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E-mail is still one of the most used resources on the Internet, while it is also the source of many of its main annoyances.
But what if you can have an account to use in certain situations and that doesn’t give you any headaches, administration work and free of cost?
We’re talking about disposable or temporary email accounts! If you want to know what it is, why and when to use it, how it works and which disposable email services to use, check out the content we’ve prepared for you.
What is a disposable or temporary email account?
As the name suggests, a disposable or temporary email is like the disposable items we are used to using on a daily basis, like a glass that, after being used, there is no need to worry about washing, drying and storing it. It goes to the trash.
Know that there are numerous email services with exactly the same proposal.
Generally, you access the site and, in a very quick and simple process, you have an account available to use and whose “expiry date” can vary between a few minutes and a few hours. At the end of that period, it automatically ceases to exist, as well as all the messages it may have received.
Also, personal data, registrations, configuration processes in an e-mail client are not required, nor do they offer a complicated and feature-rich interface.
But if you still haven’t realized how good something like that can be, you must be wondering, why do I need or want an email account that self-destructs after a while?
Why use disposable email?
For many reasons, but mainly because of SPAM!
It is not rare – in fact it is quite common – that when you access any website, you come across content whose access requires you to register and, among the requested information, you must inform an e-mail address and the continuation of access , only occurs through a link or access code that is sent to the informed account.
This is where the trouble starts…
Downloading files, rich material, exclusive content, testing or trial of services, or any other situation that is conditioned to informing who you are, has as main objective, to create a register of leads and that is nothing more than a database which will be used for further contact, either by sending well-prepared, ethical marketing emails based on LGPD guidelines, or for SPAM.
This is when your data is not shared with so-called “partner companies”, in total disregard for your privacy, or is even sold to the SPAM industry.
After a while and after a few registrations, the inbox will quickly become full of junk mail.
And even if the collection of personal data is professional and respects the user’s rights, there is still a risk of data leakage.
Finally, when providing the email address is done on a malicious website or one that has been hacked, what you receive in the email can be equally harmful.
At this point, there are those who see it as a solution to use a free email account. But is it really the best solution?
Why not use a free email?
There are good free e-mail services, known and consecrated, so much so that it is difficult to find a person who does not have at least one account in one of the most popular ones.
The main free email services offer a range of features, which in some cases can be equivalent or even surpass professional email accounts, which is why we end up using this type of service for personal purposes.
In addition, the fact that it is free does not solve the problem of a professional account, such as:
- SPAM – even if they have good SPAM filters, there may be cases where you have to release the sender’s domain to receive your content and in doing so, you will also release all other content coming from the domain. That is, the filter will be useless;
- Advertising – the main and most popular ones, are not “nice”, altruistic or not concerned about profits. They give you a “free” service, in exchange for displaying A LOT of advertising from advertising companies and even SPAM – it has no other name – from their “partners”, disguised under numerous justifications;
- Administration – each has its own administration interface and as resources grow, so does the difficulty and time spent managing the account. Also, as simple as it is to create a free account, it is still more work than disposable email services;
- Security – the security level of the service is usually good, however, it must be remembered that the main ones (Gmail and Outlook) also give access to other services, such as the Play Store and Microsoft Store. That is, receiving harmful content on the account can make everything associated with it vulnerable;
- Traceability and privacy – there is a series of information that is collected from users and that allows tracking. In addition, even in the simplest ones, there is personal information that must be provided for use. None of that happens with a temporary account.
How does a disposable/temporary email work?
It’s even funny, because unlike many “tutorials” on how to do it, or what steps to follow, here the idea is to show that you don’t need almost anything, and in some cases nothing at all, to use such a service.
There are small variations depending on your choice, but the most “complicated” ones don’t require more than 2 steps.
- None will ask you your name or any data about you. No registration needs to be done;
- You don’t have to enter a username, a password and almost always, you don’t even have to choose an address. Most already provide one;
- It is unnecessary to provide an alternative and personal email account, to receive a link or access code and confirm that you are you;
- It is not necessary – nor possible or sensible – to set up the account in a local email client. They offer a simple, practical interface, right on the page itself, to view the messages you eventually receive;
- Most don’t even offer the option to write a message or even reply to incoming messages. They are intended only to receive;
- You don’t need to learn how to use them, as they have a minimalist look, no features, lots of buttons and folders. Usually just a box with a very simple “inbox” that cannot even be called webmail;
- In many, the e-mail address is already created when accessing the main page of the service, just copy it and inform the site where it is used.
5 disposable email services
Although most should know, the services below may not be stable and functional all the time.
Nor should they be used to receive sensitive or confidential data, as it is not possible to verify how reliable and secure they are.
Finally, if the browser window is closed and the cookies are cleared, access to the account and the content eventually received is lost, so it is recommended to keep the browser window and tab in which the access took place, until you receive the message(s).
1. 10minemail
One of the simplest and most objective and fulfills what it promises, the 10 minemailis what the name suggests, that is, it provides an account with a duration of 10 minutes and at the end of that time, it and all its content are permanently deleted.
On its minimalist page, you can soon see the address randomly created by the service, just below the message “Your 10-minute disposable email address”.
Beside the address, a countdown timer shows the remaining time. If you stay on the page until the end of time, a refresh will show a new temporary email address.
A little below, a box corresponds to the “inbox” that contains what you have received, it is only possible to view the message, which allows the receipt and download of attachments, although there is no information about the maximum file size.
2. Invertext
O backtext It is a site that provides a good variety of online tools and applications and among the various options, there is a temporary email generator, whose “lifetime” is one hour.
Even more minimalist than the previous one, it also does not allow sending or replying to messages and the address that is created automatically is visible in the center of the page as soon as it is accessed, and can be copied or edited.
Does not receive attachments.
Test messages sent were received almost instantly.
3. Mohmal
Designating itself a disposable temporary email, the mohmal it follows the simplicity of the previous ones, being that it takes one more click to work, since it is necessary to click on the “Random name” button, so that the generated address is displayed.
On the page with the account in a central position, we have 3 buttons below that allow us to:
- Change – generate a new address;
- Renovar – refresh and which works to reload the page and check the arrival of messages;
- Delete – manual account removal.
However, it is not necessary to remove the account, which automatically expires after 45 minutes of its creation.
With the previous ones, the inbox is displayed below the few options, which took a little longer to receive the tests, but took less than 1 minute.
It does not receive attached files nor does it allow you to reply or send messages.
4. Tempmail
Much like the first alternative (10minemail) in visual terms, tempmail offers some subtle differences:
- It doesn’t show the countdown. Instead, there is a button to delete the account and all of its contents. That is, the user can use it for a longer time if he wants or needs to, but in the existing FAQ, there is no information regarding the duration of the account;
- Next to the account, there is a button that displays a QR Code that gives access to the same account page, but on the smartphone, in case the user wants to view their messages on the device.
Otherwise, the operation is the same as the first one.
5. EmailOnDeck
Like most, an extremely simple option, but the EmailOnDeck has its own characteristics:
- It is temporary, but according to information from the service, it can last a whole day or just an hour;
- In the very basic interface, there is a “trash can” icon, to close the account;
- Allows sending to other accounts on the same network;
- Does not receive attachments.
Conclusion
A temporary and disposable email account can be an option in many cases, as well as being an alternative to your security, privacy and peace of mind.
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