Ban spam from your inbox and register safely on sites without having to reveal your real email address.
Mozilla introduced a new service a few weeks ago, Firefox Relay, which allows you to manage random email addresses to register for online services without having to use your real email address.
Like Apple with its Apple Sign In function, Firefox Relay makes it possible to avoid ending up in spam mailing lists that will pollute an inbox. Emails received on a Firefox Relay alias are then automatically forwarded to your regular email address.
Thanks to this system, you can very easily block the arrival of spam in your mailbox: you just have to destroy the alias, and create another one. The service, still in beta, has so far only been available by invitation. It is now accessible to all users with a Firefox account. Here is how to use it.
1. Log in to Firefox Relay
First, sign in to the Firefox Relay service. If the online service is accessible from any browser, you must have a Firefox account to use it.
If you use Mozilla’s web browser on a daily basis, install the browser extension to take advantage of direct integration of the function. When a registration form is loaded in Firefox, an icon providing direct access to Firefox Relay aliases will be displayed.
Go to Firefox Relay (Free)
Download the Firefox Relay extension for Firefox (Free)
2. Create an alias
The aliases you create, random email addresses in the format @ relay.firefox.com, will all be attached to your Firefox account email address.
To create a new alias, just click on the Generate New Alias ​​button. For now, the service is still in the testing phase, Mozilla only allows a maximum of 5 aliases per account.
To help you find your way around, don’t forget to indicate an account name for each alias created. Once your first alias is created, you can use it to register or connect to the online service of your choice.
If you are using Firefox and have the extension installed in the browser, you should be able to create a new alias when needed directly from the field of a registration form by clicking on the appropriate icon.
3. Forward or block an alias
By default, when an alias is created, Firefox Relay automatically forwards emails intended for you to your real email address. Please note, however, that messages over 150 KB are not currently supported and will not be transferred.
Thus, if the alias address is used to send you spam e-mails, you can block it from the Firefox Relay interface in order to put an end to it.
The alias will remain usable, but the mails sent to it will be automatically deleted, avoiding at the same time flooding your inbox with unsolicited mail. You can also delete aliases you no longer need (Delete button), in order to create others.