Email Privacy
Email Aliases Explained: Hide Your Real Address
Every site you sign up for gets your email address, and many share or sell it. An alias gives each site a different address that forwards to you, so your real one stays private.
Last updated October 23, 2026 · By Harbor Privacy
What an Alias Is
An alias is a separate address that delivers to your real inbox. You can use a unique one for each site, then turn it off if it starts receiving spam or shows up in a breach. Your real address is never exposed to the site.
Why Use One
- Spot who sold your email. If a unique address starts getting spam, you know which company shared it.
- Contain breaches. A leaked alias does not reveal your main address or link your accounts together.
- Kill spam at the source. Disable one alias without changing your real email.
- Harder to track across sites. Different addresses make it harder to link your accounts into one profile.
Your Options
- Apple Hide My Email. Included with iCloud+, and built into Sign in with Apple.
- Firefox Relay. Free and paid tiers of masked addresses.
- SimpleLogin and Proton Pass. Alias services you can pair with a Proton or other inbox.
- DuckDuckGo Email Protection. Free @duck.com addresses that also strip some trackers from email.
- Your own domain. A catch-all lets you invent a new address for every site.
- Plus addressing. Adding +tag to a Gmail address helps you trace sources, but it is easy for a site to strip, so it does not hide your real address.
Tradeoffs
- The alias provider can read the mail it forwards, so choose one you trust.
- Some sites block known alias domains.
- If the alias service shuts down or you lose access, accounts tied to those addresses can be hard to recover.
- You need a way to keep track of which alias belongs to which site, and a password manager helps.
Getting Started
01
Choose a servicePick one tied to something you already use, such as iCloud or your email provider.
02
Use an alias for new signupsStart with shopping, newsletters, and anything you do not fully trust.
03
Keep your real address for the essentialsBank, government, and family stay on the real address.
04
Clean up old accountsSee how to delete old accounts and how to filter email.
Common Questions
Are email aliases the same as a second email account?
No. An alias forwards to your existing inbox, so you do not have to check another account.
Can websites tell I am using an alias?
Sometimes. Some sites block well-known alias domains, though your own domain usually works.
Is Gmail plus addressing private?
It helps you trace who shared your address, but your real address is still visible in it.
Can I reply from an alias?
Many services let you reply so the other side only sees the alias. Check each one.
What if my alias gets spam?
Turn that alias off or delete it. Your real address and other aliases are unaffected.
WANT THIS DONE FOR YOU?
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