Google appears to be readying a new feature called Shielded Email that allows users to create email aliases when signing up for online services and better combat spam.
The feature was first reported by Android Authority last week following a teardown of the latest version of Google Play Services for Android.
The idea is to create unique, single-use email addresses that forward the messages to the associated primary account, thereby preventing the need for providing the real email address when filling out forms or registering for new services online.
The idea of email aliases for improved privacy is not new. Back in 2021, Apple introduced a similar feature called Hide My Email that allows iCloud+ subscribers to generate random burner email addresses. It can also be used to set up new ones in Safari, Mail, and Apple Pay wherever email addresses are required.
Other providers like Bitwarden and DuckDuckGo have since also released an analogous feature. It’s worth noting that Google previously rolled out the ability for users to create virtual card numbers to pay online or in apps, but it’s currently limited to eligible cards in the U.S. only.
The development comes as Google has released a new app called Android System Key Verifier that, similar to Apple’s iMessage Contact Key Verification, provides additional security by allowing users to verify that they are in fact chatting with the people they intend by using encryption keys and QR codes.
“The Android Key Verifier system service lets developers store end-to-end encryption keys and lets users verify that their apps are using the correct keys when communicating,” Google notes in a Play Store description.