Google working on ‘Shielded Email’ to hide your address from apps

Google might let you hide your actual email address from Android apps with a new “Shielded Email.”

About APK Insight: In this “APK Insight” post, we’ve decompiled the latest version of an application that Google uploaded to the Play Store. When we decompile these files (called APKs, in the case of Android apps), we’re able to see various lines of code within that hint at possible future features. Keep in mind that Google may or may not ever ship these features, and our interpretation of what they are may be imperfect. We’ll try to enable those that are closer to being finished, however, to show you how they’ll look in case that they do ship. With that in mind, read on.

On Apple devices, paid iCloud+ subscriptions let you “keep your personal email address private by creating unique, random addresses that forward to your personal inbox” with Hide My Email. Introduced in 2021, pricing starts at $.99 per month (for 50GB).

Google is now working on an equivalent feature called “Shield Email.” Strings in beta version 24.45.33 of Google Play services (via Android Authority) detail how you can “Keep your email address private with Shielded Email.” 

<string name=”autofill_datatype_shielded_email_title”>Shielded Email</string>

<string name=”autofill_datatype_shielded_email_subtext”>Generated email addresses</string>

Shielded Email appears to be available when signing up for new accounts in Android apps. Google touts how this “can protect you from online tracking and data breaches.” Hopefully, you will be able to generate Shielded Emails when creating any new account, like on the web.

Emails will be forwarded to your actual account, with the ability to “turn off forwarding at any time in your Google Account” if spam runs rampant. That reference to your Google Account is interesting and might suggest settings will be available from myaccount.google.com and the Android equivalent.

The experience looks to be integrated with Android’s autofill and presumably the Google Password Manager.

<string name=”autofill_shielded_ids_email_dialog_title_new_user”>Keep your email address private with Shielded Email</string>

<string name=”autofill_shielded_ids_email_dialog_lower_message_new_user”>Emails forward to ^1. To control spam, you can turn off forwarding at any time in your Google Account. <a href=”^2″>Learn more about Shielded Email</a>.</string>

<string name=”autofill_shielded_ids_email_dialog_upper_message_new_user”>Use an email address created for this app. This can protect you from online tracking and data breaches.</string>

It remains to be seen whether Google will charge for Shielded Email. Besides encouraging people to sign-up for Google One, making it paid could be a way to make sure functionality isn’t abused.

<string name=”autofill_shielded_ids_create_button_text”>Use address</string>

<string name=”autofill_shielded_ids_email_dialog_title_returning_user”>Use Shielded Email?</string>

<string name=”autofill_shielded_ids_email_dialog_upper_message_returning_user”>Use an email address created for this app. Emails will forward to ^1</string>

<string name=”autofill_shielded_ids_email_label”>Use Shielded Email</string>

Thanks to JEB Decompiler, from which some APK Insight teardowns benefit.