alt Hacker NewsPro tip for doing something like this without apple. Buy or get a cheap domain name. Create a subdomain on it and have it catch and forward all messages to you when sent to that sub. For example:
[email protected] -> jono@gmail
[email protected] -> jono@gmail
You dont even need to materialize aliases at all.
Replies
I do this. The awkward thing is when I am in person or on the phone and have to explain that my customer email address is [their_business_name]@my_weird_domain.tld
But the people usually just nod along.
The other downside is that it's forward-in only, wish I could proxy responses without setting up a whole new inbox (and outbox).
Gmail will block messages that fail SPF/DMARC alignment unless the forwarding mail server supports SRS.
SPF/DMARC/DKIM make this all a bit more complicated now. There are plenty of MTAs out there that will refuse to send you mail if it's not all correct.
I’ve been doing this for years. It works fine and it’s fun to see who is selling your email.
But keep good records!!
It gets really awkward when you’re trying to recover an account and can’t remember what custom email you used.
Doesn't work when some service providers only allow email addresses that are on a whitelist of domains. And I have run into more than a few.
Services like DeepSeek have an email domain whitelist rather than blacklist. So creating your own domain just guarantees a lockout
I do something similar, use an open source service called addy.io, bought a domain but you can also use their domains too, and each website has a separate login i create through bitwarden with the addy integration.
iCloud itself does this for you if you bring your own domain fyi
The problem is if someone figures it out and starts sending you spam to {random}@domain.tld. That's when you will need to sit down and start creating actual aliases for all those used email addresses and stop the catch-all forwarding:)
Also, another downside is that you will loose privacy by using your own domain.
And the lack of privacy makes targeted scam/phishing more likely, and targeted scam is the one we are most susceptible to.
All in all, I am not saying this is bad idea, in fact I am doing it myself, just pointing out this is not so black and white.
Using iCloud solves those problems, but puts you at risk of getting your account banned and loosing access to those emails, so there is that.
Probably best way to deal with it is to get dedicated email domain with a bunch of your friends, and hook it up with something like SimpleLogin. But that's gets complicated quickly ;)