The legitimate emails sent from non Apple email domains, do not reach @icloud.com, @me.com, @apple.com, @mac.com recipients.
They are completely dropped by Apple, they do not go to “junk” etc, but simple deleted by Apple service without any notification to email senders or recipients
Investigation:
We went for investigation to find out how the famous Aplle/iCloud mail services and spam filtering works for others.
For that:
a) I have registered iCloud mail account for testing purposes - myemail@icloud.com
b) I have registered 2 email accounts for testing purposes at the largest free email provider in Russia – Yandex.ru
- abcd1@yandex.ru
- abcd2@yandex.ru
c) Testing messages are send using the same Windows OS PC (dedicated IP, not blacklisted), with Windows Live mail client, with the same message encoding, subject line and message body from those 2 Yandex.ru addresses - abcd1@yandex.ru & abcd2@yandex.ru to myemail@icloud.com
Here is the magic:
- Email sent from abcd1@yandex.ru to myemail@icloud.com is well delivered, but the same message sent from abcd2@yandex.ru to myemail@icloud.com - is not!
- Messages sent vice versa from myemail@icloud.com to abcd1@yandex.ru & abcd2@yandex.ru are both delivered
- Reply on the messages from myemail@icloud.com is again well delivered for abcd1@yandex.ru, but not delivered for abcd2@yandex.ru
This testing was repeated several times, keeping time intervals, 10min, 1 hour, 1 day etc – the result is the same.
Anybody in this world could explain what is the magic spam filtering/false-positive/false-negative happens at Apple/iCloud spam checking service?!
Conclusions, listed below have nothing to do with the email deliverability problem to Apple/iClous mail accounts:
- Senders domain names, emails and their reputations
- Senders mail server configurations (DKIM, SPF, Reverse DNS resolution, spam checking's etc)
- Senders message encoding, subject and message bodies
There is no clear resolution of this issue.
It is suggested to uncheck box “Trust junk mail headers in messages” in MAC OS users email client application
But this option is not available at web iCloud app and for non MAC OS users
There is no email contact, for all customers it is suggested to make a call 1 800 xxxxx
Not all customer worldwide could make call to Apple...
I would make a call if I am sure that this is a particular case, for the particular domain email delivery
But is is not, it is general problem
Sending message to support@icloud.com, abuse@icloud.com etc wouldn’t help, they do not respond
