Apple Changed Its Mind: Privacy Protection Feature Saved

How many times have you been asked for your email address when signing up for a new app or website? If you are an iCloud+ subscriber, you likely use the "Hide My Email" feature. This tool generates random, dummy email addresses that route messages directly to your real inbox. This way, you maintain complete privacy and can delete any address that has been compromised or has become a source of spam.

What did Apple plan to do?

This method worked perfectly until Apple decided to make a worrying change. The company planned to consolidate the domain of the dummy addresses with its sign-in service and move them all to a uniform extension. This meant that instead of receiving an address that looks like a normal email, the new addresses would immediately reveal that they were dummy aliases. This change would have allowed companies and websites to easily identify and block these addresses, thereby forcing you to reveal your real email.

Fortunately, Apple listened to public criticism and officially announced that it is canceling the plan; the service will continue to operate as usual. This decision comes after a difficult period for the feature, which included the exposure of a serious security vulnerability that could have leaked users' real email addresses to hackers. The vulnerability, reported to Apple in June 2025, was finally fixed, and the service is now secure and operating as normal.

What alternatives exist on the market?

If recent events have caused you to lose trust in Apple, it is worth knowing that there are excellent alternatives on the market:

1. The Proton Mail service offers a similar feature that allows you to create up to 10 aliases for free, and an unlimited number for paid subscribers.

2. The DuckDuckGo browser offers free email protection with a dedicated extension.

3. Mozilla offers Firefox Relay, an especially effective service that even allows you to protect your phone number from spam.

Bottom line, you can continue to use Apple's feature with peace of mind, knowing that your privacy is protected. Your dummy addresses will not be blocked, and you will not have to reveal your real inbox to third-party companies.