# E-mail - identities

**URL:** <https://forum.delta.chat/t/e-mail-identities/2824>\
**Category:** Feature Proposal\
**Created:** [November 27, 2023, 8:45am UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/e-mail-identities/2824 "2023-11-27T08:45:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pichsi](https://forum.delta.chat/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@pichsi](https://forum.delta.chat/u/pichsi)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 8:45am UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/e-mail-identities/2824/1 "2023-11-27T08:45:27Z")

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Is there an option in DC to use other identities linked to the e-mail account?

My email provider allows to protect my main e-mail address which is used as an username by creating aliases.

If I send e-mails from my [alias@domain.com](mailto:alias@domain.com) the recipient doesn’t see in the header name of my main account.

I must log in to the pop3/imap/smtp server via [username@domain.com](mailto:username@domain.com) – this is my main email address.

In the e-mail client I can use my other identity and send an e-mail from [alias@domain.com](mailto:alias@domain.com) - e.g. Thunderbird

I think this is important feature regarding privacy and security – I don’t want to disclose my username and my main e-mail account to everyone I want to chat with. I can always delete alias if I receive spam I cannot do the same with my main address.

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**Author:** ![webratte](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/webratte/32/16_2.png) [@webratte](https://forum.delta.chat/u/webratte)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 9:23am UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/e-mail-identities/2824/2 "2023-11-27T09:23:01Z")

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Hi Pichsi,

yes, this is possible. You just have to setup Deltachat as the same way you setup Thunderbird.  
I use also alias adresses as you describe.

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**Author:** ![Seth](https://forum.delta.chat/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Seth](https://forum.delta.chat/u/Seth)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 6:47pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/e-mail-identities/2824/3 "2023-11-27T18:47:19Z")

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If you have any working examples of how to configure DeltaChat in this manner please share (redacting personal info of course.) I’m interested in doing the same thing in order to protect the identity of my main account.

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**Author:** ![webratte](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/webratte/32/16_2.png) [@webratte](https://forum.delta.chat/u/webratte)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 7:43pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/e-mail-identities/2824/4 "2023-11-27T19:43:37Z")

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Just follow this steps:  
1.add your alias-address in the field “E Mail Address”  
2.add your mail password  
3.tap “+ Advanced”  
4.add for “IMAP login name” and “SMTP login name” your “Main Address”  
5. tap the checkmark in the upper right corner to enter datas

Now it should work.

Maybe you have to set SMTP and IMAP Server.  
But probably not.

I hope you will understand my bad english.

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**Author:** ![pichsi](https://forum.delta.chat/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@pichsi](https://forum.delta.chat/u/pichsi)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 12:26pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/e-mail-identities/2824/5 "2023-11-28T12:26:59Z")

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I created a new DC account using my main e-mail account: [username@domain.com](mailto:username@domain.com).

Recently I changed ONLY the e-mail address: [alias@domain.com](mailto:alias@domain.com)

Then I added a new contact ( I scanned the qr code I received via another channel etc.) and we obtained a green check mark.

Today I exported private key from the phone to read messages on Thunderbird - it works btw.

I realized that the key is not generated for the changed e-mail address i.e. [alias@domain.com](mailto:alias@domain.com)

The key did not change. \>!!!The key id is for [username@domain.com](mailto:username@domain.com)!!!\<

Subject: …  
From: [xxx@xxx.xxx](mailto:xxx@xxx.xxx)  
To: [alias@domain.com](mailto:alias@domain.com)  
…  
Chat-Version: 1.0  
Autocrypt: xxx; prefer-encrypt=mutual;  
…   
MIME-Version: 1.0  
…  
Content-Description: OpenPGP encrypted message  
Content-Disposition: inline; filename=“encrypted.asc”;  
Content-Type: application/octet-stream; name=“encrypted.asc”

-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----  
…  
-----END PGP MESSAGE-----

gpg: encrypted with 256-bit ECDH key, ID XXXXX, created 2023-XX-XX  
“[username@domain.com](mailto:username@domain.com)”

* * *

I deleted the account and set up again an account for [alias@domain.com](mailto:alias@domain.com) - now the key is for [alias@domain.com](mailto:alias@domain.com)

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**Author:** ![missytake](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/missytake/32/591_2.png) [@missytake](https://forum.delta.chat/u/missytake)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 6:41pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/e-mail-identities/2824/6 "2023-11-30T18:41:15Z")

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Yes, if you don’t want the two identities to be linked, deleting the account for [username@domain.com](mailto:username@domain.com) and logging in with [alias@domain.com](mailto:alias@domain.com) is the right course of action.

If you just change username (+ password), but don’t delete the old account, your key stays the same. If you do this, delta assumes that you want your identities to be linked, and just migrate to a different account out of convenience, or because your old account stopped working (see: [FAQ - Delta Chat](https://delta.chat/en/help#how-can-i-change-my-account-to-a-different-e-mail-address) )

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**Author:** ![r10s](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/r10s/32/1513_2.png) [@r10s](https://forum.delta.chat/u/r10s)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 10:42pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/e-mail-identities/2824/7 "2026-02-16T22:42:19Z")

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