How to Get a Disposable Email Address (2026 Options)

Giving your real email to every website is a fast way to get spam. In 2005 Yahoo Mail Plus offered AddressGuard: alias addresses you could hand out and delete when they started attracting junk. The idea is now everywhere. Here’s how to get a disposable email address in 2026, including free options from Apple, Firefox, DuckDuckGo and Gmail.

Quick answer: A disposable email address is an alias that forwards to your real inbox and can be turned off anytime. Good options are Firefox Relay (free plan with a few aliases), DuckDuckGo Email Protection (free), SimpleLogin (free and paid), Apple’s Hide My Email (with iCloud+), Yahoo Mail’s disposable addresses, and Gmail’s plus addressing (you+site@gmail.com) for quick filtering. Use throwaway inbox sites only for one-off sign-ups.

Yahoo AddressGuard in 2005

AddressGuard came with the paid Yahoo Mail Plus plan, alongside 2 GB of storage, SpamGuard Plus filters, 20 MB attachments, no ads and POP access. You created aliases for websites, and if one started getting spam, you deleted it and made another. Yahoo Mail still offers disposable addresses in its mailbox settings, though features depend on your plan.

Best disposable email address services

• Firefox Relay: free aliases that forward to your inbox; a paid plan adds unlimited aliases and phone masks.
• DuckDuckGo Email Protection: free @duck.com addresses that also strip email trackers.
• SimpleLogin (by Proton): open-source alias service with free and paid plans.
• Hide My Email: Apple creates random addresses for iCloud+ subscribers, built into Safari and iOS sign-ups.
• Gmail plus addressing: add +anything before @gmail.com. It’s not truly disposable (your real address is visible), but you can filter or block it.

Temporary inbox sites

Services that give you a public inbox for a few minutes are handy for a one-time download, but anyone with the address may see the mail, and many sites block them. Never use them for accounts you want to keep or anything with personal information.

How to use disposable addresses well

• Use a different alias for each shop, newsletter or app; you’ll see who leaks or sells your address.
• Keep your main address for banks, government and close contacts.
• Turn off an alias as soon as it starts getting spam.
• Combine aliases with your provider’s spam blocking tools.

FAQ

Is a disposable email address legal?

Yes. It’s a normal privacy tool, though some sites don’t accept throwaway domains.

What’s the difference between an alias and a temporary email?

An alias forwards to your real inbox and lasts until you turn it off; a temporary inbox is public and expires quickly.

Can I reply from a disposable address?

Firefox Relay, SimpleLogin and DuckDuckGo let you reply through the alias so your real address stays hidden.