Key Takeaways
- Google is developing Shielded Email for Android, a feature similar to Apple’s Hide My Email.
- Shielded Email will generate unique email addresses that you can use to sign up for apps and services.
- All emails to the unique address will be forwarded to your primary inbox.
Spam emails have become a big problem, especially since almost every app and service wants you to sign up before you can use it. To bypass this problem, Apple offers a nifty Hide My Email feature in iCloud, which lets you create burner email IDs. This ensures you don’t have to share your primary email address when you don’t want to. All emails to the burner address are automatically forwarded to your primary account. Google is now seemingly working on a similar solution for Android users.
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A teardown of the latest Google Play Services (v24.45.33) by Android Authority reveals multiple references to “Shielded Email.” Below is the text of some of the string values:
- Emails forward to ^1. To control spam, you can turn off forwarding at any time in your Google Account.
- Use an email address created for this app. This can protect you from online tracking and data breaches.
- Use an email address created for this app. This can protect you from online tracking and data breaches.
Based on the text, it is evident that Google is working on its take on iCloud’s Hide My Email. Shielded Email will generate unique, random email addresses, which you can use while signing up for apps. This will help not only fight spam but also help you protect your privacy.
Shielded Email will automatically forward all emails sent to the randomly generated email address to your primary account.
Shielded Email might be paywalled behind Google One
Source: Justin Ward / Android Police
There’s not much information yet on how Google will implement this feature. It might take a similar approach as Apple, paywalling “Email Shielding” behind a Google One subscription and integrating the feature with its password manager. And even if offered for free, there will likely be a limit on how many random email addresses you can create.
Many popular password managers already provide an option to generate alias email addresses.
Apple has also neatly integrated the Hide My Email option in Safari and Mail app on iPhone and iPad. This allows you to send emails from a randomly generated address. Google should take a cue from Apple and integrate Email Shielding into Gmail and Google Chrome, significantly enhancing its usefulness.