Secret Gmail update is about to change your private email inbox for good

If you are fed up receiving a daily barrage of junk, spam and unwanted emails then help could be on its way. It appears that is almost ready to launch a new Gmail upgrade that will keep your private address far more secure and less easy for spammers to find and abuse.

The update, which is being called Shielded Email, creates a unique single-time address which is linked to your main primary email account. This can be used when setting up new services or filling in forms so random firms never know your actual address. That should mean far less clutter arriving in your inbox.

Of course, there might be times when you want a company to have your real email address but if you are simply signing up for a new app or entering a one-off competition then this new feature could be perfect.

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You'll still get messages forwarded from the new email address to your primary one but if a company starts spamming you it will be far easier to switch off that unique address and it won't affect your main account.

Apple already offers a similar function for its iCloud users called Hide My Email which does exactly the same thing so it's nice to see Google is finally joining the party with its own email jamming release.

"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," Apple explains about its service.

"If you want, you can refresh your randomly generated email address to generate a new one. 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."

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The Gmail update was first spotted by the team at with screenshots showing how the Sheilded Email function will appear in the settings.

Google is currently remaining silent about a release but it appears to be in the test phase and could arrive in your Gmail inbox very soon.