Read these terms before receiving email

01 · Service overview

Tmpkey offers two ways to receive email: a disposable inbox that requires no registration and receives messages on the website, and long-term aliases created after you log in, which forward incoming messages to a real email address you’ve verified with a code. Disposable email can’t send or reply to messages, or send email from that address. A long-term alias is not an email account you can use to send messages.

These services have separate credentials and lifecycles. You access a temporary inbox with its inbox token; logging in to or out of your forwarding account does not turn it into a long-term inbox. Your forwarding account has separate login credentials, and logging out does not automatically delete a temporary inbox.

If you only need to receive a one-time confirmation email, use the temporary inbox on the home page. To keep receiving subscriptions or website notifications, you can log in to manage long-term aliases, but you should still maintain control of your real email account.

02 · Expiry and permanent deletion

Temporary addresses are valid for 3 hours by default. Each successful renewal adds 3 hours, up to a total limit of 24 hours from the time the address was created. Near that limit, a renewal request does not guarantee another full 3 hours. Check the actual expiry time and renewal result shown in your inbox, and don’t wait until the last minute to handle a verification email.

Changing your address creates a new temporary inbox and invalidates the old address; messages are not transferred. After expiry or deletion, the address and its messages are permanently deleted and support cannot restore them. If a third party later sends a verification code to the old address, you won’t be able to use it to complete verification.

Copying an address does not save your access to its inbox. Clearing browser data, losing your token, or switching devices may prevent you from accessing the original inbox, even if the address hasn’t expired. For details about data handling, see our separate Privacy Policy.

03 · Using public networks

Hotels, airports, cafés, and other public network operators decide which email addresses they accept. They may also ask for a room number, phone number, payment, or other identity verification. Some portals block disposable email domains. Tmpkey provides an inbox, but cannot guarantee that a portal will accept the address or grant you internet access.

Follow local laws, the network operator’s terms, and on-site rules. Don’t use a temporary address to get around payment, identity, age, usage, or access restrictions. If a portal asks for information you can’t or don’t want to provide, contact the operator about permitted alternatives instead of trying to bypass verification.

Before a network is available, a portal may let you open its login page but block access to Tmpkey. Try opening your inbox over mobile data. If you don’t have a connection, ask staff about other ways to verify. For details, see our guide to entering an email address on public Wi-Fi.

04 · Permitted and prohibited uses

Before using an address, make sure you’re authorized to register, verify, or test the relevant service. Hiding your real email address doesn’t remove your responsibility for message content, third-party terms, or your actions. It also doesn’t mean network operators or other services can’t identify your activity.

The following permitted and prohibited uses apply to both temporary email and long-term aliases. In cases of abuse, security risks, or legal requirements, we may limit traffic, suspend related features, or disable an address. If you believe we’ve made a mistake, explain the situation through the support link on this page.

05 · Accounts and credentials

Don’t use a temporary address for banking, healthcare, important identity-related services, your primary work account, or any service you may need to recover long-term. Even if registration succeeds, future security alerts, payment disputes, or password resets may go to an expired address. If you’ve already used one, update the email in the third-party account settings to a reliable long-term address before it expires.

Your temporary inbox token is the key to your inbox. Don’t share it in chats, screenshots, public code, or support requests. Keep your forwarding account credentials and real email account secure, too. When you finish using a shared device, log out of your forwarding account and make sure no sensitive messages or browser login data remain.

If you enable two-step verification, follow your authenticator app’s instructions to prepare for device migration or create a secure backup, and make sure you can still access your authenticator. Don’t assume that losing your phone means you can bypass the second factor with just an email verification code, and never share a current 6-digit code with anyone. Manage your account security in the forwarding dashboard.

06 · Availability and email delivery

Receiving email depends on the sender, the email transmission chain, and the receiving service all working properly. Third-party domain blocks, spam filters, sender queues, rules at your forwarding destination, maintenance, network outages, or rate limits may cause delays, rejections, or temporary access issues.

We can’t guarantee that every message will be delivered, arrive within a set time, or that the service will always be available. Example emails on the page are for illustration only and don’t mean that a real email was successfully delivered. For processes involving payments, contractual obligations, or identity verification, use a reliable long-term email address and keep another verification method available.

If an email doesn’t arrive, first check the address spelling and expiry time, then check for messages from the sending platform. For long-term forwarding, also check that the alias is enabled and look in your real inbox’s spam folder. Don’t repeatedly request verification codes within a short period. If necessary, use another method the third party allows. If the problem persists, contact support using the instructions below.

07 · Changes, disputes, and support

If we change the service or these terms, we’ll update this page and its effective date. We’ll clearly announce significant changes that affect how the service works. For matters that require separate notice or consent by law, we’ll follow applicable requirements. Review updates before continuing to use the service. If you don’t accept the changes, stop using it and first update any third-party accounts still linked to these addresses.

These terms govern your use of the service between you and Tmpkey. They do not replace the terms of public network operators, email senders, or real email providers. Disputes are subject to applicable laws and the requirements of competent authorities. Nothing on this page about delivery or availability excludes liability where the law does not allow it, or limits your legal rights.

If your address was disabled by mistake, email delivery is failing, or you have questions about these terms, contact support@tmpkey.com. You can include the time and time zone, the feature you were using, the error message, and relevant addresses with sensitive details removed. Don’t send inbox tokens, login verification codes, authenticator keys, or complete sensitive emails. We’ll review the verifiable information, but can’t restore temporary content that has expired or been deleted.

For details about how we handle browser credentials, email content, and retention periods, read our Privacy Policy. Read it together with these terms. “Anonymous email” does not mean that all your online activity is unidentifiable.