Fade
How to get a temporary email address on iPhone
- Install a temp mail appOpen the App Store and install Fade. It is free and it does not ask you to create an account.
- Open the appA working disposable address is generated before the Home screen finishes drawing. There is nothing to set up.
- Copy the addressTap Copy address. The full address is on your clipboard, correctly spelled, with no chance of a typo.
- Paste it into the signup formUse it anywhere a site demands an email. If the form rejects the domain, tap Domain, pick another, and try again.
- Take the code from the push notificationYour phone buzzes the second the mail lands. Open it and tap Copy code, then paste the code back into the site.
What a temp mail app actually does
A temp mail app gives you a real, working email address that is not yours. Mail sent to it arrives normally, which is the whole trick: a signup form accepts it, a verification code lands in it, and a marketing list gets a dead end instead of your inbox.
Two things make it disposable rather than just secondary. It is not tied to your identity, because there was no account to create. And it expires, taking every message with it, so there is no archive sitting somewhere waiting to be breached.
What you cannot do is send from it. Almost every temp mail service, Fade included, is receive-only. If you need to reply to someone, this is the wrong tool and you want an email alias instead.
Why an app beats a temp mail website on a phone
Temp mail websites have been around for fifteen years and they work fine on a desktop. On a phone they are miserable, for reasons that have nothing to do with the idea and everything to do with the browser:
- You have to keep the tab alive. Switch to the app you are registering for, come back, and mobile Safari has often discarded the tab. The address is gone and so is the inbox.
- There is no notification. You sit there pulling to refresh, unsure whether the code was sent, went to spam, or was never sent at all.
- Selecting a six digit code is fiddly. Tap, hold, drag the handles, miss, try again, and the code expires while you are still trying to grab it.
- Most of them front-load ads. A full-screen video interstitial between you and your own verification code is a common experience on temp mail sites.
A native app fixes all four at once. It keeps the address, it pushes the notification, it copies the code with one tap, and it does not need to sell an interstitial to pay for itself.
What to check before you trust a temp mail app
The App Store has dozens of temp mail apps with near-identical names and icons. Five checks separate them:
- Is the inbox private? Some long-running temp mail services use publicly readable inboxes, where anyone who guesses the address can read the mail. For a newsletter that does not matter. For a verification code it very much does.
- Does it push? If there is no push notification you are back to tapping refresh, and you have gained little over a website.
- Is the code behind an ad? Check the reviews for the phrase "ad". An app that gates your own mail behind a video is selling your patience.
- Can you change domain? This is the single most useful feature when a site blocks disposable addresses, and a surprising number of apps do not offer it.
- Does it collect anything? Read the privacy nutrition label on the App Store page. An app that requires an account to hand out a throwaway address has missed the point.
What Fade includes for free
Fade was built around one rule: the core job is never behind a paywall and never behind an ad. Free, permanently:
- A working address the moment you open the app
- One-tap copy for the address and for the code
- Push notifications the second new mail arrives
- Automatic OTP and verification code detection
- Several inboxes running at once
- Attachments you can open and save
- A choice of domains
- Full dark mode, Dynamic Type and VoiceOver support
Fade Pro is a separate, optional subscription. It reserves up to three addresses that do not expire, lets you choose your own username and domain, and removes ads. It buys convenience. It does not buy the thing you came for.
One requirement worth knowing up front
Fade needs iOS 26 or later. It is built on the current SDK, which is what lets it use the native material, the system share sheet and modern push. If your iPhone is on iOS 18 or earlier, the App Store will tell you it is not compatible.
When a temp mail app is the wrong tool
Being straight about this saves you an account. Do not use a disposable address for:
- Anything with money in it. Banking, brokerage, crypto, payroll.
- Anything you must be able to recover. Password resets go to the email address. If the address is gone, so is the account, permanently.
- Work or government. Both for policy reasons and because you will need the mail again.
- Anything you want to keep for years. A free temp address is measured in minutes.
The middle case, an account you want to keep but do not want tied to your real address, is exactly what a reserved address is for.
Common questions
Is a temp mail app free?
Fade is free to download and the core job stays free: an address, an inbox, automatic code detection, one-tap copy and push notifications. Fade Pro is an optional weekly or annual subscription that adds reserved addresses that do not expire, a custom username and domain, and removes ads.
Does Fade work on iPad?
Yes. Fade runs on iPhone and iPad and the layout adapts to the larger screen. Both need iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 or later.
Can I send email from a temp mail app?
No. Fade, like almost every temp mail service, is receive-only. It exists to catch verification codes and signup mail. If you need to send or reply, you want an email alias that forwards to a real inbox instead.