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How do you set up a secret, nameless email address that contains no obvious connection to you, without the hassle of setting up your own servers?
This goes beyond encryption. Anyone can do that with web-based email like Gmail by using a browser extension like Mailvelope. For desktop email clients, either GnuPG (Privacy Guard) or EnigMail is a must. Web-based Proton Mail promises end-to-end encryption with zero access to the data by the company behind it, plus it has apps for iOS and Android.
But while those tools hide the contents of an email, they don't necessarily disguise who sent the message. For that, you'll need a secure email service. Here are the services you should use to create that truly nameless, unidentifiable email address.
Make Your Regular Email Anonymous
You can set up a relatively anonymous Gmail account, provided you don't give Google your real name, location, birthday, or anything else the search giant asks for when you sign up (and you best do that while surfing anonymously, naturally).
You will eventually have to provide Google some other identifying method of contact, such as a third-party email address or a phone number. You can use a burner or temporary phone number created with an app, or buy a pre-paid cell phone, and then fib thoroughly when asked for any personal info. (Just know that even the most "secure" burner has its limits when it comes to keeping you truly anonymous.)
Top Phone Burners
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) strongly suggests you use a different email provider from that of your personal account if you crave anonymity. That way, you're less likely to get complacent and make a mistake. It's easy to send a message from the wrong Gmail interface if you have multiple Google accounts.
Note that you also should use an email service that supports secure sockets layer (SSL) encryption. That's the basic encryption used on a web connection to prevent casual snooping, like when shopping at Amazon. You'll know it's encrypted when you see HTTPS in the URL (instead of just HTTP) and a lock symbol in the address or status bar.
Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Outlook.com all support HTTPS. Google's Chrome browser flags all non-HTTPS sites as insecure. The HTTPS Everywhere extension for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, and Android—which is built into Brave and Tor—also ensures that websites default to using the protocol.
That's great for web surfing, but neither HTTPS nor VPN services keep you hidden when emailing. Pseudonyms in email (like [email protected]) aren't enough, either. Just one login without using an anonymous browsing tool like Tor means your real IP address is recorded. That's enough for you to be found; just ask General Petraeus.
The point is, once you've gone this far, there's no reason to go back. Utilize a truly anonymous web-based mail service. Here are some to try.
Anonymous Email Alias Generators
Maybe you're happy using your current email at Gmail.com, Outlook.com, or your own domain—you don't want to switch providers to attain some anonymity. You can still get some using email aliases—an address you generate on the fly to hand out, but that still works because any message sent to it is forwarded to your main inbox. Here are a few of the best alias generators.
IronVest
For free or starting at $39 per year, IronVest (formerly known as Abine Blur) provides a service unlike anything else. This browser add-on is a password manager that lets you go about your online business without revealing anything about yourself. While almost every site/service online needs your email address to function, Blur lets you create an unlimited number of anonymous, masked email aliases (and one anonymous phone number and masked credit card). Use them anywhere and everywhere. All the messages sent to the aliases will funnel to your regular email address(es). The only company in the know about who you are, really, is IronVest.
SimpleLogin
SimpleLogin will create email aliases for you on the fly. You can only get 10 of them to send to one actual email if you use the free version; if you pay ($30 per year), then you have unlimited aliases that can send to unlimited mailboxes. You can even create them offline.
Guerrilla Mail
Guerrilla Mail provides ephemeral messaging—disposable, temporary email you can send and receive—and it's all free. Technically, the address you create will exist forever, even if you never use it again. Any messages received, accessible at guerrillamail.com, only last one hour. You get a totally scrambled email address that's easily copied to the clipboard. You can attach a file if it's less than 150MB in size, or use it to send someone your excess Bitcoin. There's an option to use your own domain name as well, but that's not really keeping you under the radar. Coupled with the Tor browser, Guerilla Mail makes you practically invisible.
TrashMail.com
TrashMail.com isn't just a site, it's also a browser extension for Google Chrome and Firefox, so you don't even have to visit the site to use it. Create a new, disposable email from a number of domain options, and TrashMail.com will forward messages to your regular email address for the lifespan of the new TrashMail address, as determined by you. The only limit is how many forwards you get. To go unlimited, pay $20.99 a year for TrashMail Plus. The site provides a full address manager interface so create as many addresses as you like.
AnonAddy
An open-source tool for creating unlimited email aliases, AnonAddy doesn't store any messages. It lets you make as many as 20 shared domain aliases (like @johndoe.anonaddy.com), or an unlimited number of standard aliases using "anonaddy.com" for the address. You get a lot more if you pay for the plans that start at $1 per month, like support for your own custom domain name. It also offers extensions for Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Vivaldi browsers.
MailDrop
To get a MailDrop address, you don't need to sign up, create a password, or pay a dime. The messages it accepts are limited: text or HTML that's less than 500KB in size; only 10 at a time; and messages are cleared our regularly. But it supports extra aliases using a period in the name, so [email protected] can be used at one site while [email protected] works on another, both using the same account. But it's not that secure. Remember, you don't even need a password, so neither does anyone else who wants to sign into your MailDrop. And all connections are logged.
Bulc Club
Bulc Club costs nothing, but you'll have to sign up for an account to get all the features. You can get one new BulcBurner address every 12 hours, and once you use it to have something sent to your mailbox, the alias gets deleted. You also can't reply to any messages sent via Bulc Club. But it's really more for preventing spam than it is communications.
Fully Private Email Services
Aliases are convenient for those with existing emails, but if you've got real privacy needs, switch over to an entirely new email service—one that puts your privacy ahead of its data gathering. Here are a few we like.
Proton Mail
With servers in Switzerland (a country that appreciates secrecy), ProtonMail provides fully encrypted messages. Anyone can get a free account that holds 1GB of data and up to 150 messages per day. Or pay $3.99 per month or $47.88 per year to get Mail Plus with advanced features like 10 addresses across 15GB total storage, and support for custom domains and expiring messages that disappear after a set period (which only works if you send to other Proton Mail users, or use password-protected encryption). It's available on the web, plus via iOS and Android apps. It also offers paid users a tool called Proton Mail Bridge to better integrate it with desktop email client software. Paid users can also use Proton VPN (a five-star product), Proton Drive, and Proton Calendar.
Anonymity comes via ProtonMail's specific support for Tor via an onion site it set up at protonirockerxow.onion. It provides full instructions on how to set up Tor on your desktop or mobile phone. Having anonymous users is so important to ProtonMail, it doesn't require any personal info when you sign up. It supports multi-factor authentication and doesn't make logs of IP addresses used for access.
Tuta Mail
Germany-based Tuta Mail (previously called Tutanota) is so secure, it even encrypts subject lines and contacts. A forever-free plan for private use comes with 1GB of storage, but you can upgrade to 20GB for €3.60 per month (or €36 per year), all the way up to 500GB for €96 per year, depending on your needs. Premium features include aliases, inbox rules, support, more storage, custom domains, logos (on the high-end version), and more. There are apps for iOS and Android. Nonprofits and schools can get the business-oriented version as a donation.
Hushmail
Recommended by the EFF and others, Hushmail's entire claim to fame is that it's easy to use, doesn't include advertising, and has built-in encryption between members.
To get all that, you have to pay. For personal use, it starts at $49.98 per year for 10GB of online storage; there's a 60-day money-back guarantee. Access it on the web or iOS. Businesses can use Hushmail starting at $5.99 per user per month for small businesses and nonprofits and $9.99 for legal and HIPAA-compliant healthcare entities. There's a one-time $9.99 setup fee for everyone.
Note that Hushmail has turned over records to the feds before. That was a decade and a half ago. But its terms of service state you can't use it for "illegal activity," so it's not going to fight court orders on your behalf. At least it's upfront about it.
PrivateMail
TorGuard is a global VPN service, which starts at $9.99 per month. The service provides a separate PrivateMail service, which starts at $8.95 per month with 10GB of encrypted storage. All accounts get secure OpenPGP encryption of mail, no ads, and 24/7 help, plus a seven-day money-back guarantee. There are also Android and iOS apps for mobile users; all data is synced across devices. The anonymous par keeps your identity secret and also supports anonymous payments with cryptocurrency, some of which can be used to pay for your PrivateMail account.
Mailfence
Belgium-based Mailfence started as a collaboration suite for organizations in 1999, and it still offers a 500MB free plan to anyone who needs it, complete with encrypted email and multi-factor authentication logins. You can jump up to 40GB storage with 20 aliases for €42 per year, or go Pro for €114 and get 78GB with 70 aliases, and more—like full mobile and Exchange support. Businesses and nonprofits can get a customized interface.
For more, read The Best Email Encryption Services and The Best Temporary Email Services.
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