Do you get loads of spam messages in your e-mail inbox? If you are or are starting to, this may be for various reasons. This may include signing up at different sites throughout the year and forgetting to close your account, the website suffers a data leak, or the website is sharing (or selling) your data.
A good way to stay protected from this is by using an alias e-mail address. Having a separate e-mail addresses for personal and work is the best defense. However this can be difficult to organize and manage over time. With an alias, you can keep all your messages in one inbox.
What is an e-mail alias?
An e-mail alias is a second e-mail connected to your main e-mail address. For example, if you have the following email address, “[email protected],” you could have an additional alias of “[email protected]” which is a unique address, but it’s inbox is shared with the main email address.
So if you send a message and CC both of the email addresses, you will receive 2 new messages in your inbox. This also helps you pinpoint its source in the future and have more protection control in the event of spam.
Many providers, including both Apple’s iCloud and Google’s Gmail offer this feature for their e-mail services.
Google Gmail
With Gmail, you can use an alias email beginning with your current address. For example, take the email [email protected]. You can set up to receive emails at “[email protected]” or “[email protected]”, easily separating where you used it and its purpose.
Learn more about Gmail aliases here.
Apple iCloud
Apple iCloud offers a similar feature with Hide My Email. You’ll get unique, random generated e-mail addresses that you can use to send emails, sign up for newsletters and more. They’re unique to you and forward to your main box.
You will need a Cloud+ subscription to generate them manually, but can start using them for free with a website’s “Sign in with Apple” option. Learn more about Apple’s Hide my Email here.
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