iOS18 & Gmail Are Shaking Up Your Inbox. Here's How to Stay Ahead in 2025

Email marketers, brace yourselves — the inbox game has changed. Between Gmail's tightening grip on spam policies and Apple's game-changing iOS 18 update, getting your message seen — let alone opened — is a whole new battlefield.

But here's the good news: you can still win.

At Wooxy, we live for this stuff. And today, we're breaking down exactly what's changed, why it matters, and how to adapt your email marketing strategy to make 2025 your best-performing year yet. 

If your open rates took a hit in 2024, you're not alone.

Gmail rolled out tougher anti-spam filters last year, pushing bulk emails into Promotions or even spam folders faster than you can say "click-through rate." The targets? Poor sender reputation, missing authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and low engagement metrics.

Even respected senders felt the heat. If your emails didn't get clicks or replies, Gmail started to treat them like yesterday's junk mail.

🔑 Key Takeaway: Engagement = visibility. If your audience isn't opening or interacting, Gmail will assume you're irrelevant.

Announced at WWDC on June 10, 2024, and updated to version 18.4.1 in April 2025, iOS 18 has introduced radical changes to how your emails are sorted, seen, and prioritized inside Apple Mail — affecting every brand, every sender, and every campaign.

Let's break down the latest email's most significant shifts:

1. Branded Mail (Without BIMI)

Apple is offering a shortcut to branded inbox visibility via Apple Business Connect — no BIMI required.

If your brand is verified and you have DMARC + DNS correctly set, your icon can now appear directly in Apple Mail inboxes, Apple Maps, Siri, Wallet, and more. It's free to set up — and it builds immediate trust.

 What You Need:

• A verified business profile via Apple Business Connect
• Proper email authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC enforced
• A consistent sending domain with a healthy reputation

2. Priority Messages

iOS 18 uses AI to detect urgency and personal relevance. Emails deemed "important" float to the top of the inbox. Everyone else? Buried.

Apple analyzes your subject lines, content, timing, and intent to decide where you land.

3. Inbox Categories Are Here

Just like Gmail, Apple Mail now automatically sorts incoming messages into four new folders:

• Primary – Personal messages, urgent updates
• Transactions – Receipts, confirmations, shipping
• Updates – Newsletters, social, content
• Promotions – Deals, discounts, sales messages

That beautiful newsletter you just designed? Unless it's highly personalized and relevant, it's not landing in "Primary" anymore.

4. Digest View

Sending multiple emails in one week? iOS 18 now groups your messages into a single bundle. It's neat for the user — but it can drown your campaign if you don't plan for it.

✅ 1. Authenticate EVERYTHING
No SPF? No DKIM? No DMARC? You're invisible — or worse, in spam.
Set up your authentication records today. Use Wooxy's built-in domain check tool to verify your settings and boost deliverability.
 

✅ 2. Segment Like a Pro
Sending the same message to your whole list? Stop.
Instead:

• Create segments by behavior (clickers vs. non-clickers)
• Use purchase history, geolocation, and engagement
• Send fewer, more relevant messages

Better targeting = higher engagement = inbox placement
 

✅ 3. Use Apple Business Connect
Set up your Apple Business Connect profile to unlock the branded inbox display in Apple Mail. This adds trust, visibility, and authority — without requiring BIMI.
Wooxy's DNS assistant can help you configure everything from one dashboard.
 

✅ 4. Lean Into Personalization & Intent
iOS 18 and Gmail both reward relevance. Generic blasts are out. Smart, user-focused content is in.

Wooxy users can:

• Pull in dynamic content blocks based on user behavior
• Trigger flows by product views, site actions, or abandoned carts
• Customize copy, subject lines, and CTAs per user segment

Make every email feel personal.
 

✅ 5. Monitor Engagement & Clean Your List
In 2025, inactive users are toxic to your sender score.
Use Wooxy's automation to:

• Re-engage inactive users with a win-back flow
• Automatically suppress or sunset cold leads
• Keep your list lean, active, and engaged
   

✅ 6. Adapt to Digest View & Categories
Plan your campaigns with bundling in mind. If iOS will group your emails, make them look great as a series. Consistent branding, clear subject lines, and time-sensitive offers help stand out even in a digest bundle.
Send fewer, better emails with a clear purpose.

Apple and Gmail aren't trying to spoil email marketing world — they're trying to make it better for users. That means the lazy senders will fall behind… and the smart marketers (that's you) will rise.

With Wooxy, you have the tools to adapt fast, optimize smarter, and keep growing in a more competitive inbox landscape.

• Bulletproof deliverability
• Real-time engagement metrics
• Automated workflows
• Personalization at scale

2025 is your year — and with Wooxy, you've got the tools to win the inbox.