How iOS 15 Impacts Email Marketing

Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection is changing the rules - but it is far from the end of effective email marketing. At LINK Mobility, we see iOS 15 not as a setback, but as a shift. A shift that rewards real expertise, smarter KPIs, and better customer journeys. Here is how your brand can stay ahead.

What Is Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection?

Launched with iOS 15, Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) gives Apple Mail users more control over what data they share. It prevents email senders from seeing if an email was opened and hides recipients’ IP addresses.

In short: traditional metrics like open rate just became unreliable for users reading emails in Apple Mail. And since this applies to Apple users even when they check Gmail or Outlook via the Apple Mail app, the effect is significant.

But this is not the downfall of email marketing - it is just the next chapter.

Why Is Apple Doing This?

MPP is part of Apple’s broader push for privacy, following updates like App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14.5. With MPP, Apple aims to position itself as a privacy-first company. While it presents clear challenges for marketers, it also forces a much-needed shift: away from vanity metrics and toward meaningful engagement.

What Changes for Marketers?

Here is what Mail Privacy Protection means for your email strategy:

1. Open Rates Are No Longer Reliable
   Open rates from Apple Mail users will be artificially inflated or completely hidden. This affects automated flows, A/B testing, and engagement triggers based on opens.

2. IP-Based Targeting Is Gone
   Without IP addresses, it is no longer possible to geo-target Apple Mail users or estimate their device or location data through email.

3. Re-engagement Strategies Must Evolve
   If you are using "did not open X emails in Y days" to trigger win-back flows, that logic is no longer reliable. You will need to rethink your criteria using clicks, website visits, or purchase activity instead.

4. Send Time Optimization Gets Harder
   Send time optimization tools rely heavily on open data. Without it, you will need to switch to click-based optimization - a smarter, more outcome-oriented metric anyway.

So, Is This the End of Email Marketing?

Not at all. Email marketing is still one of the most profitable and personal channels available. But the way you measure success must evolve.

This update is a wake-up call to focus on what really matters:

• Click-through rates

• Conversion actions

• Behavioral segmentation

• Deliverability and list hygiene

What You Can No Longer Rely On

• Countdown timers based on open time will not work reliably unless embedded directly via your ESP.

• A/B tests based on open rates will need to shift focus toward clicks and downstream behavior.

• Flows triggered by “non-opens” need a new logic - such as lack of clicks or no purchases in X days.

Moving Forward with Smarter Email Marketing

If you are doing email marketing right, you have nothing to fear. iOS 15 will challenge surface-level tactics, but reward brands that care about substance.

At LINK Mobility, we help businesses run smarter, more responsive campaigns - based on data that actually matters. With MyLINK MarketingPlatform, you get the tools to build engaging flows, optimize your content, and analyze performance in a post-open-rate world.