Write a letter to the future
It's pretty simple.
Step One
Write a letter. It can be as short or as long as you want. It can be to someone else or yourself. It can be public or private.
Step Two
Choose the date you want the letter to be delivered to the recipient. This could be tomorrow or in a few years—your choice!
Step Three
That's it! Everything else is automated. So, sit back, relax, and read letters by other people. Or, you can support the site.
Is it really free?
Yes. Future Postbox is completely free—it's a side hobby of The Postman who runs the site. That said, the site does cost money to run and The Postman has some lofty dreams of where it could all go:
· Imagine being able to send messages based on geography, temperature, or factors other than just time!
· Imagine sending different types of media: Videos, documents, voice messages, and more!
· Imagine having your own app and account where you can keep track of all the letters you've sent and received!
Perhaps one day, but that all costs money and The Postman is a volunteer. If you'd like to support the site visit Future Postbox's support page.
What do you write?
Whatever you like! People use Future Postbox for lots of different reasons. Some use it as a time capsule of thoughts and feelings, some use it as a way to set or track goals, some use it to say the things that are too hard to say face-to-face, and others use it as a daily journal. If you're after more inspiration, you can read letters others have written. NB: There are some limitations on explicit content (see below).
I used to be able to upload images! What happened?
In short: cost. The Postman runs this site without income and the cost of collecting and hosting images became too expensive (I'm looking at you, Webflow!) . If you already wrote a letter that included images, rest assured your letter will still be delivered with the images attached.
Are there any limits on content?
Future Postbox is a place of love and good vibes.
· The Postman will not tolerate any form of cyber bullying, trolling, or illegal activity.
· Letters may be screened and The Postman reserves the right not to send, delete, or forward your letter to any relevant authorities.
· Anyone under the age of 18 should seek permission to use Future Postbox from their parent or guardian.
· Please refer to the Data and Privacy Policy for more information.
Is it automated?
Yes! As of October 2023, Future Postbox is now completely automated. In the past, The Postman manually sent every letter. This was not only tedious but resulted in some occasional issues with consistency of delivery (The Postman apologises to anyone affected). So, the service should now be a lot more reliable! Oh, you may wish to add the email address thepostman@futurepostbox.com to your safe senders to avoid messages going to spam.
What's the difference in privacy options?
· If you select "This letter can be public", your letter can be read by others via the read page. If you've made your letter public, but later change your mind, send an email to The Postman with your details and it will be removed from the public page.
· If you select "Keep this letter private", then it will only be sent to the intended recipient.
What does The Postman do with your data?
The Postman is extremely cautious with your data. Primarily, it's used to:
· Get the letter to where it needs to go.
· Provide you (extremely infrequent) updates about Future Postbox.
For more information, please read Future Postbox's full Privacy Policy.
A glimpse at what other people have written.
February 28, 2014
From:
Amy Johnston
To:
Amy Johnston
Date to be sent:
February 28, 2015
Dear self. I have found this website on stumleupon and thought it would be fun :) i don't know what will be going on with you right now but here on the 28th of February 2014, i was meant to start my dreaded homework about an hour and a half ago but oh well, my laptop consumes my time. I'm going to see Ellie Goulding live in the o2 with Anna tomorrow which fills me with excitement! Things are quite tight money-wise right now, I wonder will much have changed when you're reading this, will things be better, who knows? School drains me so much and it's only fifth year, dear god i dread to think how you're dealing with sixth year work in your time! Thinking of the future scares me a lot, does that still happen to you? The thoughts of college and careers creep into my thoughts and leave me full of worry. Maybe this will alleviate and I will be slightly more confident in my life choices, hopefully. I hate feeling unprepared. I'm beginning to ramble so I will try to keep this short with some last minute advice ( how cringey ). Keep Megan close, she may seem like she's got things organised, you need to talk to her and let her pour her feelings out, she will be reluctant at first but let her know you're there. Secondly, believe in yourself full stop. Thirdly, never forget to show mam and dad how much you appreciate them, help them round the house, look after them the way they have looked after you and meg. And lastly, enjoy everyday, find something good and cling onto it, okay? :) Have fun little future friend Past you lol xo
January 2, 2015
From:
Allen Hood
To:
Allen Hood
Date to be sent:
January 2, 2016
Well, here we are again. (you totally just read that in Buck 65's voice, right?) Forgive me. So how'd it go? Did you you finish your book? How's Jessica? Still with her? How'd you do with Robyn? I hope you can remember the struggle you were having when you wrote this. I hope you can remember counting down the minutes until you had to go to sleep and dreading waking up in the morning to have to cook at that shitty restaurant in Elkwater. I hope you remember missing Jessica and Robyn so much that it hurt sometimes, and I hope you can forgive yourself for the traps you set yourself in that respect. I hope you can remember all of this so that in 2016 when you get this letter to yourself you can put into perspective what's occurred over the 365 days between the sending and receiving of it, and meditate on what you need to do to ensure this struggle doesn't happen again. Because despite what we both believe, you really are a fantastic person. You really do have the talent and passion to make it in whatever field you choose. You can change the world; you do have the power. You just need to find it. Get on the bus and write poetry. Make music. Travel. Take riding lessons like you had always planned to. Go back to school. Do something for yourself and make the next year count for something. Allen Hood can not take looking back at another cycle thinking it was a waste of his time. He doesn't deserve that. I don't think anyone does. And listen to Nick more. He loves you and wants you to be happy. All of the good things you've just told yourself are basically from him. Best of luck, and I hope 2015 has been good for you.
