How I filter out spam with alternative email addresses

The battle against spam emails is as old as the service itself, but it’s impossible to eradicate the problem. While most email clients include a spam reporting tool, this only works for spam emails you’ve already received. The spam folder in your email client generally only works for obvious messages; spam emails containing malware are usually more sophisticated and can easily bypass this filter.

Of course, the best way to stop receiving spam emails is to ensure that spammers and malicious actors don’t get your email in the first place. However, when most online services require you to set up an account, it can be hard to stop your email addresses and personal details from falling into the wrong hands. For years, I’ve taken steps to prevent malicious actors from accessing my email address, and Google has just taken a huge step towards helping me achieve my goal. Here’s how you can achieve the same spamless inbox as me.

Google is developing a feature that will help stop spam from reaching your inbox

Disposable emails for dodgy services

Before we dive into my methods for combatting spam, let’s take a look at Google’s upcoming Shielded Email feature. This feature is still in development, but it relies on a tried-and-tested method to reduce spam.

Shielded Email is a tool that generates a random email when you sign up for a service. This address will be stored in Gboard’s autofill feature, so you don’t need to memorize each email address you generate. The tool will also have the option to automatically forward emails to your primary email address, you can stop email forwarding at any time.

Using this tool has two major benefits. Firstly, if you don’t enable email forwarding, you never need to worry about spam reaching your primary email address from the service you used Shielded Email with. Secondly, if the service suffers a data breach, hackers cannot access your primary email even if they snatch the address and password.

This feature isn’t unique to Google. Apple has included an identical Hide My Email feature for years, and many Android password managers also offer this feature. Nevertheless, Google’s implementation will bring this feature into the mainstream for Android users.

How you can combat spam without Shielded Email

Gmail already has a method for filtering emails from alternative addresses

I’m looking forward to Shielded Email, as I can quickly sign up for services I only plan on using once (Public Wi-Fi access points are a particularly frustrating instance of this). However, I haven’t worried about spam in my email address for years, thanks to Gmail’s built-in tools for filtering emails.

How to create an alternative email address in Gmail without juggling accounts

It’s easy to create an alternative email address for services, but you may need to regularly access the account. However, I don’t like having to switch email accounts; I want to access all my emails from the same space.

Gmail can treat my secondary email as an alias for my primary email, so it will treat emails sent to this address as if they were sent to my primary email address. The next step I take is to set up a filter, so all emails sent to the secondary address (which I use for all services I think will send me spam) are sorted into a single folder. This keeps my email inbox clean, while ensuring I can easily access all emails sent to my secondary account.

Here’s how to set this system up:

Step 1: Add another email address to your Gmail account

1. Open Gmail through a web browser.
2. Click the Settings button (cog icon) in the top-right corner of your screen.
3. Click See all Settings from the window.

   

4. Click the Accounts and Import tab.
5. Scroll down and click Add an email account next to the Check email from other accounts heading.
6. Add your email account.

   

Step 2: Filter all emails into a single folder.

Once you’ve added your email address, you’re ready to filter it.

1. From the Settings menu, click Filters and blocked addresses.
2. Scroll down and click Create a new filter.

   

3. Enter your email alias in the To field.
4. Click Create filter.
5. Select the Skip the Inbox (Archive it) checkbox.

   

You can now only access emails sent to your alias email in the All mail tab. This keeps these emails accessible without cluttering up your inbox.

Keep your inbox spam free

Email aliases are a tried-and-tested way of reducing spam in your email account, and you don’t need Google’s Shielded Email feature to create one. However, I’m looking forward to Shielded Email as it’ll take a lot of the legwork out of setting up an alias email.