In September 2021, Apple released iOS 15 with Mail Privacy Protection, limiting email open tracking. This article explains how that update affected Omnisend features and what alternatives you can use.
⚠️ Important: This article covers the iOS 15 update from September 2021. For the latest iOS changes, see iOS 26 Update.
Before You Begin
Apple's iOS 15 update introduced three major privacy features that affected email marketing:
The ability to turn off open tracking
The ability to block IP addresses
The ability to hide email addresses
This update happened on September 20, 2021. If you're looking for information about current iOS changes, check the iOS 26 Update article.
What Omnisend Features Were Impacted by iOS 15?
Segmentation by Open Rates
Segmentation by open rates became unreliable for Apple Mail users. You can no longer identify whether a customer opened an email themselves or if the system auto-loaded it.
Campaign Booster
This feature is based on open rate and sends a campaign booster to those who didn’t open an initial campaign. With iOS 15, Campaign Booster will no longer send emails to Apple Mail clients. That is because all Apple Mail clients have their emails opened automatically, and there’s no way to tell whether the customer or a bot has opened the email. This is how we make sure you don’t over-communicate, and your clients receive relevant messages.
Split by the Open Rates in the Automation
The split block still works, but splitting by open rates in Automation Workflows became ineffective. For example, if you previously sent follow-up emails to contacts who opened the first email (assuming interest), you can't reliably do this anymore. The system may have opened the email, not the recipient.
Subject line, Sender's name, and Sender's email address A/B Test Campaigns
A/B testing by open rate is still available, but we recommend using click rate to determine the winner unless you're certain most of your contacts don't use Apple devices. Focus on experimenting with email content rather than subject lines alone.
What Alternatives Can You Use Instead of Open Rates?
Open rates became less reliable, but they're not the only way to measure engagement. Here are effective alternatives:
Click rate: The iOS 15 update doesn't affect click rate. You can still use this metric to identify contacts who interacted with your email.
Recent purchase behavior: On average, 65% of store revenue comes from existing customers. Contacts who placed orders in the last 30–90 days are likely interested in your content. Use the "placed order in the last 30–90 days" rule to create an active customer segment. Omnisend also offers lifecycle stage segmentation based on order history and store statistics.
Recent subscription activity: If a contact subscribed in the last 30–90 days, they're expecting emails from you. Use "date added" and "email opt-in" rules in your active subscribers segment.
Email preferences: Collect more information using email preferences to send relevant content to interested contacts. For example, if you sell apparel and accessories, ask whether contacts are interested in men's or women's products. This prevents irrelevant promotions. Use custom properties like favorite color, pet, or product category.
You can use these rules separately or combine them using the OR rule. Learn more about segmentation in Omnisend.
Email Marketing Isn't the Only Option
Email marketing faced challenges due to iOS 15, but you can compensate by using other channels.
SMS Channel
SMS doesn't rely on open tracking, yet it drives strong ROI. If you haven't explored the SMS channel yet, this is a good opportunity to diversify your marketing.
Strategy tip: Send an Email Campaign to your subscribers first. A day later, send an SMS campaign to those who haven't clicked any links in your email and haven't placed orders. This helps you reach more customers through their phones.
Push Notification Channel
E-commerce businesses often focus exclusively on email, but Push Notifications let you show short notifications with images even when customers aren't browsing your website. This can drive additional sales and engagement.
FAQ
Does iOS 15 still affect email marketing in 2026?
Yes. The principles introduced in iOS 15 (Mail Privacy Protection) are still active. For the latest iOS update information, see iOS 26 Update.
Can I still use open rates?
Yes, but only for contacts who don't use Apple Mail. For Apple Mail users, open rates are no longer reliable.
Should I stop A/B testing subject lines?
No, but use click rate instead of open rate to determine the winner if most of your audience uses Apple devices.
If you have questions, check our blog article about the iOS 15 update or contact our support team via in-app chat or at [email protected].