I tried ExpressMailGuard for a week – and there's one glaring issue

Laptop displaying the alias dashboard for ExpressMailGuard — (Image credit: ExpressVPN)

ExpressVPN has recently transitioned from a singular VPN into a complete privacy suite. It's known for being one of the best VPNs around, so I was very eager to try out its new range of apps.

Identity Defender, ExpressKeys, ExpressAI, and ExpressMailGuard join ExpressVPN to bundle five apps into one subscription. Apps are added to your plan at no extra cost, but not every tier of subscription has the same level of features or apps available.

If you're an ExpressVPN Basic subscriber you will have to pay for a higher tier of plan to unlock all five apps – you'll only get ExpressMailGuard and ExpressVPN as standard. ExpressVPN Pro and Advanced subscribers will be able to access all the new apps.

ExpressVPN Basic | 2 years + 4 months FREE | $3.49 per month
ExpressVPN is no longer just a VPN, it's a full blown privacy suite. ExpressVPN Basic gets you the VPN and ExpressMailGuard, with all five apps included in the two other premium plans.

What you'll get...

✨ ExpressVPN & ExpressMailGuard
🔒 End-to-end encryption on all apps
📱 Protection for 10 devices
📄 20+ independent privacy & security audits

A 28-month plan starts at $3.49 per month ($97.72 upfront pre-tax) and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

"A VPN for email"

ExpressMailGuard is included in every ExpressVPN plan, although more features and greater freedoms are unlocked as you move up each tier of subscription. ExpressVPN has described ExpressMailGuard as "a VPN for email," and it allows you to create and use fake emails – aliases – instead of handing out your real, personal email address.

It can be used for signing up to newsletters, claiming email discounts, entering competitions, and combatting any spam or scam emails you might receive.

You can create and delete numerous aliases and subdomains, monitor what emails you receive, and even reply to messages using your alias.

Useful and innovative features with a lot to take in

Accessing ExpressMailGuard is simple. Just log into your ExpressVPN account, head to the dashboard, and select ExpressMailGuard from the sidebar.

This opens your ExpressMailGuard dashboard. From here you can create and manage aliases and domains, monitor incomings and outgoings, and add recipient email addresses.

However, it's a lot to take in. The number of tabs, headers, and sections can be quite overwhelming when you first log in. I used ExpressMailGuard for a week, and only by day three or four was I getting truly comfortable navigating the dashboard and using the features.

Screenshot of ExpressMailGuard dashboard — **Image: ExpressMailGuard's dashboard can seem a little complex** (Image credit: Future)

ExpressVPN is known for its simplicity. It's the VPN I recommend to beginners, but ExpressMailGuard doesn't feel like it quite fits. It doesn't have the sleek, clean UI I've come to expect from ExpressVPN, and it definitely feels like a new, unpolished app.

However, once you've got your head around ExpressMailGuard it's a powerful and expansive feature. Creating Shared Domain and Dedicated Subdomain Aliases are fairly easy, and the tabs from which you manage them are clearly labelled – albeit a little cramped.

I created multiple aliases under the shared domains, as well as aliases under a dedicated subdomain. What I didn't create was a Custom Domain Alias – I'll explain why later.

ExpressMailGuard multiple aliases screenshot — (Image credit: Future)

I found the aliases quite straightforward to manage and liked the ease of toggling them on and off. I could decide which I wanted to be active, which I wanted to deactivate, and which to delete.

Adding recipient email addresses was also simple and the drop down tabs allowed me to pair each recipient with its own alias. There's far more scope for customization compared to the email alias you can generate with Surfshark's Alternative ID.

I was happy to see I received emails to my true email address when using the alias without issue, although sometimes they appeared in my spam. The reply function worked as well, and I could keep track of the number of messages I'd sent and received in the ExpressMailGuard dashboard.

Screenshot of ExpressMailGuard in action — (Image credit: Future)

Step-by-step guides are a must

The biggest takeaway from my week with ExpressMailGuard is that more step-by-step guides really need to be introduced. I consider myself a pretty techy person, with a higher level of experience using such services. However, I found myself struggling to understand ExpressMailGuard for the first day or two I was using it. I worry that beginners – who can typically use ExpressVPN with no issues – would seriously struggle with ExpressMailGuard and end up not benefiting from its genuinely useful features.

Creating aliases takes place via a step-by-step process, but there's no real explanation of why I would want to use different alias types, when to do so, and what for.

ExpressMailGuard alias types screenshot — (Image credit: Future)

Once you've created your aliases, you're left to your own devices. I feel as though someone less experienced wouldn't know where to start. In-app pop-up guides or links to external videos and usage examples would definitely help a large number of users. There are a handful of links to support articles, but not enough.

Circling back to Custom Domain Aliases, this appears to be for users who already own or operate an existing domain. I don't, so I just ignored the feature. If I could've set one up, it wasn't made clear. The instructions weren't simple if you're not clued up, and I can see people getting confused.

A significant section of ExpressMailGuard's users aren't going to use this option, but it'd benefit from some information explaining why. Perhaps a pop-up that says: "Own a custom domain? This is for you. If not, you can protect your privacy with our other aliases."

Screenshot of ExpressMailGuard custom domain set-up — (Image credit: Future)

Great potential but needs some quality of life improvements

I can't fault the actual features ExpressMailGuard offers. They're powerful, useful, and highly customizable. Using the features wasn't a problem, once you understand them.

It's this understanding that takes time and what I'd like to see improve.

ExpressMailGuard has great potential, but right now doesn't feel like it quite fits into the Express ecosystem yet – it feels like it's still in beta. With some additional guides and, honestly, some hand-holding, the user experience will improve dramatically and everyone can benefit from email privacy.

Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

George is a Staff Writer at Tom's Guide, covering VPN, privacy, and cybersecurity news. He is especially interested in digital rights and censorship, and its interplay with politics. Outside of work, George is passionate about music, Star Wars, and Karate.

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