[abestic9]

I'm optimistic that Apple is working on most of these issues (especially catch-all) right now and this is just representative of their new offering.

Like many things I've seen from Apple it will take a release cycle or two (of 1-2 years per cycle) to bring in this arguably basic functionality - as is tradition we'll groan about other issues being held back in favour of fancy new features.

I have no doubt they intend to fully compete with the email services from Google and Microsoft. Following on from last year we should see VPs taking us through the updates to iCloud+ alongside device launches as it expands into a fundamental service offering.

[silvestrov]

I would fear that Apple forgets about the feature after a few years and then just drops it. This is not central to their business and Apple trims such things very agressively.

I would always buy a domain-email from somebody who has this as their main business, and I would never couple my email to Apple which could lock me out of my account if they think I "behave suspiciously".

[voisin]

> I would fear that Apple forgets about the feature after a few years and then just drops it.

This is a Google thing to do. Apple seems pretty great at picking and choosing commitments before they launch rather than what you describe here.

[isoprophlex]

Single point of evidence counter to that:

I remember in the early days of the iPhone that it took a couple of years, but eventually I had a smartphone that could gasp copy and paste text ;)

[servercobra]

I'm trying to remember any services that Apple has trimmed, and can't seem to come up with any. I'm sure I'm just not remembering. Do you have examples?

[seanp2k2]

This happened to me with EndJunk and it was absolutely devastating trying to recover and reset the email address on all of my accounts. Some were straight-up locked out after too many failed password attempts and required email access on the original email address (which I no longer had access to as EndJunk had gone silently under), so I just lost those. Some let me change email addrs if I remembered the password, others required verification at the original and new addr, which again was impossible as EndJunk was just gone.

I guess I got what I paid for.

[saagarjha]

On the contrary, services are where Apple has been spending a lot of focus, for better or for worse.

[rodgerd]

> I would fear that Apple forgets about the feature after a few years and then just drops it.

It seems unlikely, given that it's tied into Family and Apple One offerings.

[crossroadsguy]

I agree with you.

In fact I am planning to create accounts for my yet to be born children just so that they will be able to have that <fancy short id>@icloud.com. Because like you I also have faith in Apple and I’m pretty sure they would take 10-15 WWDCs stage announcements to get all of these things right unless they deemed these features as “nobody wants it and we know what they want instead”.

[blitzar]

> “nobody wants it and we know what they want instead”

I would feel much more comfortable if they said this; it almost gaurantees that the feature in question that nobody wants will be the headline act at the The Apple Event 2025.

Apple reimagining email - catchall email addresses now available in iCloud+ 25 (now works with copy and paste in iCloud+ 26)

[paxys]

> I have no doubt they intend to fully compete with the email services from Google and Microsoft

Both Google and Microsoft's email services are aimed at large enterprise customers. Apple is targeting theirs towards individual end users and their families. They aren't competing in the same space.