About 5 Minute Mail
5 Minute Mail is a receive-only temporary email utility. It gives you a working address for a short task, shows messages in the browser, and stops making the inbox available through this tool when its timer expires. There is no account to create and no permanent mailbox to manage.
Why the service exists
Many low-risk actions need one incoming email: confirming a test account, opening a download link, or checking what a newsletter sends before giving it a permanent address. A short-lived inbox can finish that job without turning your main address into a long-term marketing identifier.
That narrow purpose matters. This is not a replacement for a personal email account, an encrypted messenger, or a permanent alias. If losing a message could lock you out of an account or cost you money, use an address you control long term.
What happens when you open the tool?
- 1. A mailbox is created. The browser requests a random address and a session token. The token is used to read or extend that specific inbox; it is not a password for a reusable account.
- 2. Incoming mail is accepted. The domain's inbound email provider passes accepted messages to the service. The browser checks for new messages every few seconds.
- 3. The timer ends. The default session lasts five minutes. You may add time before it expires, up to the service limit. After expiration, the inbox and its messages are no longer available through this tool.
The privacy boundary
Temporary does not mean secret. A sender, its email provider, the inbound delivery provider, and this service all handle a message on its way to the browser. Anyone who obtains the active mailbox token may also be able to read that inbox. Do not send passwords, identity documents, financial records, medical details, or private recovery links here.
The privacy policy explains service data and advertising technology. The cookie notice explains browser and Google advertising controls.
How the guides are maintained
The guides focus on tasks this service can actually perform. They separate temporary inboxes from forwarding aliases and permanent accounts, name the failure cases, and link to first-party guidance when another provider's behavior is discussed. Pages are reviewed when the service behavior or cited guidance changes.
Last reviewed August 5, 2026. 5 Minute Mail is not affiliated with Google, Mozilla, or the websites where you may choose to use an address.