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Mailinator
Disposable Email Service

Published on 12/29/2008
Ratingstars3 Rated 3 out of 5 stars by AppAppeal Editor
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What can you use the app for?
Mailinator.com is a disposable email service which can be used to prevent the problems caused by spam. The website works in a unique way where any email address imaginable already exists, you don’t need a password you simply need to enter your chosen name and you will have access to your emails. All of the emails will be deleted automatically after one hour and to read them you either need to sign in on the website, or sign up to the RSS feed. No email is ever forwarded, and everything is stripped out of the emails to ensure that they are perfectly safe.
What is the history and popularity of the app?
Mailinator is the very first disposable email application, it was written by ManyBrain, Inc in 2003 and they also run a website known as talkinator, which is an instant messaging application with a few differences.
What are the differences to other apps?
It’s possible to use mailinator without signing up to the service; in fact every single email address imaginable already exists and is ready to receive email. This means that you can enter an email address when signing up even without registering for your email address first. Signing up to something with the email address of abc@mailinator.com is really easy, you can then head on over to mailinator and tap in abc to view the mailbox. This does however mean that other people will be able to read all of your emails which is why you must be careful what you decide to send there. Mailinator should only really be used for spam, it’s not a good idea to choose an address and send your bank details there. Using mailinator makes it extremely easy to protect yourself from the problems caused by spam and keeps your email address private, which is after all exactly how it should be. The main difference is that you are free to choose any email address, which means rather than being given a completely random and impossible to remember address, you can choose a much better one. This makes people less likely to suspect you of trying to dodge them. As all emails are deleted in an hour rather than the email address expiring after a set amount of time it is possible to continue using the same email address if you need to.
How does the web app look and feel to use?
Mailinator has a familiar user interface; it looks a lot like other popular web based email services such as hotmail. Signing in is really easy as no passwords are required, just tap in the name and click the button. There will then be a list of the 10 most recent emails to that email box, all emails are deleted after one hour. It’s also possible to create your own custom widget for any email address which can then be added to various websites. This makes it really easy to check the messages on a regular basis.
How does the registration process work?
There is no need to register on mailinator; you already have access to any email box that you could possibly imagine. Just give someone the address then check it out.
What does it cost to use the application?
Mailinator is free for everyone to use, there are adverts at the top of the page which is how they make their money. However the adverts are not obtrusive and don’t cause any distraction when using the website.
Who would you recommend the application to?
Mailinator.com is perfect for anyone wanting to try and dodge as much spam as possible, signing up to websites normally involves divulging your email address, in which case they can spam the address. Another option would be to use a mailinator address so that you never experience any of the problems.
  • Disposable Email address to protect against spam
  • Email is automatically deleted after one hour
  • All attachments are stripped out of the message making it safe to read
  • No sign up required – Time Saving
  • Access email through the website, RSS Feeds or customized widget

Mailinator pricing

Permanently_free_version Permanently free version
Mobile versions
Languages
English

English

Website
http://www.mailinator.com/

Post a comment

2 comments (newest first)
Anonymous
on 02 Jan 2010 at 18:56
If you like Mailinator you should check out InstantEmailAddress.com
Anonymous
on 18 Nov 2009 at 15:08
All avenues of customer support are available through kvc hosting for their customers: live chat, telephone and e-mail. You can also access the Member Site Forums and Knowledge Base sections of the website for your basic inquiries.

Mailinator screenshots

Mailinator screenshot

Mailinator screenshot

Mailinator video

Link to application information
Company blog

Embed Mailinator widget

Widgets page
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