A temporary email address lasts exactly as long as the countdown shown above it. On TempMails the operator sets the starting duration and a hard maximum lifetime; the timer on your inbox page is the only authoritative expiry time. Nothing in this guide overrides it.
What the countdown means
While the countdown is running, the address accepts new mail and you can read everything it has received. When it reaches zero, two things happen at once: new messages are rejected and browser access stops. A scheduled cleanup job later deletes the stored messages, attachments, and access tokens. There is no grace period after zero.
Typical lifetimes
Services in this category usually fall into three bands: about ten minutes for a single verification code, an hour for a signup that needs a follow-up email, or a day for a task you return to. TempMails supports durations across that range, capped at a maximum the operator configures (up to seven days). The homepage countdown tells you which band your current address is in.
How to keep a temp mail address longer
Use the Extend time control before the countdown reaches zero. Each extension adds time up to the configured maximum lifetime; once the maximum is reached the button stops being offered. Refreshing the page does not add time, and creating a new address does not carry over the old one. If you need the address in another browser or device, save the recovery token shown at creation—it restores access to an inbox that is still active.
What ends an address early
Deleting the inbox yourself, an abuse-control action by the operator, or clearing the browser cookie without a saved recovery token all end access before the timer does. Late mail sent after any of these cannot be recovered.
When a longer life is the wrong tool
If you expect a website to email you again in weeks or months—password resets, receipts, account confirmations—no temporary lifetime is long enough. Use a permanent mailbox or a persistent alias instead. See the comparison in Temporary email vs email alias.