Brave Launches Email Alias Feature to Shield Users’ Real Addresses

Brave browser, a competitor to Chrome, has rolled out a new privacy feature: email aliases. Announced this week, the tool enables users to register on websites and online services without disclosing their personal, verified email addresses.

How the alias system works

To use the feature, users must first create a Brave account and enter their real email address during setup. Once signed in to the browser, a pop-up appears when they click into an email input field on any website, offering the option to generate and insert a disposable email alias instead of their primary address.

If the pop-up does not appear automatically, users can right-click the email field to access the alias option manually. Upon selection, the generated alias is inserted directly into the form. Any emails sent to that alias are forwarded to the user’s verified inbox, and Brave deletes them from its servers after delivery.

Privacy protection against tracking and profiling

Brave states that email aliases help safeguard user privacy because websites commonly use email addresses as persistent identifiers—enabling behavioral profiling and targeted advertising. This extends beyond sites where users register directly: large ad-tech firms like Meta can match an email submitted to, for example, an e-commerce site with the same email stored in their own databases. That linkage allows such companies to track products viewed or purchased online.

Risk mitigation in case of data breaches

The feature also addresses a secondary risk: if a website where a user shared their real email suffers a data breach, attackers could obtain that address. Such compromised data may then be sold or shared with data brokers—amplifying the exposure of the user’s personal information across multiple platforms.

Brave’s handling of forwarded messages

Brave confirms it does not read the content of emails sent to aliases. The company processes those messages solely for spam and virus filtering. After forwarding each message to the user’s verified inbox, Brave permanently removes it from its servers.

Encryption and local storage policies

All data stored in Brave user accounts—including alias configurations—is encrypted at rest. Notes added by users alongside individual aliases are saved locally on their devices unless sync is enabled. When sync is active, those notes are protected using end-to-end encryption.

Initial delivery limitations

Because the email alias service is newly launched, Brave warns that some forwarded messages may initially land in spam folders. The company expects deliverability to improve over time as its reputation as an email provider strengthens and trust metrics rise with major email providers.

Availability and subscription tiers

Currently, every Brave user receives five free email aliases. Brave has confirmed that additional aliases will be available to users subscribed to its Premium plan in the future.