Apple’s Hide My Email feature lets users keep their personal email addresses private, away from the information brokers who sell lists of email addresses and phone numbers that drive the global scourge of spam and cold calling.
Now it seems Google has decided to follow suit—a surprise decision no-one saw coming and which was not touted with the other privacy and security updates this year. Per Android Authority
“With Hide My Email,” Apple explains, “you can generate unique, random email addresses that forward to your personal email account, so you don’t have to share your real email address when filling out forms or signing up for newsletters on the web, or when sending email.”
While this enables users to forward these ghost email addresses to any email address associated with their iCloud account, it really comes into its own when used with Apple’s own Mail and Safari apps.
Tearing down the new 24.45.33 APK release of Google Play Services, “and upon cracking it open,” the website explains it has found “a whole boatload of strings referencing and in support of something called ‘Shielded Email’.”
This system “to create single-use or limited-use email aliases that will forward messages along to your primary account.” And while “we could imagine that something like this might be pretty useful in Chrome,” which would mirror Apple’s approach, this current reveal is focused instead on “specifically addressing apps that ask for your email address,” which is why it’s been found in a Play update.
https://www.androidauthority.com/google-shielded-email-3499803/
As noted by 9to5Google, “the experience looks to be integrated with Android’s autofill and presumably the Google Password Manager… It remains to be seen whether Google will charge for Shielded Email. Besides encouraging people to sign-up for Google One, making it paid could be a way to make sure functionality isn’t abused.”
@ecksmc Oh that is handy! A spam killer!
@stueytheround yeah about time
You can use services already for this
https://counter.social/@ecksmc/112703183111551540
This is a good one for android
@ecksmc I'm due a replacement phone in February.
I'm at pretty much the lowest budget end of the market. This one's a Moto G62 5g. It's ok but I think I want expandable memory again. So if you see any decent budget 5g handsets on the market, gimme the headsup please.
@stueytheround will do
I do see them from time 2 time via reviews I read I'll keep an eye for one and holla - you purchasing the device outright or contract upgrade when renewing contract?
@ecksmc It's be on a Tesco pay monthly upgrade and yes, their range is kid of limited! 🤣
@stueytheround @ecksmc
Moto g Stylus up to 2TB expandable?
@stueytheround @ecksmc ...wandering into a thread... I've had good luck with Swappa: https://swappa.com/buy/unlocked
@b4cks4w @stueytheround yeah sites like that are good if you're looking to purchase a device
Monthly upgrade you're kinda locked in with a provider and need to pick a device they have on their site - or cancel your contract & go sim-only or get a new mobile provider
@stueytheround ahhh yeah ive been on same tesco thing before
I ended my contract with them decided to go sim-only contract with Three bought a device then when sim-only contract was renewing got a device from Three - much better choices
Saying that tesco were alright for mostly mid-low range devices always one that caught my eye if not more
This allows you to send messages directly from those shielded addresses, and also offers the option to easily create a ghost email address whenever you’re asked for an email address within a form on Safari.