Feature
Email without a phone number
VaelMail does not ask for a phone number, a name, a recovery email or an ID. You choose an address, VaelMail shows you a 16-digit account number, and that number is how you sign in.
How signing up works
- Choose an address and a domain (vael.email, reca.st or extradit.ing; vael.email is the default) and a plan. Free is enough to receive mail.
- VaelMail shows your 16-digit account number once. Save it in a password manager or write it down.
- Sign in with that number. There is no password.
Why providers ask for a phone number
Mainstream providers use phone verification to slow down bulk sign-ups, and it also ties the mailbox to a number that is registered to you. A number can be swapped onto another SIM, which is how SMS codes are intercepted. VaelMail does not collect the number, so there is nothing to tie or to swap.
The trade-off: no recovery
With no phone and no recovery email there is no way to prove who you are later. If you lose your account number the account cannot be recovered, by you or by VaelMail staff. Treat the number like a key: store it in two places.
Add a second factor so a stolen number is not enough: an authenticator app, passkeys and saved recovery codes. See the security model for what each protects.
Where the idea comes from
A random account number plus prepaid time, with no identity attached, is the model VPN provider Mullvad made familiar. How VaelMail applies it to email.
Common questions
Do I need an existing email address to sign up?
No. VaelMail does not ask for one and does not use one for recovery.
Can I recover my account if I lose the number?
No. There is no reset path by design. Keep the number and your recovery codes safe.
Is it really anonymous?
VaelMail does not collect identity at sign-up. It cannot hide everything: your connection reveals your IP address to any site you visit, and mail you send reveals what you write. The Tor and I2P mirrors reduce the first.
Does paying require identity?
No card or billing profile is needed. Plus is paid with cryptocurrency or Telegram Stars.