Public vs private temporary inboxes
Not all temp mail is private. With some services, anyone who types your address can read your mail. Here is how to tell the difference.
Public inboxes
On a public temp mail service, the address is the key. You type any name, and you see whatever was sent to it. That is convenient, but it means anyone else who types the same name sees the same messages, including your verification codes and password-reset links.
Common names like test or john are especially risky, because many people use them at once.
Private inboxes
A private temporary inbox separates the address from the key. The address is what you give to websites. The key is a secret that only your browser holds. Without the key, knowing the address gets you nothing.
How TempMailyo keeps your inbox private
- Addresses are 12 random letters and numbers, so they can’t be guessed or chosen.
- Reading the inbox requires a secret access token stored only in your browser.
- The token is never put in a link, so sharing the page address doesn’t share your inbox.
- When an address is deleted or expires, its messages are deleted with it, so old mail can’t be read later.
The trade-off
Because the key lives in your browser, you can’t open your inbox on another device, and clearing your browser data loses it. For a 24-hour inbox, we think that is the right trade.
How to check any temp mail service
- Can you type any name you like and see an inbox immediately? Then it is probably public.
- Open the same address in a private window. If you see the same messages without signing in, anyone can.
- Read the privacy policy for how inboxes are protected and how long mail is kept.