Outlook Email Alias: Right for You?

Outlook Email Alias or Mailcognito: Best Tool for Privacy

In today's digital age, safeguarding your online identity and preventing spam emails are paramount concerns. As an email user, you're likely seeking efficient solutions to maintain your privacy while ensuring seamless communication. In this article, we'll compare two prominent email privacy tools: Hide My Email by Apple and our very own Mailcognito. By delving into their differences, you can make an informed decision on which option best suits your needs.

What Is an Email Alias?

An email alias is a secondary email address that forwards messages to your main inbox. You can send and receive messages with it, but you don’t need a separate login or inbox. It’s a useful way to filter emails, manage spam, or protect your real email when signing up for services.

For example, instead of using johnsmith@email.com to sign up for an online store, you could use shopping.johnsmith@email.com. If that alias starts getting spam, you’ll know where it came from, and you can stop using it.

How Outlook Email Alias Works

Outlook email aliases are a built-in feature of Microsoft Outlook. They allow you to create up to 10 aliases under one Outlook account. When you add alias to Outlook, it lets you send and receive email from that address, all within your existing inbox.

To create an alias in Outlook, you need to sign in to your Microsoft account and go to the "Your Info" section. From there, click on "Manage how you sign in to Microsoft," then select "Add email" and follow the instructions to set up your new alias. This process is sometimes referred to as adding alias to Outlook or Outlook add alias. Once set up, these email aliases in Outlook can be used just like your primary address.

Outlook email aliases are easy to set up, seamlessly integrated with your Microsoft account, and don’t require any additional software. However, they come with limitations. You can only create up to 10 aliases, and all of them remain tied to your main Microsoft identity. Additionally, Outlook doesn’t offer temporary or disposable alias options, which limits your control in certain situations.

Outlook email aliases are fine for light use, such as separating personal and professional communication. But if you need stronger privacy or advanced control, the built-in tools may fall short.

What Is Mailcognito?

Mailcognito is a free service that allows you to generate fully anonymized email addresses for each website or app you use. These aliases forward directly to your main inbox but can be easily destroyed whenever you no longer need them. This gives you an extra layer of control and protection without exposing your real email address.

Unlike the create alias Outlook process, Mailcognito doesn’t limit the number of aliases you can create and works independently of any specific email provider. You can use it with any email client and manage your aliases through a simple dashboard.

Mailcognito is free to use and offers fully anonymized email masking to help protect your identity online. You can create an unlimited number of aliases depending on your usage needs, and delete them easily whenever you no longer need them, giving you extra control over your inbox. All messages are forwarded directly to your inbox, and the service works seamlessly with any email provider or client.

Which One Is Right for You?

If you’re already using Microsoft Outlook and just want a basic way to manage email flow, using the Outlook email alias feature is a quick and easy option. It takes a few clicks to set up, and there’s no need for extra tools.

However, if you want more robust privacy, disposable aliases, and control over who can send you messages—especially if you often register for online services—then Mailcognito may be a better fit. It allows you to kill an alias the moment it starts attracting spam, which isn’t possible with email aliases in Outlook.

Think of it this way: Outlook aliases are like having multiple doors to your house that all lead to the same living room. Mailcognito gives you keys to temporary rooms that you can close and lock permanently, without affecting your main inbox.