A-MAIL-ZING!
Little-known iPhone trick lets you create secret ‘fake’ emails to kill spam forever – exact setting you need to change
There are two things you'll need to set up first – but it only takes a few seconds
YOUR iPhone has an incredibly useful trick to create fake emails – letting you keep your details private and even block spam.
It's called Hide My Email, and it's extremely powerful once you know how to use it.
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The feature isn't brand new either: it came out in September 2021 with iOS 15.
It lets you create unique and randomly generated email address that you have total control over.
You can use them to sign up to websites – and any messages will be forwarded straight on to your real email.
This means that the website you've signed up to won't see your real email.
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And by using a different fake email for each website, you can switch them off if you feel like you're being spammed.
You can also work out if a website has had a leak or passed your email on elsewhere, as you can link it straight to the place you originally created the email for.
Apple explains: "When you create a new account with an app or website, sign up for a newsletter online or need to send an email to someone you don’t know well, you can use Hide My Email directly from Safari or your iCloud Settings to create a unique, random email address.
"If you want, you can refresh your randomly generated email address to generate a new one.
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"After you've chosen an address, it's unique to you. You can read and respond directly to emails sent to this email address and your personal email address is kept private."
It's worth noting that Apple doesn't see the contents of the email.
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And you can change the email address that's receiving the forwarded messages whenever you like.
HOW TO USE HIDE MY EMAIL
First off, you'll need an iPhone running iOS 15 or later.
We're currently on iOS 18 so this is almost certainly the case – but you can check by going into Settings > General > Software Update.
Secondly, you'll need an iCloud+ subscription.
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The cheapest option is £0.99 / $0.99 a month, and comes with a load of other perks too.
You'll get 50GB of iCloud storage, plus Hide My Email, and iCloud Private Relay for keeping your Safari browsing private.
It's possible to sign up directly in the iCloud area of your iPhone's settings.
Once that's done, go to Settings > iCloud > Hide My Email.
ICLOUD+ PRICES – HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Here's the latest Apple iCloud+ pricing for the UK and the US...
UK iCloud+ prices:
- 50GB – £0.99
- 200GB – £2.99
- 2TB – £8.99
- 6TB – £26.99
- 12TB – £54.99
US iCloud+ prices:
- 50GB – $0.99
- 200GB – $2.99
- 2TB – $9.99
- 6TB – $29.99
- 12TB – $59.99
All prices were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed.
Always do your own research before making any purchase.
Picture Credit: Apple
You'll be able to create new fake email addresses, or deactivate ones you don't want anymore.
Then you can use these fake emails to sign up for websites.
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It's also possible to hit the Use Hide My Email button in Safari and Mail when you're prompted – and Apple will generate an address for you on the spot.
You can always switch to your regular email address at a later date if you change your mind.
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