email adress aliases use

[ColtsWalker]

Is there an Android Pop3 mail client that supports virtual addresses (aliases)?

I use pop3 email. The pop3 server is sendmail based. I authenticate using the actual username / password combination connecting to the host on port 110 etc etc..

I do not send email's to people using the actual pop3 address account username (username@host.com) but instead make use of aliases. On the pop3 mail server there are a few aliases defined in the virtusertable (/etc/mail/virtusertable). (Can also be accomplished in /etc/aliases)

In other words, I email people so that it appears the message "reply to" address and "from" address is one of my aliases, and not my actual pop3 account address. When people respond, the server forwards mail to the alias into the actual user account mailbox.

This is a great way to fight spam. I keep my account address secret. When one of my aliases is leaked, or starts getting spammed, I just delete the alias and switch to a new one. It is easy to email from an alias using Eudora for Windows. I also have specific aliases for specific purposes, for example, one dedicated to family, and one for registering on online forums like this, one just for eBay, and so on.

On the Android, I receive all my mail from all the aliases, obviously, because the server puts them all into the same pop mailbox.

When I try to email from the Android using the default mail program, I am unable to specify the FROM address or REPLY TO address as my alias.

I am assuming I will need a different email app that supports aliases. Is anyone else doing this or have a recommendation?

 

[Harry2]

No need for different email apps, just for every alias a separate email account.

Harry

 

[ColtsWalker]

No need for different email apps, just for every alias a separate email account.

Harry

When I go to Email, Settings, Accounts, Add account, and choose Other,

- enter the alias for the email address.
- leave password blank (as it is an alias and not a real pop account)

I cannot get past this point because the button is "Sign in" which, for obvious reasons, I cannot do.

How did you get past this Harry?

I tried to enter a character in the password field, which allows me to proceed but ultimately, at the last step I cannot proceed due to error "Setup could not finish. You have entered an invalid email address or password. Please try again."

Are you actually using aliases yourself?

 

[Harry2]

I've set a alias account

This should create your alias account:

POP
Email address: your alias email name
Username: your primary email name
Password: your primary password

SMPT
Username: your primary email name
Password: your primary password

Harry

 

[ColtsWalker]

I've set a alias account

This should create your alias account:

POP
Email address: your alias email name
Username: your primary email name
Password: your primary password

SMPT
Username: your primary email name
Password: your primary password

Harry

This means it will be popping in 2 times, once for the actual pop account setup, and again, to the same mailbox, for the alias. and again for each additional alias. Won't this result in inbox message duplication within the email app?

Unless your intention is for me to edit the primary email account settings each time I want to send a message from a different alias. Is it?

First I will try adding it as a second

 

[ColtsWalker]

I've set a alias account

This should create your alias account:

POP
Email address: your alias email name
Username: your primary email name
Password: your primary password

SMPT
Username: your primary email name
Password: your primary password

Harry

App reports back error:

!Duplicate Account
This login already in use for account "xxxx".

 

[Harry2]

This means it will be popping in 2 times, once for the actual pop account setup, and again, to the same mailbox, for the alias. and again for each additional alias. Won't this result in inbox message duplication within the email app?

Yes, all mails in each account.
Therefore I use the shortcut of 'Mail Inbox' for each account.

I think there isn't an other way, because your mail server won't let any phone client sign in with an alias name.
Or can you sign in with your alias name ?

Harry

 

[Harry2]

App reports back error:

!Duplicate Account
This login already in use for account "xxxx".

Try it with an other alias.

As I remember I have had this error too (with my first tries )
I think, the app stores and remembers the account, even it wasn't valid (a bug).


Harry

 

[Harry2]

Another thought.

Use an email app which let you choose folders on your mail server.

And your mail server should sort every alias mail in its separate alias folder.

So, you won't have double mails on your phone.

Harry

 

[ColtsWalker]

I think there might be some confusion as to what an alias is, or I have failed to articulate my goal. Another term people use: Email Identities. I have also seen it referred to as: disposable addresses, multiple identities, and Eudora calls it Personalities.

Anyone familiar with sendmail, and virtusertable, will know exactly what I am talking about immediately. Sendmail supports aliases and virtual users, both forwarding to physical system user mailboxes.

I have continued to research this. I do not believe it is possible, even by work around, with the default android email app. It is too limited and the account setup interface isn't very well designed.

To better articulate what I am trying to accomplish, I found a URL to a support ticket on the K-9 Mail web site. The person that submitted the ticket wants to do the same thing I am trying to do, except he is using IMAP and I use POP3.

(Hopefully it is legal under the forum rules for me to post an external link here)
ref: Issue 117 - k9mail - Multiple Identities - K-9 Mail is an advanced email client for Android - Google Project Hosting

From what I have gleaned in reading the support issue, it has been requested and added to the K9 mail app. The author explained quite well what he was trying to accomplish.

I am not familiar with K-9 but am aware of it. My next step is to install K9 and try to use aliases / identities with a POP account.

If I resolve this myself, I will report my success back here in the event that future forum users that are also trying to accomplish the same thing may benefit from the information.

 

[lamiaytrap]

I think the solution is simple if you have not found it already, but i thought i should resolve this thread since it was the first one i found trying to solve this issue for myself.

1. Delete your account you have created that is sending mail from your ISP's real address.

2. Create a new account and enter your alias as if it were going to be used as your email address/ username. At the next step this will fail and you will need to change it.

3. Proceed with the setup using your real address as the username etc.

4. Send mail from your alias using this account.

Don't know why there is not a 'Send From' Setting as per most other PC mail clients, but this works fine. It only takes a minute to re-initiallize your account if you need to change aliases. If you are changing aliases often enough that this bothers you then you are probably using your email wrong, you creepy spammer .

Nexus 4, 4.2.2

P.S. I have never noticed this problem in my previous hardware/software. It's possible that I anticipated the issue this time as opposed to simply resolving it in previous arrangements. X10a, Arc, Arc S, Nexus 4: 2.1, 2.2.3, 2.3.2, 4.0.1, 4.2

 

[sOnYxPeRiAfAn]

I think the solution is simple if you have not found it already, but i thought i should resolve this thread since it was the first one i found trying to solve this issue for myself.

I remember @lamiaytrap's solution worked fine in one of Android's earlier versions. But now I'm on Android 5.0.2 on an Xperia Z1 I am trying to get my alias in the FROM field, but without luck. It seems that on step 3 the wizard has forgotten all about the alias address that was entered in step 2. In the end it will only show the real address. I haven't found a solution to get around that.
Anyone has gotten around that problem?

 

[bernie juhu]

@

I remember @lamiaytrap's solution worked fine in one of Android's earlier versions. But now I'm on Android 5.0.2 on an Xperia Z1 I am trying to get my alias in the FROM field, but without luck. It seems that on step 3 the wizard has forgotten all about the alias address that was entered in step 2. In the end it will only show the real address. I haven't found a solution to get around that.
Anyone has gotten around that problem?

hi,
I have the same problem without finding a solution - did you solve it in the meantime?

many thx

 

[sOnYxPeRiAfAn]

No sorry. I read somewhere that there isn't a solution for this yet. Can't remember where I read it though. So I keep waiting for someone to tell me but I don't have much hope. But it's a real pain, above all because it did use to work in an earlier version of Android.

 

[bernie juhu]

hi,
I just found out that aqua mail and k-9 mail can handle alias. I also asked the google apps support (I have a google for apps account), they told me to use alias, so let's see if they find out what to do ...
cheers

 

[sOnYxPeRiAfAn]

hi,
I just found out that aqua mail and k-9 mail can handle alias. I also asked the google apps support (I have a google for apps account), they told me to use alias, so let's see if they find out what to do ...
cheers

Hi Bernie,
Any updates on this, regarding the default mail app?
Thanks.