Frequently Asked Questions

Everything below describes how Tempx behaves. If your question is not answered here, get in touch.

What is Tempx?

Tempx is a free temporary email service. It gives you a random, working email address that you can use to receive messages for a short time without using your personal inbox. It does not require an account.

Is Tempx free?

Yes. There is no charge and no account. If advertising is ever shown it will be clearly separated from the product and will not interfere with the inbox.

How long do messages last?

Messages in a named inbox are kept for 7 days; in a private random inbox, 1 hour. The current retention period is always displayed in the app. Deleted messages cannot be recovered.

Does my temporary address expire?

The address stops being useful as soon as you close the app or press New Address. The access token stored in your browser also expires after a few days. Messages are deleted on their own schedule regardless.

Can I choose my own address?

Yes. The default is a named inbox: type any name and that name@tempx.uk becomes your inbox. Named inboxes are public, anyone who knows the name can read the same mail, so for anything sensitive use a private random address instead, which nobody can guess.

What is the difference between a named inbox and a private inbox?

A named inbox uses an address you chose (for example feedback@tempx.uk). It is public: whoever knows the name sees the same messages, and they are kept for up to 7 days. A private inbox gets a long random address that only your browser holds a token for; messages are deleted after 1 hour. Use named inboxes for convenience, private ones for anything you would not post on a wall.

Can I send email or reply from Tempx?

No, Tempx never delivers email to real recipients, and you cannot reply from a Tempx address. One deliberate exception exists for developers: point your application's SMTP settings at smtp.tempx.uk:587 and everything it "sends" is captured into your Tempx inbox for inspection, like Mailtrap, nothing is relayed onward, so a test run can never email a real person. See "Can I test my own application's outgoing email?" below for details.

Can I use Tempx for two-factor authentication or account recovery?

You should not. Messages are deleted fast and the service can change or pause at any time. Use an address you control for anything you may need again.

Why did a website reject my Tempx address?

Some sites block known disposable-email domains. If that happens you will need to use a different address for that site.

Can I test my own application's outgoing email?

Yes. Tempx runs an SMTP capture gateway for developers: create credentials in your account, point your app's mailer at smtp.tempx.uk, and everything it sends is captured in your Tempx inbox for inspection. The gateway never relays, a test run cannot reach a real recipient. See How It Works for the full explanation.

Are attachments supported?

Yes, with strict safety rules. Small verified images can be previewed; every other file, including PDFs and large files, is download-only, through a link that expires within minutes. Files are verified from their content, not from what the sender claims they are, executable files (.exe, .js, .sh and similar) are refused, and attachments are deleted automatically together with their message.

Are images in emails shown?

Yes, remote images (logos, photos) load when you open a message, inside a sandboxed frame. If you prefer to block them (images are sometimes used for tracking), use the Hide remote images button in the message view.

Is my temporary inbox private?

A private random address is unguessable, email content is never put in a URL, and inbox pages are not indexed by search engines. A named inbox, by contrast, is readable by anyone who knows its name. In both cases temporary email is not a secure or confidential channel, do not send sensitive information to a Tempx address.

Can other people see my temporary inbox?

It depends on the kind of inbox. A named inbox is public: anyone who types the same name sees the same messages. A private random inbox is protected by a token stored only in your browser, and its address is unguessable. Either way, treat temporary email as low-confidentiality.

Do you use cookies or track me?

Tempx does not build tracking profiles. Your address and access token are kept in your browser's local storage so your inbox survives a page reload. Optional product analytics record only anonymous event names (such as 'address generated') and never message content, senders or subjects. Where advertising is shown, third-party vendors including Google may set advertising cookies, see the Privacy Policy for how to opt out of personalised ads, and the consent notice to decline non-essential cookies.

How is Tempx funded?

Tempx is an independent free service. Where advertising is shown it is clearly labelled and separated from the inbox, and it is never targeted using your messages, senders or subjects, advertising vendors only receive technical cookie data. Nothing about your mail is sold or shared.

What can I not use Tempx for?

You may not use Tempx for anything illegal, including gambling, pornography or other sexual content, and anything depicting sexual violence or the exploitation of minors, nor for harassment or spam, malware or phishing, to evade bans or bans-by-email, to create large numbers of accounts in violation of another service's rules, or to receive material you are not permitted to have. See the Terms of Service for the full list.

How do I report abuse?

Email abuse@tempx.uk with the temporary address involved and, if possible, the message headers. See the Contact page.

Who runs Tempx?

Tempx is an independent project run by a small team of individuals. It is not a registered company and does not claim to be. See the About page.

Is Tempx available in other languages?

Yes. The homepage and inbox are available in 18 languages including English, use the language selector in the header. Information and legal pages are in English.

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