Default lifespan
3 hoursThe countdown starts as soon as the address is created, giving you enough time for most short-term sign-ups and verifications.
Product limits at a glance
How long does a temporary email last? It’s more than a countdown
A new address is available for three hours by default and can be extended, but its total lifespan never exceeds 24 hours. Address lifespan, message retention, and browser recovery are three different things.
Maximum lifespan
24 hoursExtending the address only adds time to the remaining lifespan; it does not turn a temporary address into a permanent mailbox.
Automatic checks
About 15 secondsThe page checks periodically, and you can also use the refresh button to check manually and view the result.
Forwarding history
30 daysThis is the retention period for forwarding records after login, not for the temporary inbox.
Timeline
What happens after creation, extension, and expiration
After creation, your browser saves the address token and expiration time. When you refresh the page, you can recover the same inbox as long as the token is still valid. Extending the address requests a new expiration time from the server, but never exceeds the maximum lifespan.
Once the countdown reaches zero, you should no longer rely on the address or its messages. Changing the address creates a new identity, and the old address is no longer your current delivery destination.
Good for
- A one-time verification code or confirmation link
- Short-term downloads and trials
- Testing email templates and delivery speed
Not for
- Account recovery and subscription invoices
- Work, medical, or legal notifications
- Relationships that require communication months later
Limits for time, content, and recovery
| Question | Limit | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Does closing the tab delete everything immediately? | Not necessarily | The same browser can recover the local token during the validity period |
| Can I recover it after clearing browser data? | Usually not | Without the token, there is no way to prove access to a randomly generated address |
| Can I extend it indefinitely? | No | The total lifespan is capped at 24 hours |
| Will emails always arrive in real time? | Not guaranteed | External sender queues and policies can cause delays or rejection |
| Can I read every attachment? | Not guaranteed | Size, format, and security checks may limit attachments |
| Can I view old messages after changing the address? | Do not rely on it | Read and save anything you need before changing the address |
What are the limits on message content and attachments?
Genuine HTML emails are displayed in an isolated frame to reduce the impact of email styling on the site. Remote images, scripts, tracking resources, and unsafe links may be restricted; plain-text content is used as a fallback when HTML is unavailable.
Attachments are subject to the total message size, per-file size, security scanning, and the sender’s delivery capabilities. A temporary inbox is not a file repository; large files you need to keep should be delivered through a trusted dedicated file-transfer service.
Extend the address or change it?
If you are waiting for an email from the same website, extend the current address first so the site does not continue sending to the old address. Once the task is complete, the address has been exposed, or you want to cut off future contact, switch to a new address.
If the relationship needs to continue for more than a few days, a forwarding identity is a better fit: it sends messages to a verified real email address and can be paused independently. For important accounts, use an address you control long term.