How to Create an Email Address without a Phone Number

All phone numbers are unique and so can be used as personal identifiers. But if personal data security is critical for you, that's just one more reason to create an email without phone verification.

Luckily, there are email services that offer other means of validation.

In this article, you'll find a review of three best services that don't require a phone number, plus tips on improving email management.

Can You Create an Email Address without a Phone Number?

The answer is a resounding "yes."

Depending on your goals for the new address, there are a couple of ways: using email services that don't require a number altogether or creating a disposable account. Let's look into them.

1. Creating a Temporary Email Address

A temporary email address is a disposable account that doesn't require any personal information to sign up. This inbox is designed to self-destruct after a specific time.

You might benefit from a disposable inbox if:

• You want to find out more about a marketing campaign or newsletter but don't want to give up your real address in case it ends up spamming you with junk.
• You're a programmer who needs a unique account for testing purposes, but you don't want to keep track of them all.
• You want to sign up for a platform or service but only temporarily.

Some platforms that offer temporary email addresses include Temp Mail, TempInbox, and Guerilla Mail. Most importantly, setting up accounts on these platforms does not prompt you to add a phone number.

• Mailinator: Allows you to create a public email address that anyone can access. Great for testing and temporary sign-ups.
• 10MinuteMail: Provides a random email address that expires after 10 minutes. Perfect for one-time use.
• TempMail: Offers a temporary, anonymous, free, disposable email address.
• TempMailo: Much like TempMail, it boasts an elegant and user-friendly interface. It offers unique email services and even allows you to change your email address if it doesn't meet your preferences.
• Temp-Mail: This platform offers similar features as others in its category. What sets it apart is its ability to randomly change email addresses and forward emails, adding a layer of flexibility to your usage.

2. Registering with a Service That Offers Other Means of Verification

The other way, using a service that doesn't require a phone number, is more general. Instead, such services:

• Ask you to provide a so-called recovery address (an alternate account where security notifications can be sent)
• Send you a unique recovery code for future use

This brings us to several email services that allow this option. But first, let's see how we came about reviewing these providers.

The Three Email Services That Don't Require Your Phone Number

Here are a few recommendations for the top services reviewed based on the aforementioned criteria.

Tutanota

Tutanota also ranks as one of the world's most secure email account providers. Both regular and business users can benefit from the service's simple interface while taking advantage of its enhanced privacy.

At registration, instead of asking for a phone number or an alternative address, the service provides you with a recovery code.

If you need customization, Tutanota is probably the best option because you can tailor almost everything, from domains and email aliases to inbox rules. It even offers white-label design for the inbox if you need a service for company-wide use.

The service also offers an option to add an encrypted contact form to your website, enabling communication through your company site.

"What makes me really like it is that it is a secure and ad-free email service that automatically encrypts all the mailboxes and address books."

— reviewer on G2

How to Create a Tutanota Free Email Account?

1. Go to the Tutanota sign-up page.
2. Choose a username and password. Pick a recovery code.
3. Note down the recovery code for future use.
4. Accept Tutanota's terms and click "Sign Up".
5. Check your other email for a verification link from Tutanota and click on it.

ProtonMail

ProtonMail is one of the world's largest and most secure email providers and is available on all major platforms, including iOS and Android.

It offers industry-leading end-to-end encryption, IMAP/SMTP Bridge, and a no-logs policy to guarantee your privacy and security.

At registration, you can use a recovery email instead of phone number verification.

ProtonMail is also one of the most customizable email services in the market today with its growing catalog of themes and layouts, whose functionality and usability are further enhanced by its keyboard shortcuts. Though, it still doesn't satisfy all tastes:

"Easy and smooth setup (up and running within minutes). Not such a fan of the overall layout (visually, not from an operational or functionality standpoint)." — reviewer on Capterra

How to Create a Free Protonmail Account?

1. Visit the ProtonMail Signup Page.
2. Choose a desired plan (Free plan is available).
3. Fill in your desired email and password.
4. Complete the captcha verification.
5. Optionally, provide a recovery email (this is not mandatory).
6. Activate your account using the link sent to your recovery email or by using the captcha.

Mailfence

For its first 14 years, Mailfence existed as ContactOffice, a collaboration suite for organizations like universities. Now, the email service promises an easy email experience for personal and business profiles.

At registration, Mailfence prompts you to give an alternative email account, instead of phone verification, where you'll receive an activation code.

Once you're first signed in, you'll be directed to the home page, where you can customize account settings, add your personal data to the profile, and create email groups.

How to Create a Free Mailfence Email Account?

1. Navigate to Mailfence Signup.
2. Select the free plan.
3. Enter your desired email address, password, and security question.
4. Verify the captcha.
5. Activate your account through the link sent to the email you provided.

Why Do You Usually Need a Phone Number When Registering?

There are a few reasons why most services ask for phone verification via text message(sms) or phone call when signing up for an account:

• To check that you're a real human, not a spammer or a bot
• You have the two-factor authentication turned on
• In case you forget your password

Mobile phone numbers are unique identifiers, and it's okay to use them when registering for different services. So, it makes sense to register with a phone number if it's your first account and you don't have a recovery email to offer. It's also good to use a phone if you're worried about losing a recovery code that services like Tutanota offer.

Manage All of Your Email Accounts Easily with Mailbird!

So, you've identified an email service that works for you and does not require you to add your phone number, but what's next?

The Radicati Group gives an interesting statistic of 1.75 email addresses per user. But this goes to show that, on average, people have more than one account.

Maybe you have more than two?

Managing two or more accounts with a webmail interface can be difficult, especially if email is one of your key communication tools. This is where Mailbird comes in.

What's Mailbird?

Mailbird is an email client that allows you to access and manage any number of email accounts. It's working wonders for Windows desktop users, but we're also in the process of extending support to Mac computers and mobile devices.

The app has a simple and elegant interface that any minimalist is likely to enjoy and powerful features to improve email efficiency. Let's discuss the latter in more detail.

Mailbird Features

Mailbird features a lot of functionality that helps make email management more simple yet productive, such as:

Unified inbox

If you have more than one email account, Mailbird will help you conveniently manage all correspondence from different accounts, from any email provider.

You can do it from a single unified inbox, managing all your correspondence at once, or by easily switching between separate inboxes in the same simple interface.

Contacts manager

Coupled with the unified inbox, it makes for a seamless and intuitive user experience since you can handle contacts from different accounts. Once you enable the contacts manager, it will be accessible from the sidebar.

Like with the unified inbox, you can view all your contacts at once or by separate accounts.

Native calendar

Yet another feature that supports Mailbird's unified technology is the calendar. Here, you can view events from all your accounts to make sure none of them overlap.

Conclusion

With the growing need for privacy and anonymity, it is essential to not simply give out your phone number to any platform you sign up for. But you can easily set up an email account today without having to release such private information.

There are plenty of services that offer email without phone verification. Providers like ProtonMail, Tutanota, and Mailfence ensure your privacy through other means.

But once you set up a new email account, where do you go from there?

You can further enhance your productivity by pairing your email address with an email client such as Mailbird for a great user experience. Mailbird offers an abundance of useful features to make email management more convenient, all encompassed in a neat and intuitive interface.

This way, you can enjoy the convenience and efficiency of Mailbird, along with the safety, privacy, and anonymity that comes with your preferred email service.