What iOS 18 Means for Email Marketers

What’s the Deal with iOS 18?

The latest iOS update has arrived, bringing exciting upgrades that give iPhone users even more ways to customize their experience. From new home screen designs and playful text effects to a refreshed Photos app, iOS 18 is all about personalization. But the real standout? Apple is going all-in on AI with the launch of Apple Intelligence coming this fall.

This update isn’t just about aesthetics—it introduces features, such as Mail Preview Summaries, that have major implications for email marketers. Curious how Apple Intelligence will affect your email performance? Let's dive into what these changes mean.

What Are Mail Preview Summaries?

Mail Preview Summaries provide an AI-powered overview of the content within an email, giving recipients a quick synopsis without needing to open the message. But what if your email content is image-based? Should you be worried about the AI misrepresenting it in its summary?

The short answer? No. There’s little need to worry, and here’s why: preview summaries of image-only emails with pre-headers and descriptive alt text will still display exactly as designed, just like with previous iOS versions. In essence, Apple’s AI enhancement adds convenience for customers without disrupting your strategy.

Here are the key steps to ensure your emails continue performing at their best:

• Don't Move Away from Image-Based Content: Mail Preview Summaries are designed to add value to person-to-person emails, not negatively influence marketing campaigns. They focus on extracting key information, not altering intentions. As such, automatically generating unique composite images for each customer in real time is still the best way to drive ROI for your program. Companies adopting this approach see returns such as a 40% lift in revenue, 40% decrease in production time, and a 422% return on investment.  
• Use Pre-Headers: Apple Mail first pulls from pre-headers to generate summaries. By ensuring your pre-header is clear and concise, you can control exactly how your message is presented in the summary. AI only steps in to fill any gaps.
• Keep Adding Descriptive Alt Text: Currently, the AI cannot interpret images themselves—only their underlying code. However, if the alt-text provided notes what the image is, the AI will rely on that instead. Therefore, providing well-crafted alt text not only ensures your visuals are accessible, but it also retains their meaning.

In short, the onset of iOS 18 doesn’t mean that marketers need a full strategy overhaul. They simply need to implement a few key steps that allow them to keep delivering high-impact, image-based, campaigns with confidence.