Apple Mail has seen some changes with the related iOS 18 update. And while not all users will upgrade or see changes to their email inboxes, it’s still important for marketers to understand potential impacts to their email marketing programs and how to adjust their strategies (if any) to maintain optimal engagement.

New Inbox Tabs in iOS 18

The iOS 18 update brings a new inbox categorization within Apple Mail that prioritizes messages based on the sender and content. Tabs now include Primary, Transactions, Promotions, and Updates, and Apple Mail AI modeling will determine where to place inbound emails. The Primary tab generally collects correspondence from family and friends, as well as time-sensitive campaigns. The Transactions tab aggregates order notifications and receipts, while the Promotions tab gathers traditional marketing-based campaigns. Finally, the Updates tab catches “everything else” that might include newsletters or correspondence from less-recognized senders. Within, messages are typically sorted from newest to oldest, with unread messages appearing first. Apple Mail will also use AI modeling to summarize emails into a few lines of preview copy based on the content within, replacing the traditional pre-header.

So how can marketers strive for the best placement possible amongst these new tab categories? And has Listrak identified any trends yet?

Best Practices for Mobile Email

The good news is, we have yet to find a 1:1 correlation that points to iOS 18 bringing down overall email marketing program engagement and results. Marketers should continue to maintain tried-and-true best practices when planning their campaign content and schedule to routinely reach their contacts and nurture existing relationships:

• Leverage strategic segmentation rooted in channel engagement to frequently target the most active contacts and pull back for the least
• Always optimize campaign content and layout for mobile, bringing the most important elements of your messaging towards the top
• Keep your pre-header text and body copy clear and specific
• Utilize alt tags for all images within your creative, and avoid using a template entirely made of images
• Personalize whenever and wherever you can, rooted in your first-party data points
• Use automation to regularly target your lapsing or dormant contacts to keep your list clean and re-engage for broadcast campaigns
• Ensure both your Listrak and new Apple Mail branding settings are in place

Monitor Engagement Metrics

Apple Mail generally makes up about half the share of the overall mobile email market, and around 70% of Apple device users have already upgraded to iOS 18. So while not everyone will see changes to their inboxes (and users can choose to revert to their old settings, too), marketers should still pay close attention to their regular email engagement KPIs like open, click, and conversion rates to track any changes. When Gmail rolled out similar updates in 2013, as well as Yahoo Mail in 2024, Listrak did not find much impact in our clients’ programs.

The Importance of A/B Testing

But part of this also includes keeping a regular A/B split testing cadence of variables like subject line, message body content, and Calls to Action, among others in your send plans. Even if certain tactics worked in the past, you always want to re-test for statistical significance and use different audiences. When you land on the top-performing strategies for your program, use those consistently – that will only benefit all your contacts and topline goals!

Continuing Best Practices for Ongoing Success

Ultimately, iOS 18 brings Apple Mail inbox changes, but marketers with strong segmentation, personalized and mobile-optimized content, a consistent send schedule, routine A/B testing, and proper branding will continue to thrive. Email providers may evolve, but best practices remain the key to success! To refine strategies or assess engagement impact, connect with your Account Manager.