Published on: March 7, 2024
Proton Mail now allows users to mask their email address to boost online identity security and mitigate spam.
“These are unique, randomly generated email addresses you can give out instead of your real email address, which stays private,” Proton Mail explained in its blog post that announces the new addition to the Proton Mail app. “If you use the same email address for every account, you’re putting your online identity at risk. Most online services are vulnerable to cyberattacks, and hackers are becoming more relentless.
“Once your email address is in the wild, it can be added to spam lists or sold to marketers. You could also be targeted with spear phishing(new window) attacks.”
The “hide-my-email” alias feature, which allows you to create email aliases on the spot, was exclusively available in Proton Pass, the company’s secure password manager. Now, it’s available through the Proton Mail desktop app and web interface, allowing Proton Mail users to make their real, personal email addresses private via the new Security Center in the Proton Mail settings.
Similar to the Proton Pass app, Proton Mail enables users to assign a title and a note to each alias, making it easier to remember the specific use or purpose of each one.
The number of email aliases you can create in the Proton Mail app depends on your subscription plan. Free users can generate up to 10 hide-my-email aliases with the Proton Free plan. For those requiring more, upgrading to Proton Unlimited allows the creation of unlimited aliases.
You can access Proton Mail’s new Security Center, where the service is moving a couple of its security features, by clicking on the shield icon on the right side panel of the web app. Here, you’ll be able to set up two-factor authentication and access the Proton Sentinel account protection program “which monitors for suspicious account activity and blocks account takeover attacks.”