this post was submitted on 26 Feb 2026
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Privacy

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[–] Ghostie@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I mean you could just create a dummy Google account for free. Mine has an email alias attached and I gave them a fake name, a voip phone number also with no personally attached info, and no recovery email. I only use it for YouTube so I don’t need gmail nor do I care if I get locked out of the account because I could just make another if I felt like it.

[–] al_nusra@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

what country are you in?

[–] muhyb@programming.dev 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)
  1. Find an old Android device (Phone, TV, tablet etc.)
  2. Factory reset.
  3. Create a new Google account.
[–] INeedMana@piefed.zip 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think that is not a dummy account. It still comes with all the bells and whistles. If that's acceptable, then one could just use "create an account" on gmail page

[–] muhyb@programming.dev 8 points 1 day ago

Well, that's true but it's the dummiest you can get with Google nowadays. Creating a new account through Gmail also requires to add a phone number. You can only come around that via an old device. You cannot come around device identification however.

[–] INeedMana@piefed.zip 10 points 1 day ago

Of course not. The point of their accounts is to lock you in their ecosystem

[–] clean_anion@programming.dev 3 points 1 day ago

If you mean an anonymous account from an email service trusted by other online service providers, it's not possible to get one for free. Even among paid email providers, very few accept anonymous payment methods such as cash or XMR.

[–] davel@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

I don’t understand what’s stopping you from creating as many free Google accounts as you please. https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/27441

[–] al_nusra@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They ask for Phone number while creating and there is no way around it. Which is a problem because i have only 1 phone number

[–] Lfrith@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago

I don't think you get asked a phone number if you make it on your smartphone.

[–] 5opn0o30@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

They also limit the number of accounts to a phone number. I hit it and now can’t create more with that number.

[–] gravitas@lem.ugh.im 2 points 1 day ago

What is a dummy account in this context?

I have about a dozen accounts i rotate between using when i hit usage limits on cursor and other ai junk. I did pay for them but they cost like $2 each

[–] Lokoschade@feddit.org 1 points 1 day ago

You can create new Google accounts via Gmail on a phone (not on desktop) I think you go to settings -> add account and then create new account or something like that

[–] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] al_nusra@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

I need it for youtube & other places where they only allow google I already use proton as my primary email account