Gmail Confidential Mode: Useful but Imperfect for Email Privacy

Email is a tool that most of us use every day – sometimes all day. And while most people use common features like forwarding, downloading attachments, and moving emails to folders regularly, there are a lot of other features that many email users don’t know about. If you use Google’s email services Gmail, Confidential Mode is probably one of those features.

Gmail Confidential Mode gives you more control over what happens to your email once it’s sent. It can be a very useful tool, especially if you need to send sensitive information over email. But it’s not perfect, and it’s not foolproof. In this article, we take a look at this feature, what it actually does, and what else you should consider for email privacy.

What is Gmail Confidential Mode?

A standard email uses a protocol to move your message from you to your recipient. With Gmail Confidential Mode, the email doesn’t go to the recipient. Instead, it stays with Google, and the recipient can see it. This lets Google, and therefore you, have more control over what happens next.

An email sent with Gmail Confidential Mode has no option to forward or print the message, copy any of the text, or download the message or its attachments. Confidential Mode also allows you to set an expiration date for messages. After the expiration date, the recipient won’t be able to see any of the message information or attachments. You can revoke someone’s access to a Confidential Mode email after it’s already been sent. And you can even require the recipient to receive a code via SMS and enter it before they can view the email.

All of these features help to keep the information in that email private. The restrictions on sharing keep whatever you send from being accidentally (or intentionally) shared. Expiration dates and the ability to revoke access make sure your data isn’t out there for longer than you want. Verification codes make sure only the correct person gets your private info. And if everyone is using Gmail, Confidential Mode is seamless.

The Drawbacks of Gmail Confidential Mode

If you list out all its benefits, Gmail Confidential Mode seems pretty great. But like everything, it has some drawbacks. One of these is that Confidential Mode emails can’t be scheduled in advance. If setting up emails to send in the future is a feature you use a lot, that could be inconvenient. And there’s no way to set Confidential Mode at your default. You have to enable it manually on every email you want to be confidential.

Also, as the name implied, Gmail Confidential Mode is a Gmail feature. If you don’t use Gmail, you won’t have access to the feature. And while you can send a Gmail Confidential Mode email to someone who doesn’t have a Gmail account, it’s more inconvenient and annoying for them to access it. They will receive a link that they will have to click to access the message. Confidential Mode also doesn’t work in third-party email applications. So if you use a program like Outlook to read your emails, you won’t be able to use this feature.

Finally, Confidential Mode isn’t foolproof. The email recipient can’t forward or copy the email, but there’s nothing stopping them from taking a screenshot. It takes a little bit more effort, but the screenshot can save and share your personal information just as well. Malicious software can also download the message and its attachments despite the protections. So even though it offers some security features, it’s not perfect privacy.

How to Use Gmail Confidential Mode

You can only access Gmail Confidential mode though the browser version of Gmail or the Gmail app. On gmail.com, start composing an email. Locate the tiny padlock icon at the bottom of the screen, to the right of the “Send” button. Choose the expiration date and a passcode if you want one. Click “Save,” then write and send your email as normal.

In the app, start composing a new email. Tap the three dots in the top right corner to open the menu, then select “Confidential Mode.” Toggle Confidential Mode on if it isn’t already. Choose the expiration date and a passcode if you want one. Tap the checkmark in the top right corner, then write and send your email as normal.

Should You Use Confidential Mode?

Gmail Confidential Mode can be useful for some things. If you need to send some tax information to your accountant, for example, it’s a great choice. The primary thing it does is keep someone from forwarding your email to someone else or from being stored somewhere it could be accessed maliciously.

Confidential Mode is different from encryption, too. Encryption protects emails while they’re in transit. Confidential Mode only protects an email’s contents once they get to the recipient. Gmail uses TLS encryption by default, but not all emails are encrypted. If the person you’re sending the email to is using an email service that doesn’t support TLS, there won’t be any encryption and your emails will be vulnerable to hackers.

Since it’s not encryption, Confidential Mode doesn’t technically protect your email from hackers, malicious software, data breaches, or anything else. What it does is protect the information in your email from being accidentally shared or from floating around the internet without your knowledge.

Level Up Your Email Privacy

If you are like most people, you use email a lot. It’s not uncommon to send personal information over email. And it’s also not uncommon to send information that isn’t necessarily sensitive, but that you wouldn’t want to have splashed all over the internet. Gmail Confidential Mode is one tool you can use to improve your email privacy a little bit more.

But that’s not the only tool you can use to keep your email privacy. If keeping your emails private is important to you, here are some ways you can level up your emails to protect your privacy.

Level 1: Awareness

The first step to improving any privacy or security is awareness. Before you can solve a problem, you have to be aware of it. You’re already most of the way there by reading this article! You know the risks are out there, and you’re aware of at least one tool that can help. Keep exploring what tools are out there and what you can do. Explore the WhatIsMyIPAddress.com blog for more articles with relevant topics.

Level 2: Don’t Email It

Sending emails come with risks. If there’s an issue with the encryption or a server, they could get hacked. Emails are often revealed in data breaches. And there’s always the potential for someone to forward your email to someone you didn’t authorize. It’s also very easy for the recipient to file your email in a folder, where your personal information could sit, unprotected, for years until someone malicious stumbles upon it. The best way to keep your personal information from being revealed through email is to not put it in an email in the first place. Whenever possible, use other, more secure methods to send your personal info.

Level 3: Use Tools

There are tools you can use to boost your email security, too. Gmail Confidential Mode is one you can use if you are a Gmail user. Also look at your email provider’s encryption options. Some allow you to make all emails encrypted by default, or to upgrade your encryption into a higher level. Most email providers also allow two-factor authentication (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA) to help secure your account. Take a look around your email’s Settings or Security menus to see what options you have.

Level 4: Use a Secure Email

In all this explanation of how tools like Gmail Confidential Mode can protect your email privacy, we’ve ignored one thing – your email provider itself. Many big providers, like Gmail and Yahoo, scan all your emails to better target you with ads. That’s not very private! They also keep copies of your emails on their own servers. That means your emails can be hacked, breached, or even subpoenaed by the government.

If keeping your emails private is a big concern for you, consider a super-secure email from a privacy-focused provider. We recommend Proton Mail. They’re the world’s best-known encrypted email provider. The company is headquartered in Switzerland, which means your emails are protected by some of the world’s strictest privacy laws. Their service includes features you love, like scheduling and unsending emails, has apps for both your computer and your phone, and contains strong phishing protection by default.

And not only do they not read your emails, they actually block other digital spies from tracking you through the emails they send. If keeping your emails private is important to you, give Proton Mail a try!