Email forwarding automatically passes emails from one address to another, useful for web-based email aliases and changing ISPs. Services offer advanced management features like SMS alerts and filtering technology. However, web-based email is less secure. Free services may require accepting spam or advertising, while paid services waive this requirement.
Email forwarding involves passing emails from one address to another. It can also be used to pass groups of messages as a listserv.
Email forwarding services automatically forward all mail received at one of your addresses to another address. This can be useful if you have a web-based email alias but prefer not to have to navigate to the website every day to check your email. By using a forwarding service, mail received on the website will automatically be forwarded to your primary email address (or another address of your choosing). This allows you the convenience of using multiple email addresses while keeping your primary email address private and still collecting all of your mail in one place.
Mail forwarding services are also useful for people who change their ISP (and therefore primary email address) often. With some forwarding services, you’re just giving our one address regardless of which ISP you have; the address might look something like: [email protected]. Friends will always have a current address to send mail to, and when your primary address changes you only need to notify one party (the relay service) rather than dozens.
Many services also offer SMS alerts for mobile email notifications and other advanced management features. For example, email forwarded to you may be automatically distributed to a variety of accounts using filtering technology. Thus, while you can provide a single address to all, your incoming mail would be sorted into categories as it enters your email client. This can be done by setting up different identities in the client. A work identity, a family identity, one for friends, one for listservs or mailing lists, for example. With one click you will collect your mail from the relay services site using their POP3/IMAP server in your setup. When mail is retrieved, it is automatically sorted into the correct identities for easy management.
Similarly, mail can be sent from your email client using the SMTP server which belongs to the mail forwarding service. This allows you to use an email client rather than the website where the mail forwarding service is located, although you can still use the website’s browser and interface.
While using an email relay service can be helpful, keep in mind that web-based email is generally not considered as private or as secure as mail kept on an ISP mail server. Web servers are more exposed and the privacy expectation is usually lower. You may not want to use a service like this for very personal or sensitive information. In any case, the Privacy Policies and Terms of Service agreements should be read and understood carefully before signing with any company.
There are several email forwarding services available, easily found with a search engine. Free services usually require the customer to accept a certain amount of spam or advertising from sponsors. For a modest fee this requirement is usually waived.
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