Your inbox, on your terms
Keep your real inbox for real mail.
When to hand out a throwaway address, a forwarding alias or your real one. How to cut the junk. And how to spot the emails that are trying to fool you.
Which address should you give?
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Throwaway
Sign-ups you'll never need again
A one-time download, a Wi-Fi login, a coupon you'll use once.
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Alias
Things you might need again
Shops, apps, newsletters, loyalty programs. It forwards to you and can be switched off.
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Your real address
Anything that matters
Your bank, doctor, lawyer, work, and any account you'd need to reset a password for.
Mozilla, which runs Firefox Relay, says to give your real address to your bank, doctor and lawyer. Source
The guide
- Throwaway addresses For sign-ups you'll never need again Addresses that vanish in minutes or hours, and why anyone can read some of them.
- Forwarding aliases For shops, apps and newsletters A different address for each sign-up that still reaches you, and switches off when it's spammed.
- Unsubscribe and spam What senders have to do The 10-business-day rule, when to unsubscribe, and when to hit report instead.
- Scam emails 191,561 FBI complaints in 2025 The signs regulators list, where to report, and what to do if you already clicked.
- Lock it down Your email is the master key Two-factor, breach checks, and why your inbox unlocks everything else.
One email a month. You might even read it.
New scam patterns, changes to the services listed here, and one inbox tip.
The list isn't hooked up yet, so this won't send. Feel free to use an alias.