What Is Temp Mail? How Disposable Email Works

Temp mail, also called disposable email, is an email address made to be used briefly and then thrown away. It works like any other address when it comes to receiving messages, but it is not tied to your name, phone number or a long-term account.

What happens behind the scenes

A temporary email service owns one or more domains and accepts mail for any address on them. When you open the site, it creates a unique address and links it to your browser. If a website then sends an email to that address, the service receives it, saves it and shows it to you on the page.

Because the inbox is linked to your browser, you do not need a password. That is convenient, but it is also why these addresses are not suited to anything long-term.

Where do the messages go?

Messages are stored for as long as the address exists. Once it expires, or as soon as you delete it, the address and its messages are removed. On Temp Mail, free addresses last 24 hours by default.

How is this different from a normal inbox?

• No sign-up: there is nothing to register and no personal data to enter.
• Receive only: most services, including this one, do not let you send email.
• Short life: nothing is kept forever, which also means nothing can be recovered later.

What it is good for

Temp mail shines whenever a site insists on an email address but you do not want a lasting relationship with it: a one-time download, a coupon, a forum you will visit once or a product you only want to try. For your bank, your job or any account you care about, keep using your real address.