Answers to 42 common questions about trashbox.email, temporary email addresses, disposable email, OTP codes, privacy, and security. Can't find your answer? Contact us.
a temporary email address is a short-lived, disposable inbox that you can use to receive emails without revealing your real email address. it self-destructs after a set period — on trashbox, that's 2 hours. perfect for sign-ups, OTP codes, and avoiding spam.
when you open trashbox.email, a random email address is created instantly. any email sent to that address appears in your browser in real time via WebSocket. after the inbox expires, everything is permanently deleted. no sign-up, no password, no personal data. see our complete temp mail guide for the technical details.
yes. temp mail, disposable email, throwaway email, and burner email all describe the same concept: a short-lived inbox designed to be used once and then discarded. the terminology varies, but the function is identical.
no. the inbox is ready the moment you open the page. no registration, no password, no phone number, no personal information of any kind.
yes. trashbox.email is completely free to use. no premium tier, no paid features, no hidden costs.
regular email requires registration, stores messages forever, and is tied to your identity. temp mail is the opposite — no sign-up, no personal data, and everything is automatically deleted after 2 hours. it's designed for quick, anonymous, one-time use.
your temporary inbox stays active for 2 hours on the homepage. for shorter durations, try 10 minute mail or 15 minute mail.
yes. click the extend button and the countdown resets to a fresh duration from the current moment. there's a 30-second cooldown between extends to prevent abuse.
the address, all emails, and any attachments are permanently deleted from both the database and disk. the mail server starts bouncing any new messages to that address. there are no backups and no way to recover the data.
no. once a temporary inbox expires, all emails, attachments, and the address itself are permanently and irreversibly deleted. this is by design — it's what makes temp mail private.
trashbox offers three timer durations: 10 minutes for ultra-quick verifications, 15 minutes (also available at 15minutemail.com), and the standard 2-hour inbox on the homepage.
yes. most verification emails arrive within seconds. trashbox automatically detects OTP codes and verification links in incoming emails and highlights them for one-click copying.
no. trashbox is receive-only. you can receive verification emails, OTPs, and sign-up confirmations, but you cannot send outgoing mail. this keeps the service simple and prevents abuse.
yes. click the gear icon next to your address to open the alias picker. type any username you want, and we'll check if it's available. you can also restore a previous address if it's still within the 2-hour window.
yes. attachments are saved temporarily and available for download while your inbox is active. when your inbox expires, all attachments are permanently deleted from our servers along with the emails.
yes. all received emails appear in your inbox automatically. you can see the sender, subject, and full content. if an expected email hasn't arrived yet, click the refresh button — new messages are checked every few seconds.
your inbox is automatically deleted after the timer expires. if you want to discard it sooner, simply generate a new address — your previous inbox and all its emails will be gone.
20 languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Turkish, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Indonesian, Ukrainian, Czech, Swedish, Finnish, Vietnamese, and Russian. Arabic renders right-to-left. CJK characters display correctly.
yes. 15minutemail.com has Chrome, Firefox, and Opera extensions that let you generate temporary addresses, read emails, and copy OTP codes from your browser toolbar without visiting the site.
yes, for its intended purpose. trashbox protects your real inbox from spam and unwanted sign-ups. we don't collect personal data, don't store your IP, and all emails are automatically deleted. however, don't use it for banking, government, or any account you need long-term.
no. we don't read, analyze, or mine your emails. messages are stored temporarily on our servers only so you can view them. after the timer expires, they are permanently and irreversibly deleted — no backups, no archives.
no. using a temporary email address is perfectly legal. it's a privacy tool, like using a VPN or browsing in incognito mode. however, using any email service — temporary or permanent — for fraud, harassment, or illegal activity is against the law.
no. trashbox does not log IP addresses. there are no analytics scripts, no advertising cookies, and no browser fingerprinting. the server stores only the temporary address and its messages.
temp mail protects your email address identity, but it doesn't make you fully anonymous. websites can still see your IP, browser fingerprint, and any personal info you enter in their forms. for full anonymity, combine temp mail with a VPN and avoid entering real personal details.
only if they know the exact email address. temp mail addresses are randomly generated (10+ characters) so they're practically impossible to guess. however, don't use temp mail for sensitive communications — it's designed for throwaway sign-ups, not confidential messages.
the server stores exactly two things: the temporary email address and the messages it received. both are permanently deleted when the inbox expires. we don't collect names, IPs, browser info, or any other personal data. there are no analytics, no cookies, and no third-party tracking.
in most cases, yes. discord accepts many disposable email domains for account creation. if your address is rejected, generate a new one — different domains have different acceptance rates. see our discord guide for step-by-step instructions.
facebook actively blocks many disposable email domains. it may work with some addresses, but facebook is one of the stricter platforms. if blocked, try generating a new address with a different domain.
instagram, owned by Meta, shares similar blocking policies with facebook. some disposable domains work, others don't. try a few different addresses. see our instagram guide for tips.
steam generally accepts disposable email addresses for account creation. verification codes arrive in seconds. see our steam guide for the full walkthrough.
some websites check if your email domain belongs to a known disposable email service using blocklists. if they detect it, they may reject the address during sign-up. this is more common on platforms that fight free-tier abuse.
streaming services (Netflix, Spotify, Disney+), banking apps, government portals, and enterprise SaaS with identity verification are the most common blockers. most standard sign-ups, forums, free trials, and downloads accept temp mail without issues.
yes. trashbox works on any device with a browser. the interface is fully responsive. no app download needed.
for one-time purchases where you don't need order tracking or returns, yes. for purchases where you'll need email receipts or customer support later, use your real email.
a few possible reasons: the sending service may have blocked the disposable domain, the email is still being delivered (wait a few seconds and refresh), or the sender's server is slow. try generating a new address with a different domain if emails don't arrive.
the timer expired. inboxes are automatically deleted when their TTL runs out — 2 hours for the standard inbox, 10 or 15 minutes for shorter options. once expired, the data is gone permanently.
some services are genuinely slow at sending emails. wait 2-3 minutes and check again. if it still hasn't arrived, the service may be blocking the disposable domain. try generating a new address with a different domain and re-register.
no. trashbox requires javascript to generate addresses, receive emails in real time, and render the interface. it works in any modern browser with javascript enabled.
they're similar but not identical. temp mail auto-expires and requires no setup. burner email usually refers to a throwaway address you create through a regular provider (like a spare Gmail). both serve privacy, but temp mail is faster and leaves less trace.
Gmail requires your phone number, tracks your activity, and the account persists forever unless you manually delete it. temp mail requires nothing, tracks nothing, and deletes itself automatically. see our temp mail guide for a detailed comparison.
real-time email delivery via WebSocket (no manual refresh), automatic OTP/verification code detection, 20 languages with proper RTL and CJK support, HTML sanitization for security, multiple timer options (10 min, 15 min, 2h), custom alias support, and zero tracking. see our comparison of 7 temp mail services.
the most common uses are: receiving OTP verification codes, avoiding spam when downloading gated content, testing email flows during development, signing up for forums or free trials, and connecting to wifi portals that demand an email.