Create
Address and access token are generated together. Copy the address, keep this session open and wait for the code or confirmation link.
Address lifespan lab
A three-hour window, not a permanent archive
A temporary inbox starts with three hours. Each extension adds three hours, but total lifespan is capped at twenty-four hours after creation — the clock never restarts.
Initial window
You can extend before the countdown hits zero. An extension adds three hours; it does not restart a fresh twenty-four hours from the click.
Absolute cap
Twenty-four hours after creation, no further extension is possible. If mail must keep arriving, switch to a forwarding alias in advance.
Save before expiry
Save the results, not the temporary address
After verifying, move recovery codes, order numbers or downloads to a safe place you control. Don't screenshot full codes and leave them long-term on shared devices.
Fine to handle temporarily
- Short-lived codes and confirmation links
- One-off downloads with no account value
- Testing a system's outbound mail
Should be kept long-term
- Purchase receipts and invoices
- Account recovery information
- Contracts, medical and financial records
How-to
Extending the lifetime, done right
Extending accumulates—it never resets. Know the rules before the countdown hits zero.
Trust the countdown, not your clock
The on-page countdown is authoritative. After your laptop sleeps, refresh to resync the remaining time.
Extend before it reaches zero
Each extension adds 3 hours to the time remaining. At zero the address is destroyed and nothing can be added.
Respect the 24-hour ceiling
The cap counts from creation. Hitting it disables the button with a clear notice—no silent failures.
Need longer? Change tracks early
If mail matters beyond 24 hours, don’t keep topping up—move the relationship to a Privacy Forwarding alias ahead of time.
Mechanics
Three whys behind the lifetime rules
These numbers aren’t arbitrary—they balance catching slow email against never becoming a permanent archive.
Why 3 hours by default?
It covers the arrival window of almost every code, confirmation link and first notice, without leaving the address alive long enough to become a spam magnet.
Why cap at 24 hours?
Still receiving after a day means this isn’t a one-off relationship. The cap forces the switch to a forwarding alias at the right moment instead of abusing temp mail as permanent.
Where does expired data go?
Address, messages and access token are deleted together, unrecoverable. That’s not a limitation—it’s the privacy promise: nobody can dig up your temp inbox afterwards.
Which lever
Extend, or move to forwarding?
The extend button solves “wait a bit longer”; an alias solves “keep receiving”. Don’t stretch one to cover the other.
Keep extending the temp address
One-off business finishing within 24 hours.
- Codes or download links from slow senders
- Waiting out a time-zone gap for one confirmation
- Testing a system’s outbound email
- Nothing more expected after expiry
Migrate to Privacy Forwarding
Mail that stays valuable past 24 hours.
- Orders, invoices and shipping notices
- Subscriptions and community replies
- Keeps a 30-day archive with attachments
- Your real address stays hidden
Lifetime FAQ
Common lifetime questions
Does refreshing reset the countdown?
No. The server owns the clock. Refresh, reopen, or open the tokenised link on another device—the remaining time is identical.
Can I open the same inbox on another device?
Yes. Send the page link with its access parameter to the other device; within the lifetime it restores the same inbox with all received mail.
Mail expired before I extended—recoverable?
No. Deletion at expiry is the product’s privacy promise; we can’t restore it either. Move anything important somewhere you control before expiry.
Can I destroy the address early?
Yes—click “swap address”. The current address and all its mail are destroyed immediately and you get a fresh one. That is the manual reset.