Skip Navigation

wanted: e-mail provider that supplies onion email addresses and allows users to use them on clearnet

I’m looking for an email service that issues email addresses with an onion variant. E.g. so users can send a message with headers like this:

From: replyIfYouCan@hi3ftg6fgasaquw6c3itzif4lc2upj5fanccoctd5p7xrgrsq7wjnoqd.onion  
To: someoneElse@clearnet_addy.com

I wonder if any servers in the onionmail.info pool of providers can do this. Many of them have VMAT, which converts onion email addresses to clearnet addresses (not what I want). The docs are vague. They say how to enable VMAT (which is enabled by default anyway), and neglect to mention how to disable VMAT. Is it even possible to disable VMAT? Or is there a server which does not implement VMAT, which would send msgs to clearnet users that have onion FROM addresses?

8
8 comments
  • Not really an option, since the onion TLD isn't accessible to clearnet servers. How are email servers supposed to reach out the onion domain name and mail server if they can't resolve it?

  • Are you wanting to have a .onion TLD email address, and be able to communicate with non-TOR web servers?

    The host needs to be able to look up addresses, and resolve them to a location. If the email server can’t find it, itll be undelivered. It would require having clearnet servers also connected to the TOR network which I would imagine is incredibly unlikely.

    In the same way you can browse non onion sites through TOR but not the other way around, you would likely be able to send email but not receive them

    You would need a tor email host that also connects on clearnet, and directs clear to tor traffic

    • Are you wanting to have a .onion TLD email address,

      Yes, and that much exists. There are onion email providers, but when you email a clearnet recipient, they typically convert your onion email address to a clearnet address. That’s useful in most situations but there are also several use cases for not doing the conversion. But finding a service that accommodates the other use cases is hard, considering onion email is rare in itself.

      and be able to communicate with non-TOR web servers?

      No, nothing to do with the web. Just email.

      The host needs to be able to look up addresses, and resolve them to a location.

      Only for replies. But not all messages need a reply. See my other msg.

      It would require having clearnet servers also connected to the TOR network which I would imagine is incredibly unlikely.

      Those exist already (danwin, riseup, onionmail, etc). But they operate on the assumption that senders always want replies from the recipient to be possible via their receiving server. That’s not always desirable.

      In the same way you can browse non onion sites through TOR but not the other way around,

      There is a service that enables clearnet users to reach onion services (onion.to, onion.cat, etc), but this is unrelated. Web is unrelated.

      you would likely be able to send email but not receive them

      Bingo. That’s the point in some of the use cases.

You've viewed 8 comments.