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An Ode to Apple’s Hide My Email

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Re: An Ode to Apple’s Hide My Email

#121

Post by plsbenice34 »

rootusrootus wrote: post #68
binwiederhier wrote: post #39

I have a unique email address for every single service that I sign up for, similar to this, though selfhosted. I've been doing this for years and it works wonderfully. If someone misuses my email address, or gets annoying, I can simply turn off the address. Bam! It's the easiest Postfix config in the universe, essentially just: virtual_alias_domains = domain1.com domain2.com virtual_alias_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/vir…

I do a simplified version of this. I just use a catchall account with Fastmail and then pick email addresses in the domain randomly. If someone abuses the address, I block it. I specifically do not use addresses that make it obvious what my strategy is. I end up just using a name and number that would look right at home on gmail. I'm also not trying to stop tracking, so much as I'm trying to have my own semi-permanen…

Fastmail seems to be based in Australia unfortunately, so it is not secure

Re: An Ode to Apple’s Hide My Email

#122

Post by jen729w »

r2b2 wrote: post #83
binwiederhier wrote: post #39

I have a unique email address for every single service that I sign up for, similar to this, though selfhosted. I've been doing this for years and it works wonderfully. If someone misuses my email address, or gets annoying, I can simply turn off the address. Bam! It's the easiest Postfix config in the universe, essentially just: virtual_alias_domains = domain1.com domain2.com virtual_alias_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/vir…

The problem with self hosted email is that your domain becomes a unique (or near-unique with a few domains) tracking reference.

Only if the entity on the other end understands this though, right? Which they probably don’t.

Otherwise everyone @example.com is the same person.

Re: An Ode to Apple’s Hide My Email

#123

Post by adamhearn »

yellow_postit wrote: post #86

Love the service but nervous on the lock-in. Any guides for how to migrate off Apple after using lots of emails? I’ve been happy with the Fastmail+1Password integration as that “feels” less painful to migrate off the in the future.

Currently I forward all my iCloud mail to my protonmail. Not sure if the aliases will stick around after cancelling a subscription however.

Re: An Ode to Apple’s Hide My Email

#124

Post by FabHK »

A useful feature the article doesn't mention:

In macOS Mail and iOS Mail, when you reply to an email or send a new one, you can choose the "From" address: The options are the usual accounts you have set up, plus, now, a "Hide my Email" proxy generated on-the-fly. I've found it very handy on several occasions.

Re: An Ode to Apple’s Hide My Email

#125

Post by binwiederhier »

KennyBlanken wrote: post #59
binwiederhier wrote: post #39

I have a unique email address for every single service that I sign up for, similar to this, though selfhosted. I've been doing this for years and it works wonderfully. If someone misuses my email address, or gets annoying, I can simply turn off the address. Bam! It's the easiest Postfix config in the universe, essentially just: virtual_alias_domains = domain1.com domain2.com virtual_alias_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/vir…

> It's not as shiny as Apple's thing, but it's 100% selfhosted and I own the domain. Apple's system is "shiny" because it provides near total anonymity, whereas your setup has all the deliverabilty issues of a self-hosted domain and rather uniquely identifies you...at the domain level? I'm not sure why you are maintaining a hundreds-of-lines virtual table and a web UI, instead of just using a regex or two to capture…

I'm maintaining hundreds of lines because I started with one. And i was too lazy to change it. Your approach it probably better ;-)

Re: An Ode to Apple’s Hide My Email

#126

Post by mackmgg »

vmception wrote: post #112
b1n wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been thinking of a new way to use my email... - Only use one email address: hi@example.com - Always add a filter: hi+hn@example.com - Send all emails without a filter to SPAM Since it's not a common strategy, it is much more likely that spammers remove the +hn before sending an email than add one.

would not recommend not only can you not sign up to many services, customer support can often get confused when you need to email reply to them and you cannot email from your aliased email. they see you as a separate user not in their system, or the wrong person replied to the support ticket, etc.

Can you not reply from a user+foo@example.com alias? I use the catchall approach (so just foo@example.com when signing up for foo), but if I need to email customer support I'll just send the email from foo@example.com. I've never tried that with a + in the account though to see if my client supports it.

Re: An Ode to Apple’s Hide My Email

#127

Post by dawnerd »

sunny3 wrote: post #114

Unfortunately, I found that Hide My Email complicates unsubscribing. I tried unsubscribing from Jumba Juice many times unsuccessfully, only to realize that the email that I entered was my actual email, and I should enter the email that was shared to Jumba Juice instead.

If an unsubscribe link makes me re-enter my email I just report as spam. Not worth the energy

Re: An Ode to Apple’s Hide My Email

#128

Post by m-p-3 »

pixl97 wrote: post #120
ratww wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because it's not as effective if the goal is to catch spam. Spammers are already wise to the meaning of + and will strip it automatically when selling data in bulk. Plus, some services block creating accounts with the + or with their name in the address.

Block any email to the address missing the +

Then you end up with spammers simply putting gibberish after the plus sign.

Re: An Ode to Apple’s Hide My Email

#129

Post by Gigachad »

plsbenice34 wrote: post #121
rootusrootus wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do a simplified version of this. I just use a catchall account with Fastmail and then pick email addresses in the domain randomly. If someone abuses the address, I block it. I specifically do not use addresses that make it obvious what my strategy is. I end up just using a name and number that would look right at home on gmail. I'm also not trying to stop tracking, so much as I'm trying to have my own semi-permanen…

Fastmail seems to be based in Australia unfortunately, so it is not secure

Email is not secure full stop. Don't do any kind of sensitive conversation over it regardless of where it is hosted.

Re: An Ode to Apple’s Hide My Email

#130

Post by Gigachad »

criddell wrote: post #87
kayodelycaon wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, Apple allows SMS and recovery keys as a fallback and there is an account recovery option if none of these work. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204915 Google on the other hand… I’ve seen two people lose their Gmail accounts even they knew the password because google required verification from a mobile device that no longer existed. :|

I think Google also has recovery keys. I have a slip of paper with ten long strings on them that Google told me could be used to regain access to my account.

Google seems to have changed their MFA stragagry recently where normal TOTP apps are a backup measure while the already signed in device is the primary. It wouldn't shock me if they don't prompt you to set up the app or recovery keys anymore.
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