How many times have you created a new account on a website only to regret it 10 minutes later when the first rush of spam emails start piling in from that site? Since there is no way to create accounts without providing your email address, it stands to reason that your email will be out there and up for grabs among various sites and possibly even third-party players.
None of this bodes well for your data and privacy, of course. The more accounts that have your email, the more at risk you are of becoming a victim of a data leak, which means your most private data (including bank account information) can get out there into the universe and fall into the wrong hands.
Here’s the best news you may not know yet: iPhone has a solution for that. A little-known setting called Hide My Email creates circumstances where your “email address is kept private.” Yep, even when you sign up for that new account. Here’s how it works and how to enable it.
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Hide My Email
Hide My Email isn’t a new feature — it’s been around for a few years. It allows you to create unique and random email addresses every time you sign up for a new account. The site will still send your important messages to your actual email address, but the website you’ve signed up for won’t have access to your real email.
Another way this is handy is if you receive a message about your email address being involved in a data breach you’ll be able to tell automatically which site was vulnerable: the unique email generated for that site will be the one that pops up in the report.
How to Enable Hide My Email
You’ll need to make sure your iPhone is running iOS 15 or later. You’ll also need an iCloud+ subscription. This will cost money, but it also includes more storage space. Once that is set, go to Settings > iCloud > Hide My Email. Now you’ll be able to create new fake emails and keep your identity and data more private and secure.
