The modern online shopping experience nearly always requires sharing your email address. Whether for discounts, shipping updates, or returns, it’s become a default step. However, this convenience comes with risks: data breaches, relentless spam, and even the sale of your personal information. Cybersecurity experts confirm that oversharing your primary email can open the door to wider security vulnerabilities. Fortunately, Apple offers a built-in solution called Hide My Email that lets you shop online without exposing your real address.
How Over-Sharing Your Email Hurts You
Chester Wisniewski, director and chief information security officer at Sophos, explains that once criminals obtain a verified email, they can use it to target other accounts. Your primary email is a key to many digital doors, and handing it out freely increases the chance of compromise. Companies often share customer data with third parties, amplifying the problem.
What is Apple’s Hide My Email?
Hide My Email allows you to generate random, unique email aliases for online transactions. Messages still arrive in your inbox, but the retailer never sees your actual address. If an alias gets spammed, you can deactivate it instantly, preventing further unwanted contact. This feature is available to iCloud Plus subscribers, with plans starting at $1/month.
Why Use Email Aliases?
Using unique addresses for different companies helps you identify which businesses are selling your data. According to Wisniewski, “You start noticing how many companies are selling your information because all the marketing goes to the address you used with them.” The feature also prevents inbox clutter from unnecessary marketing emails.
Setting Up Hide My Email: A Step-by-Step Guide
- Go to Settings > tap your name > iCloud > Hide My Email.
- Tap Create New Address. Apple will generate a random alias; you can keep it or create a new one.
- Add a descriptive label (e.g., “Holiday Shopping 2024”) to help you remember its purpose.
Once set up, use the alias everywhere you’d normally enter your email: discounts, order tracking, returns, and more. The alias forwards messages to your inbox while keeping your primary address private.
Smart Ways to Use Hide My Email
- Online Returns & Customer Service: Use the same alias for each store to keep return updates organized, avoiding marketing spam.
- One-Time Accounts: When signing up for temporary promotions or wishlists, use an alias and deactivate it afterward.
- Protect Your Primary Address: Keep your core banking, social media, and subscription emails secure by avoiding sharing them unnecessarily.
Managing Your Email Aliases
Deactivating an alias stops all incoming mail. You can always reactivate it later if needed. Deletion is permanent but ensures complete removal.
To manage aliases:
- Go to Settings > your name > iCloud > Hide My Email.
- Select the label you want to deactivate or delete.
- Choose Deactivate Email Address or Delete Address.
The Bottom Line
Using Hide My Email is a simple yet effective way to protect your inbox, reduce spam, and mitigate data breach risks. As Wisniewski points out, “Despite the number of data breaches being really high, there are still things in your life that are more sensitive, and it’s worth doing what you can to protect yourself.” Making email aliases a habit for online sign-ups is a practical step toward greater digital security.
