Google’s Shielded Email feature is reportedly developing a new feature, known as “Shielded Email,” that aims to give Android users more control over their inboxes by allowing them to create temporary email addresses, or aliases, to prevent spam and safeguard privacy. This exciting feature was discovered during an APK teardown of Google Play Services 24.45.33, revealing a tool that generates a temporary email address to mask a user’s real one. Shielded Email is expected to work within Google’s Autofill service, making it seamlessly accessible across most Android devices and compatible with nearly all apps.
When users want to sign up for services they’re not fully confident in or want to avoid unsolicited follow-up emails, they can create a temporary alias that automatically forwards messages to their primary account. This alias is either single-use or expires after a set period, allowing users to discard it if spam begins to pile up. Google’s initiative could eliminate the need for third-party services, like TempMail, that provide similar temporary email functionality, but without the integration and convenience of Google’s ecosystem.
One question still lingering is how these aliases will appear: will they use Google’s signature “@gmail.com” ending, or will they be formatted more randomly like most disposable email services? If Google opts to make these aliases look like standard Gmail addresses, it would add a layer of authenticity, potentially making it more challenging for marketers to differentiate real from temporary accounts. Shielded Email is still under development, but it signals Google’s ongoing commitment to protecting user privacy in an increasingly data-driven world.
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