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What Does iOS 18 Mean for Email Marketers?

iOS 18 and Apple Mail Updates for Email Marketers

The world of email marketing is always evolving, as are email clients (e.g. Apple Mail Privacy Protection and Gmail and Yahoo’s requirements for bulk senders). The latest changes? Apple recently released iOS 18, which introduced updates to Apple Mail.

What does iOS 18 mean for your email marketing strategy? And how can email marketers adapt to these changes and continue to engage contacts effectively?

This article will delve into the key iOS 18 features that affect email marketing and share suggestions for how to adapt. So, whether you’re an email marketer or just interested in digital marketing trends, read on.

Let’s explore what iOS 18 could mean for email marketing together.

Understanding iOS 18 and Its Impact on Email Marketing

You might be wondering, how many people iOS 18 really impact? And are these changes actually going to affect my emails and audience?

And that’s my cue to point out that current data shows that over half of email recipients use Apple Mail. Apple holds the largest market share, with a significant lead over other email clients – even Gmail.

When it comes to which users will be affected: iOS 18 can affect anyone using Apple Mail on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac, regardless of email domain – that includes recipients with Gmail, Yahoo, or other email addresses who open those emails in Apple Mail.

So, you should definitely have some awareness of the iOS 18 changes and think about the ways you might want to adjust your email marketing strategy.

Key iOS 18 Updates Affecting Email Marketers

How is iOS 18 affecting email inboxes? The biggest changes to Apple Mail (as of this writing) went into effect with the release of 18.2 in December 2024. The changes that impact email marketers are:

  • Inbox sorting/tabs that now categorize emails as “Primary,” “Transactions,” “Updates,” and “Promotions.”
  • AI-generated email summaries replaced pre-header text, providing concise overviews of the email’s content (though they may not always get it right).
  • A “Digested View” is now available that consolidates all emails from a particular sender into a single, organized view. Instead of displaying each email individually, the Digested View provides a summary or snippet of the grouped emails and also groups all other messages from the same sender in a scrollable list.
  • Users can use AI-generated suggested replies.

These features may necessitate changes in your email marketing tactics to maintain effectiveness.

Adapting Your Email Marketing Strategy for iOS 18

So what should you DO about all this? How can you adjust your email marketing to adapt to iOS18?

To safeguard your email marketing success, crafting emails actually engage your recipients is going to be even more vital. Your content must be relevant and compelling enough to motivate users to act. Respecting user privacy while delivering personalized experiences will also be a key component of successful campaigns.

  • You want to try to get your emails into the “Primary” inbox folder. To do that, you’ll want to focus on creating highly relevant and engaging email content that encourages interaction. Prioritize non-promotional content when planning your email calendar. Having content that’s seen more as educational and informative, as well as having high engagement with your emails should improve your chances of ending up in the “Primary” inbox so you can avoid having your messages overlooked.
    • According to MarTech, “When Gmail introduced tabs, it initially cut click-through rates. However, an interesting trend emerged: an increase in click-to-conversion rates. This suggests that users navigating to specific tabs, such as Promotions, are more motivated to engage and make purchases.”
  • Because preheader text is being replaced by AI-generated summaries, you need to ensure your subject lines are engaging and can stand on their own (though you should still create preheader text for other email clients). You should also ensure your copywriting is clear and concise so that AI can easily summarize it.
  • The “digested view” might actually work in your favor by putting all your messages in one place and making it easier for recipients to find their messages from your organization. But on the flip side, if you’re sending a lot of email blasts to your whole audience without targeting them based on someone’s interests and needs, you might end up burying your most important messages under other noise. Keep trying to segment and personalize your email marketing, sending your contacts messages that they’re actually interested in.

Overall, you should also watch your email metrics for changes. The more in sync with your email performance you are, the more quickly you can adjust if you see a decline in email engagement.

woman reading email on her phone with Apple Mail

Email Content Quality Over Quantity

This is nothing new, but it becomes more important with the release of iOS 18: stop blasting everyone with everything. Your email quality and the personalized value you provide to different audience segments goes a long way toward capturing attention and engagement. Large-volume generic emails are only going to hurt you – not just because individual blasted emails will perform poorly but because the overall lack of engagement with those emails will increase the likelihood that your emails end up sorted out of the primary inbox.

We keep saying it, but that’s because it’s important: personalized content strengthens engagement. Knowing your audience – and targeting your messages based on what you know is key. Users value relevant, meaningful messages over frequent, generic emails. Crafting content that resonates builds trust and engagement. Tailored content speaks directly to user needs, driving higher interaction, which increases the chances that your messages end up in that primary inbox.

Email Deliverability and Engagement

Strong email deliverability and open rates remain key. If your messages are bouncing or not getting engagement, that increases the chances they’ll be filtered out in the future.

  • Create compelling subject lines to boost open rates.
  • Optimize email design for mobile users, using a clean, simple layout to enhance readability on iOS devices.
  • Maintain a clean email list and avoid spam traps.
  • Authenticate emails with proper protocols.
  • Avoid deliverability “danger zones,” like using purchased lists, volume spikes, image-heavy messages, exposed URLs, shortened links, attachments, and continually sending to unengaged recipients.

Following these practices can help sustain open rates and maintain a good sender reputation.

The Growing Role of AI and Machine Learning in Email

AI and machine learning are revolutionizing email marketing tools – both in the way we create these messages as marketers and in the way recipients can manage their inboxes.

While AI can help you gain invaluable insights, improve efficiency, and power up personalization, it will inevitably also be used by consumers (email recipients, members, customers, etc.) to help them avoid being bombarded by promotional content they don’t feel is relevant.

Make sure you’re using the tools at your disposal – including AI, automation, and analysis of your data, to continuously improve your engagement strategies.

Leveraging A/B Testing and Analytics

A/B testing will also be helpful for testing new strategies with the iOS 18 changes and beyond. They allow you to explore the effectiveness of different approaches and refine your strategy.

Experiment with content, layout, and timing to discover what resonates best. Use the insights you gain from your tests to guide future campaigns.

And remember to look at analytics beyond open rates to get a deeper understanding of what’s working and what’s not. Focus on metrics like clicks, conversions, and user engagement.

Man looking at social media on his phone

Diversifying Marketing Channels and Tactics

Relying on a single channel – like ONLY using email – isn’t viable in today’s digital landscape. It’s important to diversify your communication tactics to ensure you reach users across various platforms.

Explore integrating social media, a private online community, and even a mobile app to reach your audience where they are. These can complement email and enhance user engagement.

Plus, cross-channel messaging and consistency build awareness and loyalty for your organization. When your messaging aligns across different platforms you get maximum impact, because people are getting multiple reminders about the value your organization offers without feeling bombarded by constant emails.

Building a Resilient Email Marketing Strategy

As iOS 18 and other email changes reshape the email marketing terrain, marketers must keep up with industry trends and be ready to adapt. Incorporate contingency plans and be prepared for disruptions so you can maintain your email marketing momentum. Follow industry news to identify emerging trends. Engage with experts and peers to see what other people are doing and learn from innovative approaches.

It’s also never a bad idea to review how you’re segmenting and personalizing your email messages to provide real value. Any effort you can make to preemptively respect recipients’ privacy and digital boundaries will go a long way to building trust with your audience and keeping them engaged with your communications.

Things are changing too fast to be stuck in “the way you’ve always done things” – things. Regularly assess and refine your strategy. Ongoing evaluation ensures alignment with both your audience’s needs and technological advances. And embracing change will lead to more effective marketing practices that will help you thrive.

Kelly Whelan

Kelly Whelan is the Content Marketing Manager for Higher Logic. In this role, she develops content to support association professionals and advise them on member engagement and communication strategy. She also hosts Higher Logic’s podcast, The Member Engagement Show. She has ~10 years of experience working in marketing for associations and nonprofits.