Proton Post is one of the best alternatives available to Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail, offering end-to-end encryption, tracker blocking, and phishing protection. The free account gives you 1GB of storage and up to 150 messages per day, while paid plans start at $3.99 per month.
The newest feature added to Proton Mail is the option to hide your email address: this is where you set up an email alias that you’ll exploit when you buy something or sign up for a social networking site, while keeping your email address private. This is already available in other email clients (like Apple) and you can set it up in just a few minutes.
Why hide your email address?
You can exploit email aliases in various places.
Source: Proton
Here’s how email aliases work and why you should exploit them: You start by generating an alias in your email app, then exploit the alias (not your actual email address) when you fill out a web form, sign, want to exploit a fresh digital service, or tell someone how to contact you. Any messages sent to this alias go to your regular inbox.
Apps, websites and web forms are always requesting email addresses from us, and an alias system gives you extra protection and privacy, as well as extra control over your inbox: you can create an email alias for a specific purpose, such as organizing a football team, for example. and then filter all messages coming to this alias.
Another substantial advantage of using an email alias is that you can ditch it at any time. If you want to stop subscribing to a streaming service, you can also withdraw the email address associated with it; or if a company is sending you too much spam, you can simply remove the alias they gave you. If you exploit separate aliases for everything you sign up for, you’ll also know which companies are sending you too many messages and which aren’t.
How to set up aliases in Proton Mail
Each alias can be given a name and description.
Source: Lifehaker
If you are on a paid Proton Mail plan, you can create as many of them as possible email aliases of your choice, with free account users receiving up to 10 of them. Log in to Proton Mail on the Internet, then click the shield icon in the sidebar on the right (when you hover over it, it will say “Security Center”). Click Create an alias do just that.
In the dialog box that appears, you can specify a name for the alias – it’s a good idea to exploit a name that indicates what the alias is for to make it easier to keep track of. This name is then added to a randomly generated string of text and numbers that constitutes your actual alias. You can also add a note to the alias to assist you remember why you created it.
Click Create and copy an alias and that’s it: you can paste your newly created, disposable email address into any website or app you sign up for. To access your aliases and remove the ones you no longer need, simply click the shield icon in Proton Mail again and then follow the instructions All aliases to combine.
Other email aliases options
Apple also offers email aliases.
Source: Lifehaker
As I mentioned above, Apple offers an email hiding service, and it’s quite comprehensive – especially on Apple devices. You’ll find it offered wherever you see the “Sign in with Apple” option, and you’ll get even more control over your aliases if you pay for iCloud storage. WITH iCloud on the weband then click on your profile avatar (top right corner). iCloud SettingsThen iCloud+ features AND Hide my email.
There are plenty of other options out there. Firefox Relay is one: you can exploit up to five aliases for free, and if you want to pay, you can exploit more (plans start at $1.99 per month). The ability to hide your phone number and email address will also be coming to Firefox Relay soon, although you’ll need to have a paid plan to exploit it.
