Emails were designed to offer identifiable two-way communications, but that's not always what we want in this day and age. There's a lot more stuff happening in the background. It is not always just words sent from one address to another. Most of the time, emails contain a lot of data that can be used to identify you. Nowadays, most of this data is used to send personalized ads and spam mail your way. But you have to be careful; if you are using some sensitive information, they can use it to find you.
What Are Anonymous Email Services?
Anonymous email services are, you guessed it right, email services, and they offer higher security and anonymity when sending emails. That includes encrypting email, inbox, and the contact list. Also, hiding the IP address and everything else that can be used to identify the sender.
Why Do We Use Anonymous Email Services?
It is well known that our web browsers track us and store information about us. Browsers will keep into your history what you do and what you've done and searched before. The companies behind those web browsers sell our data to advertisers to increase their revenue streams.
Mostly, users require more anonymity when using the internet. The reason is that they don't want to share their search history and other data with advertisers or anyone else. They don't want it to be stored anywhere, accessible to anyone other than them.
There are also cases when the email contains some sensitive information, which could hurt the sender. People often don't think about it in advance, but small mistakes can lead you to lose your career.
How Can You Send Anonymous Emails?
Many different email services provide anonymity while using their services. Certain services don't even ask for any personal data, some ask for a backup email or a phone number, and some don't even require registration.
The easiest way to send anonymous emails is by using a popular email service like Outlook or Gmail and giving them false information about you. Note that this still doesn't hide your IP address. For that, you could use a VPN (Virtual Private Network). A VPN masks your original IP address and lets you use the internet without showing your IP address everywhere. Additionally, most VPNs offer a variety of server locations to choose from, allowing you to appear as if you're browsing from different regions around the world. This not only enhances your privacy but also enables you to access region-specific content.
Another excellent solution is to use Burner emails. Burner emails will allow you to make a temporary account for sending or receiving emails. These emails self-destruct after a certain period. If you need an email to enter a shady site or just any site you don't think you'll use again, this is the way to go.
However, if you need a long-term solution, we recommend using encrypted email services. They provide you with similar functionalities like some more basic email offers. However, they will offer you way more security. All of your emails and contacts are encrypted and can be read-only by using a unique key.
The Best Free Anonymous Email Services
Guerrilla Mail
Guerrilla Mail offers easily acquirable temporary email addresses from whom you can both send and receive emails. This service is one of the most popular services for making anonymous emails, and it's for a reason. It's simple, quick, and easy to use. The UI is a bit outdated, but it gets the job done.
Tutanota
Tutanota service provides high anonymity for its users. With this service, you can even send encrypted messages to non-Tutanota users. Also, it doesn't even need any information about the user when registering. This is great if you don't want to share any information about yourself. The free version includes 1GB of storage and is limited to only one user. However, that's more than enough for the typical internet user who wants to stay safe. Further, the premium packages offer more benefits and are relatively cheap.
ProtonMail
ProtonMail is probably the most popular email service that offers complete anonymity. It guarantees a no-logs policy. However, the downside to this service is asking for a phone number when you register. The free version offers 500MB of storage. Also, the premium version provides more benefits, and also, it's a bit more expensive than Tutanota. Tutanota is a bit more secure, but ProtonMails UI gives you a better design and is easier to use.
TrashMail
ThrashMail is another free and easy-to-use temporary email inbox. When it comes to registering to TrashMail, it will require you to do so by using your email. However, you can make new, temporary email with ranging life spans on it. It also allows checking your received emails and forwarding them to you. It is a great solution to filter out spam from your primary email account.
VPN and Tor
Using anonymous email services might not be enough most of the time. However, we recommend you to use a VPN or the Tor web browser to keep your IP and other data about yourself more secure. Both of them encrypt all your internet activities for maximum security. And, you can even use both simultaneously for even more protection.
Important Warning
Even with using all of the different methods available online for privacy, some people may still be able to track you. We guarantee that you will be safe from your browser storing your data and random users tracking you if you do everything correctly.
However, do not try to use any of these tips and instructions for illegal things!
If you do so, you will be found and appropriately punished for your crimes. Even the best make mistakes. Mistakes that will help discover you.
Conclusion
There are many reasons that a user would want to stay more anonymous while using the internet. Also, there are many ways to do so. Anonymous email services can provide you with an easy way to stay more secure with your data.
However, it's also wise to back them up with a VPN and Tor, with both, or at least one of them. Using any of these services will provide you with enough privacy in your day-to-day life using the internet. But, choosing one depends on your needs and preferences.
The most important thing about your privacy online is being careful with what you do.
Remember, humans, are the weakest link in cybersecurity. Good luck!