Google plans to add a new privacy feature called “Shielded Email” to Gmail, following Apple’s “Hide My Email” system. This change will affect Gmail’s 2 billion users.
The new feature lets users create fake email addresses that forward messages to their real Gmail account. This helps protect users from spam and unwanted emails. When signing up for websites or apps, users can give out these temporary addresses instead of their real one.
Google discovered this update in the code of Google Play Services version 24.45.33. The feature will first work on Android phones, especially when apps ask for email addresses. It may later expand to Chrome and desktop Gmail.
Google hasn’t announced when this feature will launch or if it will cost money. The company might include it in Google One subscriptions. The update will likely come to Pixel phones first, before reaching other Android devices.
This update is particularly important as email scams become more sophisticated. Criminals are using new techniques, like special image files, to trick people into clicking dangerous links. The change comes just as holiday season shopping begins, when email scams typically increase.
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