How do I Start a Free Email Address at Yahoo?
By Shawn McClain
Yahoo! began as a simple Web directory, but as it grew in popularity in the 1990s, it expanded its services to include a Web portal, search engine and email provider. The email service, called Yahoo! Mail, gives users an email address, unlimited storage and access to the email through any Web browser. The email service is provided free for anyone who signs up for a Yahoo! ID.
Navigate your Web browser to the Yahoo! home page. Select "Sign Up" located in the top right-hand corner of the page.
Enter in your personal information, including name, gender, birthday, country and ZIP code, at the top of the screen.
Choose a Yahoo! ID and enter it into the field in the middle of the screen. This ID can be anywhere from four to 32 characters long, has to start with a letter and can contain letters, numbers, underscores and one dot. Once you type in the ID, press the "Check" button to see if that ID is available. If it is not, Yahoo! will give you a list of similar choices that are available. You can click on a one of the choices, or erase your ID and start over. Your Yahoo! email address will be this Yahoo! ID followed by "@yahoo.com."
Enter in a password for your Yahoo! ID. This password can contain between four and 32 characters, and cannot be your name or Yahoo! ID. Passwords are case sensitive. Then choose a secret question from the list, and type in your answer. Yahoo! will use this question if you forget your password. You will have to select two security questions and give two answers.
Type in the code that appears at the bottom of the screen. If you can't make out the letters, select "Try a new code." Then select "Create My Account" to complete the account creation process. Select "Continue" on the next page to go back to the Yahoo! homepage, and then click on "Mail" to visit your new mailbox.
Tips
- You can only get your free Yahoo! email through a Web browser or dedicated smartphone application. POP3 support, which is required to get your Yahoo! email on a computer email client, is not a free feature in the U.S.
Writer Bio
Shawn McClain has spent over 15 years as a journalist covering technology, business, culture and the arts. He has published numerous articles in both national and local publications, and online at various websites. He is currently pursuing his master's degree in journalism at Clarion University.