---
title: Creating your account
updated: 2026-10-14
summary: Pick a username, save a passkey and keep your backup codes safe.
section: Getting started
order: 1
---

Signing up takes three steps: choose a username, save a passkey, then save your backup codes. There's no password at any point.

## Choosing a username

Your username becomes your real address, `username@yellowbird.email`. It can't be changed later, so pick one you're happy to keep.

- 3 to 30 characters
- Lowercase letters, numbers and dots only
- No dot at the start or end, and no two dots in a row

A few names, like `support` and `postmaster`, are reserved.

## Saving a passkey

A passkey is how you sign in. Your device creates it and keeps it, and unlocks it with your face, fingerprint or PIN. You can keep it on this device, on your phone or on a security key.

You can add more passkeys later. See [Passkeys and backup codes](/help/passkeys-and-backup-codes).

## Saving your backup codes

You'll get 10 backup codes. They're how you get back in if you lose every device with a passkey on it, so keep them somewhere safe: a password manager, or printed and put away.

They're only shown once. If you lose them, you can make a new set in Settings.

## Your real address

Mail to your real address is [screened](/help/screening), so you can give it to friends and family without worrying. Use [aliases](/help/aliases) for everything else.

Anything after a `+` is ignored, so mail to `username+news@yellowbird.email` reaches you too.