Google is reportedly developing a new functionality designed to enhance user privacy when engaging with applications that request email addresses. Code snippets discovered within one of its applications indicate the impending launch of a feature termed Shielded Email, which aims to allow users to utilize email aliases when registering for apps or newsletters. This mirrors a feature already provided by Apple, known as Hide My Email, which is available for iCloud+ subscribers.
New Shielded Email Feature to Provide Email Aliases With Forwarding Options
According to findings from Android Authority and AssembleDebug, a teardown of the Google Play Services version 24.45.33 APK uncovered a feature labeled Shielded Email. The various code strings identified during this examination shed light on how the feature may function if it comes to fruition.
The Shielded Email option aims to keep a user’s email address confidential by generating an alias whenever an application requires an email for registration. One code string hints at a key benefit of the tool: it offers protection against “online tracking and data breaches.”
Moreover, these email aliases are expected to have the functionality of forwarding messages to the user’s actual inbox, providing a safeguard against unwanted spam from the services that individuals use. It remains uncertain whether users will have the ability to create multiple Shielded Email addresses or aliases.
Additionally, there’s potential for Google to integrate this new Shielded Email feature with its existing Autofill tool on Android devices. A screenshot from the Autofill settings shows an indication of the new feature with an icon representing an email alongside a blue tag and the Google logo.
It is important to note that Apple’s existing Hide My Email feature serves a similar purpose, allowing iCloud+ users to create email aliases instantly, which also has the capacity to forward incoming messages to their true email inbox.
The timeline for when Google may roll out the Shielded Email feature remains uncertain, with specific details regarding its availability, pricing, or whether it will be exclusive to Google One customers still unknown. More information about the feature and its operational mechanics is anticipated in the upcoming weeks or months.
