AOL’s Security and Privacy Limitations
AOL Mail is far from unsecured, but the issue is that the protection it does have is basic. It uses SSL/TLS protocols, which offer some degree of privacy and security by encrypting your emails and their content while they’re in transit. It also has automated spam/virus filtering like other email providers, which can help protect you against more overt email scams.
However, these basic protections fail to capture more sophisticated threats like man-in-the-middle attacks. These underdeveloped protections seem to extend to AOL servers as well, with its security history including incidents like the 2006 search logs data leak and the 2014 AOL data breach.
These two incidents have already cast doubts on AOL’s capability to keep data safe. But perhaps one of the biggest red flags for many users is AOL’s own behavior with how it handles user data, particularly about data collection and tracking. AOL Mail can scan the contents of your email, analyzing its contents for personalized advertising.
In addition to email-specific concerns, AOL’s website security posture also raises red flags. According to a recent security report, AOL.com implements a weak content security policy (CSP) and uses an “unsafe-url” referrer policy. These outdated settings can expose sensitive information when users navigate between websites.
While these may sound alarming, it’s important to note that AOL has also pledged to shore up its protections across the board regarding email and data. And if you’re unwilling or unable to switch off your AOL Mail account, there are steps you can take to improve your privacy and security.
How to Make Your AOL Account Safer
Basic account security practices like using strong and unique passwords, monitoring account activity, and updating account recovery options can make your AOL Mail account more secure, but there are two other security solutions that you can look into:
Enabling two-factor authentication on AOL Mail
Two-factor authentication (or two-step verification for AOL Mail) is a simple yet effective way to ensure that no one gains unauthorized access to your AOL Mail account. To enable this, follow these steps:
- In AOL Mail, hover over your profile picture and name, and click Account info.
- Use your credentials to sign in again if prompted.
- Go to the Security tab. There, you can Review account health and Enable 2-step verification.
- Choose a Phone number, an Authenticator app, or a Security key for your verification method.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to finish either process.
📌 Note that the authenticator app feature is not available to all AOL accounts and requires two validated recovery methods on the account to use. After enabling either method, you will be prompted to verify every login on AOL or AOL Mail.
Enabling two-factor authentication adds an essential layer of security to your account — especially if you’re using the same email address across multiple logins. It protects against unauthorized access even if your password is compromised, which is a common risk with older email accounts like AOL that may have been involved in past data breaches.
Using email management tools
One of the most effective ways to take back control of your AOL inbox is by using an email management tool. Here’s where Clean Email steps in. Instead of sorting through clutter manually, the app offers smart automation that can help you cut through the noise and focus only on what matters.
For longtime AOL users with years of accumulated messages, automation can be a game changer.
To start with Clean Email, turn on the Screener feature right after signing up to make your AOL mailbox a safer place. All future messages from unknown senders, including any spam and fraudulent emails, will be automatically kept away from your inbox until you decide whether to allow or block them.
Then, you can continue exploring Clean Email’s features by reviewing the Cleaning Suggestions. These are smart cleanup recommendations the app creates for you based on your and other users’ common actions, such as archiving important emails from your boss or deleting old newsletters you never got around to reading. The more you use them, the more tailored the suggestions become.
Next, you can proceed with setting up Auto Clean rules for regular actions you perform in your inbox. For instance, if you always add labels to emails from your clients yourself, why not simplify the action by creating a rule that will label the incoming mail automatically?
Or let’s say you receive a lot of promotional emails daily, and the outdated offers and discounts are just piling up in your inbox. You can set a rule to delete them after a certain time as well!
Clean Email offers an advanced set of filters that are fully adjustable and user-configured, which means you can sort your emails and perform bulk actions any way you like.
The best part is that Clean Email is fully safe to use and available on the web, Mac, iOS, and Android, with seamless sync across all your devices. It’s free to try and also includes a Privacy Monitor feature that checks if your AOL email appears in data breaches. If found, you’ll get steps to secure your account; if not, you can rest assured you’re on the safe side.
Overall, email management tools can make your AOL Mail easier to manage at a fraction of the effort, reducing your exposure to risks like phishing and spam messages.
Extra Protection Does Not Always Mean Extra Privacy
Enabling security features and using email management tools can make AOL Mail reasonably safe to use, but these approaches don’t address what may be a dealbreaker for many users: privacy.
AOL claims that they do not scan personal messages in your inbox, instead focusing on commercial emails for advertising purposes. However, validating this claim can be difficult, which is why most privacy experts do not recommend AOL Mail as a provider for those who are concerned about their data privacy regarding emails.
If you’re looking for an email provider that has privacy features like end-to-end encryption (one of the most effective ways to keep the contents of your messages private), secure alternatives like Proton Mail and Tutanota are good choices.
You can also try opting out of the personalization of your AOL ads, though you’ll have to subscribe to Ad-Free AOL Mail to stop seeing them altogether.
Conclusion: AOL Mail Is Still Safe to Use for Email
AOL Mail is functional if you want to use it, but it does have privacy tradeoffs. While it may lack features compared to its competitors, there is always the possibility that it can be updated in the future. But until then, always make sure to maximize your security and privacy settings in AOL Mail’s settings for more secure email management.
For even better email management, the Clean Email app enhances your experience with AOL Mail and other email providers alike. Not only does it help you clean and organize your AOL inbox, but it also filters and removes the emails you don’t want to see. With the support of these tools, you can stay in control of your inbox — whether you stick with AOL or switch to a new provider.
Ready to give your AOL inbox the cleanup it deserves? With Clean Email you can sort, filter, and organize your messages without hassle. It’s an easy way to enhance email safety and enjoy a more focused, clutter-free inbox experience. ➡️ Try Clean Email for free.
How Safe Is AOL Mail - FAQs
Does AOL Mail offer end-to-end encryption?
AOL Mail does not offer end-to-end encryption. It does use SSL, but SSL doesn’t ensure that only you and the receiver of your email can read your message. AOL can still read the contents of your message, which can be an issue if you’re concerned about privacy.
How to enable 2FA on AOL Mail?
You can enable 2FA by going to your AOL Mail Account Settings and following the steps after toggling Turn on 2SV. Remember that you can use either your phone or an authenticator app with 2-step verification.
What alternatives offer stronger privacy?
Users looking for end-to-end encryption can try services like Proton Mail to ensure that the contents of the emails stay private. While the free plan has significant limitations (such as only having 1GB of storage space), it can function as a reasonable alternative if you don’t want your email provider to have access to the contents of your messages.
How can I filter phishing emails in AOL Mail?
Like other email providers, AOL Mail has an automated spam filtering feature that moves any suspicious emails away from your inbox — which can include phishing emails. You can also create custom filters that can scan incoming messages for content or senders that you don’t want to see, blocking them from reaching your inbox.
