In today’s digital landscape, our personal security is constantly threatened by the unchecked exposure of our data. Our email address is the master key to our digital identity, yet sharing it everywhere leads to relentless spam and leaks. With Surfshark Alternative ID, we now have the power to fortify our privacy using smart, proactive protection tools.
What is Surfshark Alternative ID?
With Alternative ID, you can create a complete virtual identity to shield your personal data across the web. This essential tool disrupts data profiling, making it nearly impossible for third parties to monitor your digital habits.
In simple terms, instead of giving out your real personal details when you sign up for a service or fill in forms, you can use a virtual profile.
The service automatically creates a new “digital persona” that includes:
- first and last name
- date of birth
- gender
- physical address and ZIP/postal code
- alternative email address
None of this information is tied to your real identity. This way, you can sign up for websites, apps, or newsletters without exposing your real data.
Of course, there are also temporary (disposable) email services like Temp Mail or Guerrilla Mail. However, they’re not ideal for long‑term subscriptions or important communication. On top of that, messages are usually not stored permanently.
Email Management and Email Masking
One of the most powerful features of this technology is email masking. When you create your virtual identity, Surfshark uses six different email domains to generate your new email address.
These virtual emails don’t have their own separate inbox. Instead, they work like an invisible mail carrier: they forward all account verification and authentication emails directly to your real inbox, while keeping your actual address completely hidden from companies.
At the moment, you can have one active Alternative ID per account, which you can edit or delete as often as you like to create a brand‑new one from scratch.
The feature is available on all devices, through the Surfshark apps for iOS, Android, macOS, and Web, as well as a very handy browser extension.
How to Use Surfshark Alternative ID
Setting up your Alternative ID is a breeze. You don’t need any advanced technical knowledge.
First, you’ll need a Surfshark subscription. Then install the app on your phone, or the Surfshark browser extension on your computer for faster access, so you don’t have to log in every time.
Open the app or extension, go to the Alternative ID tab, and click “Create” at the bottom.
On the next screen, you choose your virtual persona’s name, gender, age group, and country. The default “Random” option is usually the best choice if you don’t want to tweak anything manually.
The app will automatically generate a profile with a name and address. You can always click “Regenerate” if you want to change the virtual details.
Then click “Continue” to set up your virtual email. Under Alt email, you can either pick a specific domain or let Surfshark randomly choose one for you.
Next, click “Continue” again and confirm which real email address should receive the messages sent to your virtual (masked) email. All communication will go through that real inbox, but the recipient will only see your masked address. Finally, click “Create alt ID”.
You’ll then receive a verification code at your real email address. Enter the code in the extension’s verification screen and click “Confirm” to finish setting up email masking and your new alternative identity.
Once your alternative identity is ready, you can start using it to sign up for any online service. The process is simple:
- Open the service where you want to create an account.
- In the sign‑up form, use your alt email instead of your real email, and set your password.
- If the service asks for personal information, fill in the details provided by your Alternative ID, such as name and date of birth. Just open the extension and copy them when needed.
Finally, the service will send a verification code to your virtual email address. Surfshark forwards that message to your real email, and you use it to complete your registration.
From that point on, you can use your alternative identity wherever it makes sense: site registrations, online shopping, newsletters, forums, and more. All correspondence is automatically forwarded to your main inbox, and you can reply without ever revealing your real address.
Surfshark Alternative ID also offers a virtual phone number, although at the moment, only US numbers are available.
Surfshark VPN from Only €1.79/Month + Extra Months Included
Surfshark isn’t just one of the top VPNs on the market – it’s also one of the most affordable. On top of that, it’s one of the few providers that does not log your activity. This has been independently verified by Deloitte, one of the largest and most reputable auditing firms in the world.
You can also use Surfshark on as many devices as you like. Unlike most VPN providers, there’s no device limit.
Surfshark offers several subscription plans and payment options. More specifically, the VPN service comes in four packages across three billing periods (1 month, 12 months, 24 months), with increasing features and pricing.
It’s worth noting that on the 24‑month plans, Surfshark gives you three extra months for free. In practice, that means you can get 27 months of access from €1.79 per month.
- Starter: The most affordable plan at €1.79/month (24 months plus three extra months free). This one does not include Alternative ID.
- Starter+: A fully‑featured VPN plan that also includes an ad‑blocking feature. The cheapest option is the 24‑month plan at €1.99/month, plus three extra months for free.
- One: Includes everything in Starter, plus extra security tools and Surfshark Antivirus. The lowest price is the 24‑month plan at €2.39/month, plus three extra months free.
- One+: Includes all the features of One, plus data removal from data broker sites and people‑search engines. The cheapest option is the 24‑month plan at €4.49/month, plus three extra months for free.
Is an Alternative Identity and Email Masking Actually Useful?
Online privacy is a moving target, with digital threats and spam cluttering our daily communications. Surfshark provides an innovative solution that allows us to maintain our anonymity without losing access to the services we rely on.
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