How to Use Temp Mail: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)
This covers the whole flow, start to finish, including the parts most people only figure out by trial and error.
Generate an address
Land on the homepage and an address is already waiting for you: no click required, no signup. If you want to change it, hit "Change" and pick a custom handle or a different domain.
Pick the right domain type for the job
Standard domains work fine for most sites. If you're hitting a platform that's known to block obvious temp domains, switch to a Gmail or Outlook-style address instead; it's built specifically for that situation.
Use it, then come back and wait
Paste the address into whatever needs it. The inbox auto-refreshes every few seconds, so you don't need to keep hitting refresh manually — just leave the tab open.
Extend the timer if you need to
Signup flow taking longer than expected? Hit the extend button before the countdown hits zero. Once it expires, the address and its messages are gone for good.
Automating it? Use the API
If you're doing this repeatedly for testing, skip the manual flow entirely — see the API docs for generating addresses and polling inboxes programmatically.
Gmail & Outlook Temp Mail That Services Can't Block
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Try zephbox Premium →Automating this instead of doing it by hand? See automating OTP verification with an email API and the best temp mail APIs for developers.
Common questions
Do I need to create an account?
No. The free tier works instantly with no signup. An account is only needed if you want extended history, custom domains, or API access.
How long does an address stay active?
24 hours by default on the free plan, and you can extend it by another 24 hours at a time directly from the inbox view.
What happens to messages after expiry?
They're deleted along with the address. There's no way to recover them afterward, so export or screenshot anything you need to keep before the timer runs out.
Can I choose my own username?
Yes, use the "Change" option to set a custom handle instead of the randomly generated one.