How to Send an Anonymous Email to Someone for Free (2024)

Whether you're a whistleblower looking to share important information safely or you're organizing a Secret Santa and want to keep the mystery alive, anonymous emails can be key. To help with this, I've put together 4 easy ways to send an email without revealing your identity.

It's important to note that regular email services like Gmail and Outlook won't work for sending anonymous emails. They share too much of your personal info, like where you're emailing from (your IP address) and parts of the email itself (header text), which can give you away. While these are good for day-to-day conventional emails, they're not the best choice to keep your identity a secret.

That’s why I created this quick guide on how to send an anonymous email, whether you're tech-savvy or not. I'll walk you through each method, showing you how they can work for you. This way, you can communicate in secret, safely, and sometimes even for free.

4 Methods for Sending Anonymous Emails

Here are 4 distinct methods to help you achieve email anonymity — each catering to different needs and levels of privacy.

Anonymous Email Services

These services are designed specifically for sending emails without revealing who you are. By not attaching any of your personal information to the emails you send, anonymous email services ensure your identity stays hidden. A key benefit is that you can usually register for an account without giving away any personal details at all, making it really tough for anyone to trace the email back to you.

Most anonymous email services don't track your IP address either. Plus, lots of them also offer temporary email addresses, email masking — like Addy.io (formerly AnonAddy), IronVest, Bulc Club, or SimpleLogin — or allow you to send messages directly from their platform, greatly increasing your privacy. Check out my rundown of the best anonymous email services below.

Burner Email Accounts

Burner email accounts are essentially disposable email addresses created to be used for a short period before being discarded. They serve as a buffer between your real email address and your recipient, as well as protecting your identity from third-party tracking.

Burner accounts can also be useful if you need to provide an email address to sign up for an online service but want to avoid spam or data leaks. Services like Mailinator, AnonymouseMail, MailDrop, or TrashMail provide “receive only” addresses that can be used to sign up for things online. Some burner email providers, like 10 Minute Mail, also self-destruct after a short period of time for added privacy.

However, “send-only” services aren’t ideal if you’re looking for a response to your email (or need to verify your email to sign up for a service). Burner email addresses can also be frustrating if you need to reset your password for an online account, as you’ll no longer have access to the address used to register.

Web-Based Forms

Web-based forms, or remailers, let you send communications without showing your email address. These forms are built into websites that you can access via your browser. They let you type a message that's then sent to the person you want to reach, all without revealing who you are. This approach is commonly used for giving anonymous tips or feedback.

However, it's important to remember that remailers can often track the source of the emails they send (for example, via your IP address). If you want to keep this information hidden, you either need to find a service with a trustworthy privacy policy or use a VPN.

Encrypted Email Services

While not anonymous by default, encrypted email services offer a high level of security and privacy. Services like ProtonMail, HushMail, and Tuta Mail encrypt emails end-to-end, meaning only the sender and recipient can read the contents.

However, it’s worth noting that E2E encryption doesn’t hide your identity from your recipient. To send an anonymous email with an encrypted service, you’d have to set up your account without providing any identifying information. This can be tricky if payment is required for premium features — your financial details could potentially link the account to your real identity if not handled carefully.

Editor's Note: Transparency is one of our core values at vpnMentor, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as ExpressVPN. However, this does not affect our review process.

Why Use an Anonymous Email?

Anonymous email services offer privacy protection where regular ones like Gmail or Outlook fall short. These standard accounts usually require additional information, such as your phone number or another email address, as a backup — leaving a lot of your personal data vulnerable to hacks or breaches. Their parent companies (Windows and Google) also don’t have the best track record, often monitoring or logging your activities and communications.

Even some of the more secure email providers can’t offer complete anonymity. Your IP address can still be visible to internet providers, email services, and sometimes even to the person receiving your email. This means they may not know your name, but they can potentially figure out where you are.

Free email services usually require some of your information to operate

Here are some ways anonymous email accounts can be useful:

• For journalists — Reporters often need to communicate without putting their sources at risk. The option of anonymous email can also make sources more comfortable speaking up.
• For whistleblowers — Likewise, political or corporate whistleblowers or activists can use anonymous emails to convey crucial information without their identity being revealed.
• For protection against internet surveillance — Some governments and internet service providers (like in China, Iran, or the US) have the ability to monitor email correspondence. If you live in a country where your ideas or beliefs can get you into trouble, private emails are a must. Some employers can also monitor company emails.
• For protection against spam — Lots of online services require you to input an email when you sign up. However, between security breaches or companies selling their mailing lists to spammers, doing so can put your personal info at risk. An anonymous or burner email is a great alternative.
• For fun — Not every use case for anonymous email is super-serious. They can also be perfect for organizing gift exchanges like Secret Santa.

How Anonymous Email Services Work

Anonymous email services are designed to shield the sender's identity from the recipient and third parties. These services typically operate by removing any identifying information from the email's metadata, which includes the sender's IP address, location, and any other details. By stripping this information, these services effectively mask the email's origin, significantly complicating efforts to trace the communication back to its source.

There are many ways an email can be anonymized. Some services offer a straightforward web interface where users can compose and send emails without registering an account, ensuring there's no link between the email and the user's personal details. Others might use specialized networks, like Tor, to route emails in a way that anonymizes the sender's location and IP address.

Can I Send an Anonymous Email With Attachments?

Yes, it’s possible to send an anonymous email with attachments, but the capability depends on the specific anonymous email service being used. Some services allow attachments, enabling users to send documents, images, or other files anonymously.

That said, it's important to exercise caution when sending attachments, as they can sometimes contain metadata that could potentially reveal your identity. Before attaching a file, it's advisable to strip any metadata from the document or use tools designed to anonymize the content, like Windows’ Document Inspector. Identifying details in images can be covered using software like MS Paint (though bear in mind that Photoshop redaction is easy to reverse, so should be avoided).

Additionally, be mindful of the size and type of the attachment, as some services may have restrictions. Anonymous emails with attachments can also often be marked as spam, especially if the files you’re sending are large.

Best Anonymous Email Services

Each of these services provides different features and levels of anonymity, so choosing the right one depends on your specific needs and the level of privacy you're seeking. Most free untraceable email accounts restrict storage, so I’ve included data limitations in this table too.

Remember, prices and device support can change. Always check the official website of each service for the latest pricing and device compatibility details.

FAQs on Sending Anonymous Emails

Is it possible to send an anonymous email with Outlook or Gmail?

Sending a truly anonymous email through Outlook or Gmail is not usually feasible due to these platforms' inherent design, which ties your email to your personal information and IP address. There are techniques to obscure your identity, like using fake details or a VPN. There are also some browser extensions or encryption software (like Mailvelope, GnuPG, or EnigMail) you can use to add a layer of privacy to regular emails.

That said, these methods don't guarantee complete anonymity since the email can still be traced back to the account holder.

What are the most anonymous email providers?

A recommended service is ProtonMail, as it offers excellent security and doesn’t require any personal information to sign up for an account. Here are some of the other top providers you can explore.

Can anonymous emails be traced?

Tracing anonymous emails can be challenging due to the privacy measures taken by anonymous messaging services. If an email has been stripped of its metadata and the associated IP address has been hidden or spoofed, it can be very hard to trace an anonymous email.

Law enforcement agencies have additional tools and legal means to trace emails if necessary. However, this often involves lengthy measures such as subpoenaing the relevant services — like VPNs or ISPs. This is why it’s important to choose providers with verified no-logging policies (so they don’t have any of your info stored to hand over to third parties).

Is it legal to send an anonymous email?

Yes, if the email itself is not illegal. If the content of a message or the act of sending it breaks the law (e.g. going against a restraining order), the email is still illegal. That said, there are plenty of legitimate reasons to use an anonymous email that don’t break the law.

How can I stop anonymous senders from emailing me?

There are a few things you can do to prevent emails from anonymous senders. However, it's important to acknowledge these strategies may not be entirely foolproof, given the nature of how anonymous emails work. Here are some practical steps you can try:

• Use spam blockers. Use email filters and spam blockers to automatically filter out keywords or unknown senders.
• Avoid sharing your email address. This will help reduce the chance of it being picked up by spammers.
• Get a secondary email address. Create a separate or burner email for public interactions to keep your primary inbox clean.

Can I send an anonymous email without an account?

Yes, it is possible to send an anonymous email without creating an account. You can use services like Guerilla Mail or web-based forms that allow you to send emails directly from a webpage without registration. These methods are particularly useful for one-time anonymous emails. Just make sure you have an active VPN connection, as you can’t always be 100% sure what information your chosen service is collecting.

Conclusion

Sending an anonymous email for free is fairly easy. You just need to pick the right kind of service for your needs, from anonymous email services and burner accounts to web-based forms and encrypted email solutions. While traditional email platforms like Gmail and Outlook don't support anonymity, these specialized services offer practical alternatives for those seeking to protect their identity.

That said, it’s important to understand that not every service guarantees perfect anonymity. Always be diligent in your choice of provider and back up your online privacy with additional security tools.