When you want to maintain privacy online, it can be a tricky business in this day and age. One of the most reliable ways to do it is by finding the best anonymous email accounts the market has to offer. So we’re going to show you how to do precisely that.
It’ll afford you far greater security through better encryption, and much more control over how major corporations use your data. If you’ve ever signed up for a free email account and then noticed targeted ads popping up all over your browser, you’ll know what we mean.
Just because something doesn’t cost you any money doesn’t really mean you’re getting it without having to give anything in return. The likes of Google want your personal data to help drive their paid ad revenue up and up, and without it, they are pretty much stuck.
What is anonymous email?
Good question! If you want to use services like this one with peace of mind, you’re first going to need to know what they’re all about. Anonymous email is basically an email account where the browsers and search engines don’t know who you are.
There will be no link between the data and activity of your online persona, and the real world you. But achieving this isn’t as simple as it sounds. Here are three key things that define an anonymous email address:
- It won’t be tied to your personal details (name, mobile number, address, etc.) when you sign up.
- It won’t be tied to the vast array of tracking cookies that follow everything we do online.
- And it won’t be tied to a particular IP address so companies can pinpoint where you are.
The key thing here is that while you will still be generating an online footprint, it’s not tied to you personally. That gives you the security and peace of mind of knowing how your data is going to be used. The other thing you need to know is that anonymous email accounts offer great usability. That means you can expect the same level of GUI support as with free email accounts.
You might baulk at the idea of paying for something you can get for free but remember a free account isn’t really free. You’re paying for it by handing over piles of your personal data to search engines and other third parties. Now you know what is anonymous email, let’s delve deeper into the benefits.
Why use an untraceable email account?
When you search this question, you’re going to come across all sorts of conflicting advice, a lot of which is ignorable. If you want to know why use an untraceable email account, all you need to do is ask yourself how much your privacy matters to you. Untraceable accounts have a certain air of mystery and suspicion about them when you first hear the name, but the reality couldn’t be further from it.
If you’re someone who wants to exercise control over how major corporations and marketing companies use your data, you’re looking at the right thing.
They make money by selling on your details so people can spam you with sales emails and target you with pop up ads. That’s how they make their money, and it’s big business. No wonder they’re prepared to give you a free email account in exchange for everything you ever say or do online.
An untraceable email account offers a couple of key benefits:
- Many come with higher encryption standards, so the ‘private’ messages you send are actually private for a change.
- They’re not tied to your IP address or personal details.
That makes any data generated by them online basically useless to the likes of Google. They won’t be able to learn anything about you, and you get to maintain your privacy.
This might sound a little paranoid to some, but consider how difficult it can be to keep your kids safe online. Parents are increasingly turning toward anonymous accounts and all the other measures that come with them.
How to forward email without revealing addresses
You won’t have found how to get the most out of the best anonymous email account unless you know how to forward email without revealing addresses. Here are a few reasons why you would want to do it before we move on to the next section:
- It will protect your privacy online when you want to interact with other users.
- It allows you to share data with your other email accounts, regardless of whether they’re anonymous or not.
The simplest way to forward email without showing the addresses is to delete them. That begins with eliminating the original email in the chain and then manually removing any written mention of the email addresses in the headers for each subsequent email.
The problem with this approach is that it’s rather time-consuming, and not all that convincing. Someone with a keen eye will quickly spot that you’ve gone in and moved the text around.
Another way you can do it is by clearing out all of the sending fields other than BCC. This will not only hide the email addresses in the main thread but also hide them from the multiple recipients. Unfortunately, tieing the email to you is still possible, but it will give you anonymity at a cursory glance.
If you’re not overly concerned about how your personal data is used, and don’t want to get too complicated, this could be a helpful approach. That said, why not find a genuinely anonymous approach that offers you this same functionality, plus a lot more?
What to look for in the best secret email providers
There’s a whole host of them out there, and you can get a good rundown of the best options here. Rather than listing all of the different options out there only for them to become obsolete in 6 months, we’re going to take a look at what you need to look for.
That way you’ll have a far better grounding in what it is you need to keep an eye out for.
First things first, you want to know how much you have to pay. There are some free ones, some that only cost a few pounds, and others that will charge far more. Price alone isn’t a measure of the best provider, but it does constrain what you can have. Sit down and think how much you’re willing to pay, and then take things from there.
Next, you want to look into the encryption standards used. That will give you a better idea of how safeguarded your data is from hackers. Staying anonymous online isn’t just about dodging cookies and data scrapers: it’s about keeping your data safe from malicious third parties.
Once you’ve surveyed your security options, you want to look at how the various providers interface with your favourite browsers. The last thing you want is a clunky, time-intensive GUI that makes email a real struggle. Search for something you like the look of and find intuitive.
Lastly, find out whether there are any browser restrictions you need to know about. You might find that certain providers work far better on particular browsers, so check you’re happy with the permutations and combinations.
How to set up untraceable email account
If you want to set up the best anonymous email account, all it takes is a little bit of light reading. There are basically three main steps that you can break the process down into. So let’s take a look at them rather than focusing on the fine details.
The first thing you’re going to need to do is find an email provider. Work through the steps in the previous section, and you’ll be able to find the perfect fit in next to no time. Once you’ve done it, you’ll be ready for the next step.
You need a VPN if you’re going to get anything out of learning how to set up an untraceable email account. It’s no good having an account that’s not tied to any of your personal details when you set it up. Especially, if you then go and tie it straight to the same old IP address, you use for everything else.
It just doesn’t make any sense, does it? Whether you decide to brave the Tor or find a standalone VPN service is up to you, just make sure you’re happy with what you choose.
The final step in the setup process involves turning your attention to your browser. Even though you have the email, and the VPN, you still need to interface with the internet. This is where your internet browser comes in. It’s adept at latching cookies onto every footprint you leave online, so you’re going to want to put a stop to that. Modes like ‘Incognito’ are hidden away in your browser, so take the time to find them. You’ll also want to clear out existing cookies and clear the cache.
How to make a private email address
There’s a little more to creating the best anonymous email money can buy than what we’ve covered so far, but we’re almost there. If you want to how to make a private email address one of the most important things is to pay attention to the address itself.
Plenty of us will go through all the steps above, forgetting the whole time that the address we’ve created contains key personal identifies. Initials, birthdays, pet names, you name it people have unwittingly included them over the years. If you want to get things set up right from day one, click that link above.
There are a number of ways in which people can fall foul of the sign-up process. Unfortunately, many of them involve trying to create a fake account with a standard free service. The problem here is that while you can quite easily provide fake details, you’re going to need a mobile number.
The likes of Google want your data, so they use two-factor authentication using your mobile number. That involves them texting you a numerical code or a one-time-only link, so they know it’s you who’s signing up.
The other common stumbling block is not having a VPN already set up when you create your private address. If you go online without a VPN, it’s straightforward for anyone to pinpoint your location and work out who you are. Clearly if you sign up for a private email account via such an exposed connection, it’s not going to be hard to break your anonymity.
Creating a fake Gmail identity
Many people will tell you that creating a fake Gmail identity is a simple way to go! So let’s take a look at the pros and cons of doing so.
One of the most appealing things about it is that most of us naturally trust Google. They have a playful name, cool image, and we use their services day after day. You might have even heard of some of the top private email providers, so Google is ahead in this respect.
This is slightly counterintuitive because they’re one of the main reasons you’re looking to safeguard your personal data in the first place.
Before we look at the cons, let’s see how it all works.
First thing you need to do is open your browser in private mode; Chrome will be just fine for this. Head on over to the Gmail site and click to create your new account. Once it loads, fill out the name and address, remembering to use details that have no relation to your real-world information.
You’re going to want to be careful with your choices here, and avoid anything that’s associated with someone else. If you don’t, then it might cause alarm bells that you’ve stolen their identity, and that’s the last thing you want to happen.
Now, this is where things get interesting. Google will tell you that it’s best to hand over your mobile number for privacy reasons, but that defeats the point of what you’re trying to do. You can either skip this step (non-PVA accounts often only offer limited functionality.) Or use a mobile number you will only ever use in relation to this account.
Hotmail anonymous email
If Gmail isn’t your thing, you’re probably going to want to know how to use Hotmail for anonymous email. It’s much the same process as with Gmail and requires you to use a little bit of poetic license when completing your details. Use a fake name and address (not just someone else’s) and make sure you connect via the Tor or using a VPN.
Being asked for your phone number during signup will happen, and again you can opt-out. Sadly this will make it more likely that Hotmail will redirect your emails to other users’ spam folders, but that’s just an inherent limitation. It also might be another reason to look at specialist anonymous email providers.
As you work through the options, you’re going to want to ensure you have your browser in sync with your approach. Disabling cookies, emptying your cache, and opting out of super-cookies are all things you’re going to need to do.
With Hotmail, it’s also worth noting that they offer up a little more IP information than the likes of Gmail. While Gmail messages only trace back to a Google-owned IP, Hotmail displays everything in the X-Originating IP section of the header. That means you might want to rethink whether you want to create a fake Hotmail account to try and protect your anonymity or opt for a specialist provider.
There’s also the option of manually creating a one-time-only account by creating a new one every time you want to send a message. But due to the time constraints of doing so you, you’re soon going to want a specialist provider that does this automatically.
How to send anonymous email in Outlook
No article about the best anonymous email approaches would skip over how to send anonymous email in Outlook. It’s one of the most widely held misconceptions that you can create anonymous personas within Outlook: you can’t. For years people have thought that by superficially appearing to be someone else when sending a message they’re protecting their identity. That is just plain wrong.
While the average person on the street will take a quick glance and look no further, someone with a little knowledge can easily tie to it you. The problem is that while the email may appear to be from someone else; it’s only a superficial difference. Your IP address will remain the same, and that’s what links the new persona back to you.
There’s also the option of only sending emails using a BCC, but this isn’t really anonymous in the real sense of the word. It will ensure that other people in the group conversation aren’t aware of each other, but your personal data is available.
While Outlook is a popular program for millions of people; it’s not the best when it comes to anonymity. You might want to explore some of the specialist providers of things such as disposable email accounts. These are ideal when you want to sign up or register on a new platform, but don’t want to hand over everything about yourself in the process.
The emails you will send will appear to come from a unique user each time, making it harder for a third party to follow your online activity.
How to send an anonymous Yahoo email
If you decide to give services like AnonMail a miss and opt for what you know, you’re going to want to learn to how to send an anonymous Yahoo email.
Yahoo is still widely used, and as with Outlook, it’s not the most flexible when it comes to online anonymity. It’s quite straightforward to create a dummy account using fake personal information, but that’s not all you need to do. You’re going to have to use the Tor, or a VPN, to get online and you’ll want to disable cookies in your browser.
What some users do is create what’s known as a ‘burner Yahoo account.’ That is a one-time-only address that you manually deactivate each time. While you might find this agreeable for product registrations and signups, in general, it’s just not practical. Yet another reason why you might want to look into some of the specialist providers mentioned here.
Can you trace an anonymous email?
It’s the question you’ve been wondering from the moment you started reading, so what better way to tie things up. Here are a few things you need to be realistic about:
- No one can give a 100% guarantee that they can provide complete protection of your identity.
- There are a number of corporations who invest significant amounts of money into harvesting personal data.
- Personal data has become the global currency of the digital age.
So, can you trace an anonymous email? The answer is: yes, and no. If you go about it the wrong way, then you can be located almost instantly. Signing up for a private service or creating a fake Gmail account won’t get you anywhere if you leave your VPN exposed. All that will do is increase the chances of your sent mail heading to the junk folder, and doing nothing to provide anonymity.
If you go via the Tor or a VPN, on the other hand, you significantly strengthen your position. As we now know in the post-Snowden era, nothing is quite what it seems in the online world. Government agencies and major corporations have far more influence than we could have ever imagined, but VPNs do remain your most secure option.
Combining them with a browser set to private mode will stop the cookies latching onto everything you do. This is particularly important for parents looking to keep their kids safe online. Nothing is ever guaranteed, but this combination will allow you to do everything within your control to safeguard how your personal information is shared and used.
For best results, we recommend combining a VPN with dedicated private email services. Furthermore, use malware cleaners to periodically remove any cookies and super cookies that have snuck their way in.
Final Thoughts on the Best Anonymous Email
Now that you’ve heard all about how we think you can find the best anonymous email account out there, all you have to do is make the right choice for you.
We’ve talked you through why you need one, how you can find one, and how you can set one up in a matter of minutes. Now, you’ll be able to enjoy privacy and data security when you’re online. Meaning you won’t have to worry about your privacy and data. Perfect for the peace of mind you’ve been looking for when you’re trying to keep you and the children safe online.
Was this article helpful?
1 out of 4 found this helpful
