Apple’s iOS features a Hide My Email service that enables users to generate randomized email addresses for signing up for various services while concealing their real email addresses. This functionality is highly practical, as it eliminates the need to expose one’s personal email to websites and applications, thereby preventing an endless influx of spam.
Now, Google is developing a similar feature. Code within Google Play Services v24.45.33 reveals the presence of an option labeled Shielded Email, and Android Authority has already managed to enable this functionality.
Google’s Shielded Email service currently integrates with the Gboard keyboard. When users need to sign up for an account and provide an email address, Gboard will present an option to generate a randomized email.
Since accounts registered with a randomized email will require the same address for future logins, this service is best used alongside a password manager or Google’s login service, allowing users to avoid the burden of memorizing these randomly generated addresses.
The underlying mechanism is relatively straightforward: once a Shielded Email is linked to a user’s Google account, all incoming emails sent to that address will be forwarded to their Gmail inbox. Logically, Google is expected to allow users to deactivate these temporary addresses to prevent spam, though such an option has not yet been spotted.
The concept itself is not new—Mozilla’s Firefox Relay was among the first to introduce a similar service, enabling users to mask their real email addresses. However, Firefox Relay operates on a subscription-based model. It remains to be seen whether Google will adopt a similar monetization strategy for Shielded Email in the future.
From a usability standpoint, this feature will likely become independent of Gboard over time, allowing users to leverage it more seamlessly. When combined with a password manager for autofill functionality, Shielded Email has the potential to be an incredibly convenient tool for privacy-conscious users.
