and you've read this far into the thread (from the beginning) you deserve a cookie.

ℹ Working for me in iOS 8.1.2 on my iPhone 6. Still running Mavericks and Mail.app Version 7.3 (1878.6).

Note that if you have 2-factor authentication enabled for your iCloud account (which you probably should at least think about), then you will need to generate an application specific password for the iCloud Mail account when accessed via IMAP, as otherwise your "normal" password will keep on being rejected (as the required 2nd factor is missing).

Hi all,

I've been successfully using this workaround for awhile now on both OS X and iOS. It still works on iOS 9, but is not working on El Capitan. I have two factor authentication enabled, and have generated an app-specific password. But I am unable to add a "Mail account" under "Internet Accounts" in System Preferences with my own domain email address and iCloud email/username + app-specific password as the credentials. Activating "Mail" under the iCloud account gets things moving, but I don't see a way of using my own domain email address as the "From:" address.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Update: appears to work on El Capitan now after fiddling around a bit.

There were plenty of "duplicate account" errors in Console. So I deleted iCloud account from System Preferences and quit it. Upon relaunching Mail, I got an account setup wizard where I setup a new "Mail account" with my own domain email address as the email address, iCloud alias as the user name, app-specific password and imap.mail.me.com (incoming) and my mailhost's smtp server.

After completing Mail setup, I added my iCloud account in System Preferences, and enabled services I want excluding Mail and Notes.

Hope this helps.

You absolutely can't use your domain address as the 'From' address if you are using iCloud's SMTP (outgoing) server. The only way to do this is to set up the iCloud email and then change the outgoing server to your domain's server.

Edit: your latest message wasn't visible when I answered the previous one just now - I see you've arrived at the solution.

Too many steps. LOl All we want is ICloud to import from Cox.net and hide the Icloud email address to read @cox.net.

We have a complete folder structure on the IPAD in Apple Mail that imports all Cox mail but Cox server is full so we need more storage. The IPAD sees both mail accounts but when I login online I just see Icloud. Didn't think using Apple products would be hard to SYNC with each other easily without having to recreate and forward hundreds of email.s

lornasmha wrote:

Too many steps. LOl All we want is ICloud to import from Cox.net and hide the Icloud email address to read @cox.net.

I'm sorry, but iCloud simply does not do this - it can neither import mail from another service's server, nor allow you to send messages with anything other than your iCloud address. That's the way it works. iCloud will sync its mail between devices as it's an IMAP service, but it has no connection with any other service.

You can of course probably set your cox.net service to forward emails to iCloud, but the same restriction about sending messages applies.