This article describes the purpose and function of an alternate email address.

An alternate email address is any email address other than the email address connected to your Yahoo! ID. Your alternate email address can be the email you use at work or school or any other non-Yahoo! email address, such as <name>@hotmail.com, <name>@gmail.com, <name>@AOL.com, and <name>@comcast.net.

Yahoo! uses the alternate email address to send you:

• Notification about your Yahoo! account, such as when you change your password or update your account information
• Updates about Yahoo! features and services
• A new password if you ask that one be sent to you

If you have problems with your Yahoo! Mail account, Yahoo! will send information to your alternate email address. For help, go to the "Sign In page," and click I can’t access my account. The Yahoo! Password Helper wizard appears.

If you don't have an email address, you can leave this field blank when you register for a Yahoo! Mail account. You can add an alternate address to your Account Information later.

NOTE: If you don't include an alternate email address for your account, you only have two options:

•  Ask Yahoo! to send a new password to your mobile phone.
• Go to the "Sign In" page, click I can’t access my account, and verify who you are by answering the secret questions you entered during registration.

If you forgot the answers to your secret questions and didn’t put an alternate email address or mobile phone number into your account, Yahoo! won’t be able to send you a new password.