How to send an email anonymously
You can send email without your name or main address on it, for privacy, whistleblowing, or just to keep shopping sites away from your inbox. Total anonymity is harder than most guides admit. Here is what really works.
For one-off privacy, create a new account at a privacy-focused provider such as Proton Mail or Tuta, which do not require a phone number, and do not put your name in it. To hide your real address from websites, use an alias service such as SimpleLogin, addy.io or Firefox Relay. For real anonymity, also hide your connection with a VPN or Tor, because providers can be ordered to log IP addresses.
Option 1: A separate private account
| Provider | Free plan | Phone needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Proton Mail | 500 MB rising to 1 GB; 150 messages a day | No (CAPTCHA or another email) |
| Tuta | 1 GB | No (some sign-ups are held for approval) |
Use a username that has nothing to do with your name, and never sign in to it in the same browser session as your personal accounts if you need to stay unlinked.
Option 2: Email aliases (hide your real address)
An alias service gives you forwarding addresses. Mail sent to the alias reaches your real inbox, and replies go out from the alias, so the other side never sees your real address. (On some free plans, such as Firefox Relay's, replying from an alias needs the paid tier.)
| Service | Free plan |
|---|---|
| SimpleLogin (by Proton) | 10 aliases |
| addy.io | Unlimited standard aliases, with limited bandwidth |
| Firefox Relay | A limited number of free masks |
Aliases are best for sign-ups, online shopping and selling things online. If an alias starts getting spam, switch it off.
What can still identify you
- Your IP address. Big webmail services such as Gmail and Outlook show their own servers in the message headers, not your home connection. But providers can be ordered by a court to log IP addresses, which has happened. A VPN or Tor adds a layer.
- Desktop email programs. Sending through a program like Outlook or Thunderbird can add your IP address to the headers. Use the provider's website or app.
- Your writing. Style, signature habits and details in the message often identify people faster than any technical clue.
- Recovery details. A recovery phone or personal email address on the account links it to you.
- Payment. Paying for a plan with your own card links the account to your name.
Legal and safety limits
Sending email anonymously is legal in most places. Using anonymity to threaten, harass, defraud or spam people is not, and providers cooperate with lawful investigations. If you are reporting wrongdoing at work, look into your organization's official whistleblower channels or a lawyer as well: they often give you legal protection that an anonymous email does not.
Questions people ask
- Can an anonymous email be traced?
- Sometimes. Providers can be legally ordered to hand over logs, and IP addresses, writing style and account details can all identify a sender. A VPN or Tor and a separate account with no personal details make tracing much harder.
- Is a temporary email address the same as anonymous email?
- No. Temporary (throwaway) inboxes are mostly for receiving one message and often cannot send. Many websites also block them.
- Does Gmail show my IP address to recipients?
- Gmail's web and app mail show Google's servers in the headers rather than your own IP address.
Sending one email to a whole list? Check the addresses first with Veml, which removes bad and risky emails before you hit send. (Veml and EmailNa have the same owner.)