Google is launching a new privacy feature for Gmail called “Shielded Email” which will further user security. With over 2 billion active Gmail accounts, the feature will help protect email privacy, much like Apple’s famous “Hide My Email” feature.
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Apple’s “Hide My Email” allows users to create random email addresses that forward messages to their inbox, thus keeping personal emails private and reducing spam. Google’s counterpart, Shielded Email, will allow users to generate temporary or limited-use aliases that forward to their Gmail accounts, yet this adds a security layer. This function, detected in a teardown of Google Play Services version 24.45.33, will aim to help simplify email management while boosting privacy.
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Unlike Apple’s feature, which works within its Mail and Safari apps, Shielded Email is designed to integrate with Android systems, including Android Autofill and Google Password Manager. However, it remains to be seen if that service will be free or covered by a Google One subscription to prevent abuse.
The company is part of a much larger effort by Google to perfect the privacy features on Android and begin closing the gap with iOS. Among Google’s latest security moves for Android are spam detection, live threat alerts, and AI-based protections installed on phones. Shielded Email can be expected first on Pixel phones, later followed by others using Android, such as owners of the Samsung brand.
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With mobile being the primary target for most cyberattacks, tools like Shielded Email are vital. The bad news is growing worries such as phishing (known to some as “mishing“) and AI-driven malware; the good news is that features like shielded email help protect Android devices, otherwise exposed due to their potentially softer than iPhone counterparts.
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As Shielded Email is launched, it will help reduce spam for its users, protect privacy, and secure sensitive information. This innovation is progressing toward safer online communication.
What to Know: Shielded Email offers Gmail users better control over their privacy and decreases risks such as spam and phishing. Expect an update, and then use it to strengthen your email security.
