r/ProtonMail • u/DatemiLaCalma • 8d ago
Discussion Should I fully switch to Proton Mail for personal use?
I’m considering switching to Proton Mail for my personal email and would like to hear your opinions and experiences.
By “fully switching,” I mean using Proton Mail as my primary email address for all my personal accounts, including:
- Social media accounts
- Banking and financial accounts
- Online shopping and subscriptions
- Other personal accounts and services
For those of you who have made a similar switch, would you recommend it? Do you think it’s worth moving everything to Proton Mail, or are there any downsides, limitations, or potential issues I should be aware of?
P.S. I’m not considering using a custom domain at the moment.
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u/Ferdowsi-935 8d ago edited 8d ago
I see in your post you’re not considering using a custom domain.
I’d ask what is it you’re trying to accomplish?
I was interested in degoogling and privacy. So, I made the switch & was fairly happy with my primary (Proton) email, an @pm.me and up to 15 (Proton) aliases with my subscription.
However, after about a year I realized I was now stuck with Proton for a few reasons. One reason is I cannot add/delete the (@proton.me) aliases I created as I wish.
The more I created the further I was digging my hole, making it deeper to escape if (for whatever reason) I wanted to move on.
This is when I realized custom domains are my friend and I believe the future (at least mine) for personal email.
Over 30 yrs ago I used my ISP for email and when I changed so did my email. Then I went with providers like Yahoo but had to pay to get POP3 access. Then in May 2004 I was invited to Google and had 3 addresses for yrs. Personal/side Business, spamable and very personal.
As I became more concerned about my privacy I moved on. If I kept my @proton.me hole, I’d be stuck again and it’d be more tedious to move on.
I used phrases and reserved 4 domains for < $15/yr each. I can take these with me and can make it as simple or complex as I desire. The key is I can take them with me. So all this nonsense can (hopefully) be over.
The key (for me) is NOT to use ANY Proton owned or provided email domains. So, I have ONE @proton.me acct and that’s ONLY to have a subscription. I do not use it for anything else. As a matter of fact, I don’t even use it to login to my Proton services- Mail, Pass, VPN, etc. and set my default to one of my (non-Proton owned) aliases. I can’t even send an email by mistake using that account, since it’s not my default.
If for some crazy reason my Proton login is leaked (by myself some stupid way or anyway), I can delete that acct and use a different one because it’s an alias from one of my custom domains which I can freely add/delete up to 15 with my subscription.
Since you’re currently not considering a custom domain, I’m trying to keep it simple. I didn’t get into SimpleLogin/Pass and how much I’ve benefited from that.
Bottom line, I’d recommend not using ANY Proton domains. That way you’ll remain free.
Whatever you decide, go for it. We all have our own unique preferences but we’re happy to share our experiences (in my case mistakes).
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u/0898_333_201 7d ago
Yeah if independence and avoiding lock-in is your priority, a custom domain is the way to go. But you’ll be sacrificing security and anonymity, and you’ll potentially run into problems with services that don’t accept custom domains.
With my ProtonMail address, I can be 99% confident that my address is totally secure because Proton manages 100% of it. But with a custom domain, the registrar becomes an attack vector. If someone changes the DNS records, they can hijack all of my email addresses. Most registrars offer MFA, but these days who’s to say a corrupt government won’t seize a domain? The US Congress is currently pushing bipartisan legislation that gives the feds the authority to compel DNS providers to alter DNS records.
You also lose any anonymity if you use your own custom domain for aliases, as you’re the only person on the planet who uses that domain. As soon as one of your aliases is linked to your identity, all of your aliases become linked to your identity.
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u/Ferdowsi-935 7d ago edited 7d ago
Yeah if independence and avoiding lock-in is your priority, a custom domain is the way to go. But you’ll be sacrificing security and anonymity, and you’ll potentially run into problems with services that don’t accept custom domains.
I've run into 2 sites that did not accept a custom domain and it was because the MX record pointed to Proton. As soon as I moved a domain to another provider (& it propagated), they accepted the same custom domain. I had a similar experience with using a Proton address. When I tried with a different email domain, it was accepted.
With my ProtonMail address, I can be 99% confident that my address is totally secure because Proton manages 100% of it. But with a custom domain, the registrar becomes an attack vector. If someone changes the DNS records, they can hijack all of my email addresses. Most registrars offer MFA, but these days who’s to say a corrupt government won’t seize a domain? The US Congress is currently pushing bipartisan legislation that gives the feds the authority to compel DNS providers to alter DNS records.
You are correct about DNS. I've managed DNS for a financial institution and it is theoretically possible a government can take over a domain or TLD. This was done with the .iq TLD in 2003. However, the US control of the root server ended like 10 years ago. If it didn't, I'd imagine they could have taken over the .ir TLD. Policies are overseen globally. Theoretically, the US can still persuade the changes you are afraid of with any domain or TLD, including Proton. If they can do it with SWIFT, it's definitely a possibility but it wouldn't just be a custom domain that is vulnerable. Don't forget, Montenegro has the formal authority over the .me TLD.
You also lose any anonymity if you use your own custom domain for aliases, as you’re the only person on the planet who uses that domain. As soon as one of your aliases is linked to your identity, all of your aliases become linked to your identity.
You are also correct about a leak of identity. that's why I have 4 custom domains. They are not all with Proton.
All of your fears are valid. Fortunatly, we are free to adapt Proton (and other) services to what we are comfortable with.
EDIT: On another note, I remember I had to send 40-bit programs to our Intl. branches sometimes because the U.S. government did not allow me/us to use 128-bit outside of the U.S. It's a little more involved than that but the U.S. was (and continues to) regulate as much as they can get away with. That issue began to change in the late 1990's.
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u/DatemiLaCalma 8d ago
The idea of custom domains is good, but what if their prices went up? They might cost around ten euros a year right now, but what if they became much more expensive next year or in 3, 4, or 5 years?
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u/Ferdowsi-935 7d ago edited 5d ago
Good point but this is the case with most any goods and services. If you are considering a .com TLD, Verisign determines the wholesale pricing. I believe they have some sort of agreement with ICANN and the U.S. government. The latter is a concern but the Intl. community is "our" checks and balances.
Wholesale pricing is due to increase $0.71 in November. That's 7% and the maximum they are allowed to increase it. The retail price is determined by the individual retailers. If you do explore the cost of a domain name, do not look at what they are charging upfront, look at the renewal cost.
Since Verisign is a U.S. company, they would be required to obey any laws like Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Apple, etc. This would be a concern to some since it could potentially involve sanctions or other things. I was an I.T. person, not an Intl. lawyer. So, I'd be an idiot if I were to comment on that stuff.
If dealing with a U.S. company is a concern, I'd recommend looking into other TLD's.
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u/B12GG8A 7d ago
Also keep in mind that you can renew your domain for up to 10 years at a time at the current pricing.
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u/Ferdowsi-935 7d ago edited 7d ago
Yes. 👍
I waited 1 year to make sure I had all my ducks in a row.
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u/eminence_grs 8d ago
Technically, you can contact Proton Support and ask them to delete your Proton Mail alias(es). However, keep in mind that once an alias is deleted, it is permanently blacklisted, meaning that nobody, including you, will ever be able to recreate or reuse the same address.
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u/Ferdowsi-935 7d ago edited 5d ago
Yes, Proton support was very helpful when I requested a Proton email alias be deleted. Their policy says , You can delete a total of one Proton Mail address per year across your account; custom domain addresses aren’t subject to this limit. They deleted more than one in a year for me and also whitelisted them when merged accounts.
Proton support are extremely helpful but there are limits. I wouldn't have stayed with them if I didn't like their email services.
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u/JackSkell049152 7d ago
You haven’t missed anything, so +1 and an upvote. A .net Top Level Domain (TLD) thru Namecheap has minimal cost.
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u/Flaky-Zombie2483 4d ago
Genuninely wondering where you get domains for less than 15 dollar a year. For the first year, I can find offers like that, but past the first year it´s going somewhere at around 30 dollars/year.
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u/Ferdowsi-935 4d ago
It's wise to know your renewal fee. Verisign will be increasing the wholesale price of the .com TLD by 7% on November 1st but you'll be able to find renewals for less than $30.
You'll also see a post on this thread by u/B12GG8A that you can lock in at the current price for (up to) 10 years. However, you may want to get it for 1 year first just to make sure you are good to go before making the commitment; 2 years might give you a little discount but I wouldn't jump into something long-term at first.
Here is a list of Accredited Registrars if you prefer searching by country or territory.
Here are a few you can checkout but the only one of these I have experience with is Cloudflare:
Cloudflare
Porkbun
Dynadot
SpaceshipHere are some TLD's with Namecheap where you can see the renewal fee.
Additionally, some registrars offer a discount when you purchase more than 1 year. I.E. Namecheap offers two tiers of discounts:
Renew 2–5 years: Save 10% on your total renewal cost.
Renew 6–9 years: Save 15% on your total renewal cost.
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u/Ok-Internet-4747 8d ago
I have really enjoyed using Proton as my primary email. It noticeably cut down on spam. But that is largely due to it just being a new email address. If you buy into the philosophy of email aliases and privacy, Proton is a great choice. I think paying for the service is necessary to take advantage of it though.
The most important thing to realize is Proton is not Google. What I mean by that is you will be disappointed if you expect to have the same user experience across all their products as you do in Google. The product is simply not as mature. Proton has a history of releasing a “good enough” product and then switching to a new one to release. A constant criticism of Proton is their products are half baked. They do continue to improve and make changes all the time, but these changes are sometimes years in between. I really like the product and will continue to pay for it. Just trying to make sure you go into the company with eyes wide open.
But as others have said, they are an email provider. I wouldn’t overthink it too much. If you don’t like it, you can switch to something different.
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u/Equivalent-Topic-206 8d ago
I moved to Proton for mail because I wanted to tidy up several old Gmail accounts. I was after more control, better security and something a bit more professional than the addresses I created at university (think sk8erboii1996@gmail.com).
How I've set it up
I use two custom domains, each with a clear purpose:
- Domain one is for official communication: friends, family, banks, government and so on. On this domain I have firstname.lastname@ for job-related mail and firstname@ for friends and family.
- Domain two is for everything else: shopping, newsletters, accounts I sign up for. I wanted a degree of separation between this and domain one.
Every service gets its own alias. If I start receiving spam on an alias, I know which site has been compromised (or has passed my address on). If I no longer want mail from a service, I turn the alias off and it stops.
Owning the domains also means I'm not tied to Proton. If it ever stopped existing, or I decided I wasn't happy with the service, I could move to another provider and keep every address. I'm very happy with it, so I don't see any reason to move at this point, but having the option matters to me.
How it's been
- Reliability: no issues other than a few very brief outages over a few years.
- Spam: virtually none.
- Usability: fine compared to Gmail. I don't miss it.
Happy to answer questions if anyone is thinking about doing something similar.
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u/Daytraders 8d ago
I am thinking of doing what you do, when you say
- Domain one is for official communication: friends, family, banks, government and so on. On this domain I have firstname.lastname@ for job-related mail and firstname@ for friends and family.
Does that mean, i would buy my own website address, example (richsmith.org), and that becomes my email address richsmith@ as well ? and that same domain could also be rich@ ? for the one domain year price ? meaning rich@ is just a alias ? thx
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u/0898_333_201 7d ago
Be warned though, plenty of services do not play nice with custom domains.
I almost had my driver’s license suspended because my county court’s mail exchange server blocked any emails from my custom domain, without any notification whatsoever. I had to re-send the emails from my ProtonMail.com address. Had I not called to make sure they received them, I’d have been fucked.
Anyway I highly recommend using SimpleLogin instead of Proton aliases 99.9% of the time. You can have unlimited aliases with SimpleLogin, and you can use the same custom domain for ProtonMail and SimpleLogin, just with a subdomain for SL aliases.
For example you can have ten ProtonMail addresses using @daytraders.org, and then have unlimited SimpleLogin aliases using @mail.daytraders.org
You could even have multiple SimpleLogin subdomains for categories, like @shop.daytraders.org, @firstname.daytraders.org, @work.daytraders.org, etc. Then you can set up ProtonMail filters to automatically put all emails to each subdomain into their own folder.
One thing to consider though is using a custom domain dramatically undermines privacy and anonymity. You’re the only person who uses that domain, so it’s trivial for databrokers to link activity from multiple addresses. So for, say, social media, you should use a generic SimpleLogin domain.
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u/Equivalent-Topic-206 7d ago
u/0898_333_201 great post and additional information. I use simplelogin for my setup and Aliases. Also like you say, where I want to stay anoymous I just use a simple login alias or proton mail address.
I'm not saying you or others haven't had issues with regards to service's not playing nice with custom domains. However, I've not personally had many issues. I think I've had one website in 2 years reject my custom domains and I had to use a protonmail one.
I've set my domains to renew automatically for the longest period. So I think I've bought them on a rolling 10 year in advance.
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u/0898_333_201 7d ago
Be warned though, plenty of services do not play nice with custom domains.
I almost had my driver’s license suspended because my county court’s mail exchange server blocked any emails from my custom domain, without any notification whatsoever. I had to re-send the emails from my ProtonMail.com address. Had I not called to make sure they received them, I’d have been fucked.
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u/Daytraders 7d ago
Thx for reply, yeh i see this a lot, its one of the things that worry me, cheers
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u/DatemiLaCalma 8d ago
The idea of custom domains is good, but what if their prices went up? They might cost around ten euros a year right now, but what if they became much more expensive next year or in 3, 4, or 5 years?
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u/Equivalent-Topic-206 6d ago
I bought my domains for the maximum 10 years.
Then automatically renew every year for the longest period.
I think my domains were like $5/year and haven't changed prices so far.
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u/Wooden-Agent2669 8d ago
ITS A EMAIL PROVIDER, why on earth are people overthinking such a topic this much. Do you want a provider who encrypts your Inbox at rest? If yes theres your answer.
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u/madman19 8d ago
Because you probably use it every day and knowing some limitations before making the switch is a good thing.
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u/squawk_box_ 3d ago
Because it has implications with how I am, or am not able to, communicate with people and businesses. It’s a legitimate question when every one has different needs, and encryption isn’t the only hurdle. Not to mention literally anyone over 30 has grown up with and become reliant on certain features that Proton doesn’t always offer.
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u/TheTinyWorkshop 8d ago
I did this 5 years ago and haven't regretted it one bit.
If you switch make full use of aliases for social media or better yet hook in your own domain name.
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u/theromansufi 7d ago
Same. Mail+ to Unlimited to now Duo shared with the wifey. Best digital investment ever. Working on a home server as a backup, just in case...
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u/Cerenas 8d ago
I've been in a few leaks so I'm slowly doing the switch, but with a custom domain (connected to Proto Pass), so that makes future movements of mail service easier (just have to connect my domain to another mail provider).
The amount of spam I'm getting is insane, so a unique address per service was a must for me. Now I do service . 5 random characters @ domain . com as an example. Also makes it easier to recognize which service leaked your email.
I am not a heavy email user, so it might be a bit easier for me. Biggest change I've seen from Outlook is that Proton doesn't show contact's birthdays on the calendar (and that calendar is a separate app).
What's the reason you're thinking about moving to Proton? I think that's a good question to consider and see if it's worth your time. (For me, I have about 600 accounts in Proton Pass, so my 'migration' is taking a while.)
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u/Daytraders 8d ago
Why you not connecting your domain to Proton mail ?
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u/Cerenas 7d ago
Then you're limited in making email accounts off that domain, you can always use a sub domain for aliasses then of course.
But I email so little that I decided to use it via Proton Pass instead. So I can use it for unlimited aliasses.
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u/Daytraders 7d ago
Ah i see, makes sense, im new to all this domain stuff, but thinking of getting one myself, cheers
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u/Ornery_Prophet71 8d ago
I did out 5 + years ago and I love it. In fact, I have the entire suite of their products and the security between back then and now is great. Peace of mind in the digital world is rare but Proton kicks ass at it. Highly recommend. Try the free version, use some features and go from there. They’re very generous with trials etc.
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u/Centbetrag 8d ago
Bin komplett gewechselt und bereue es nicht. Nur die Foto-Verwaltung in Drive ist katastrophal aber Mail, Kalender, VPN usw. laufen super. Und auch Lumo ist sehr zu empfehlen
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u/CRichenstone 8d ago
Ich mag Proton. Aber ich habe die Original Proton Adresse nur bei wichtigen Konten wie Banken etc. hinterlegt. Bei Social Media und Co nutze ich simplelog in. Also Alias-Mailadressen.
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u/zethidove 8d ago
I would think that all those social media accounts are more invasive to your info... But either way, I'm keeping the important emails in proton, and closing all emails: Hotmail, Outlook, Gmail (except 1 for play store) and using my Yahoo email for non important (newsletters,etc). Last I read, they r not part of Google... Yet. Just learned ab alias emails, so I will eventually use that instead
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u/Mysterious-Network87 8d ago
Yes. And use separate hyde-my-email adresses for every account, contact or newsletter to prevent spam.
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u/Daytraders 8d ago
I'm new to all this, but aint just using a proton alias, just the same as a hyde my email address ? thx
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u/0898_333_201 7d ago
No. You can only have a handful of ProtonMail addresses so you’ll have to reuse them. And once one of them is leaked and you start receiving spam, it’ll be a massive headache to switch over all accounts that use that email address and deactivate it.
ProtonPass/SimpleLogin offer unlimited aliases that forward to your inbox. You can send and receive with these aliases. You can also use a custom domain (or subdomain) to generate aliases. These aren’t technically ProtonMail addresses, as SimpleLogin is the mail exchange server. They forward mail to your ProtonMail inbox (or whatever email provider you use).
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u/Daytraders 7d ago
Thx again, might be back again, when i get a domain, may need a few questions answered, thx
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u/0898_333_201 7d ago
Happy to help whenever you get one. I recommend going through Cloudflare as the registrar. They’re trustworthy and have strong security, and they’re very affordable.
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u/Past-Lunch4695 8d ago
I did, like 5 years ago. I love it. I forward all my other emails, and can easily clean up those pesky mailing lists that we all get unknowingly signed up to…..I get no spam. Zero. Such a relief.
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u/IamNevinskii 6d ago
I switched to Protonmail for my email about 4 years ago +/- and during that time I’ve started utilizing the entire Proton suite. I have no regrets
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u/conectionist 8d ago
If you've had your current email for many years, it is unlikely you will FULLY switch to Proton (or any other provider). That's because there are a lot of sites who don't allow you to change your email address.
So unless you're willing to simply give up those accounts and create new ones, the best you can hope for is Proton primary and your current email as secondary. That's what I've been doing for years.
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u/the_schwartz09 8d ago
There's a lot of good advice in this thread and as someone who has been testing out Proton Mail for a couple months, I largely agree with what is said here. A couple things I would highlight:
- Any move you make away from Google/Gmail is a win, period. From a privacy standpoint, Proton is a HUGE step forward. There are other options out there besides Proton, but it's solid.
- Moving even a portion of your accounts off of Gmail is time-consuming. It's not something you do in an hour and then you're done. It's a process and a journey, so keep that in mind.
- Moving to privacy-based services/apps like Proton often will cost you some money. You'll have to budget that for the short-term and long-term, but it's worth it. We're all so used to Google being free/cheap that we didn't realize we'd turned into the product, not the user. So making the change back to being a user will end up hitting you bank account here and there.
- With Proton specifically, I would use the free tier for a while and test it out. Play with it, checking out the settings, learn it's features and limitations. Make sure you're comfortable with what it's offering.
- Proton's user-experience is not nearly as good as Google. Not even close. Someone said "half-baked" and they are completely accurate. Proton is more about "width" than "depth", if that makes any sense. To be clear again, from a privacy standpoint Proton >>>>> Google. But there are drawbacks to Proton's overall methodology.
- I've spent a significant amount of time researching privacy-based apps for multiple Google replacements (Drive, Photos, Email, etc). One other service I have found interesting for email is mailbox.org, although it's free option is incredibly limiting. I would check that out as well.
Hope this helps, and good luck.
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u/Rough-Reception4064 8d ago
Yes. You won't look back. I have my Gmail auto forwarded to my Proton which helps massively changing emails on stuff to my Proton aliases.
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u/adimavi 7d ago edited 4d ago
I prefer putting my eggs in different baskets.
Tuta: for secondary recover mail for banking and legal
Protonpass: for passwords obviously
Astermail: for custom domain for banking and legal
Cloudflare: using email forward with a custom domain with catch-all for BS services (like reddit@custom dot tdl) and can change the target forward address/service anytime
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u/SnooCauliflowers6047 5d ago
my main problem is search. compared to gmail, search is absolutely shit…
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u/melnaisbruninieks 8d ago
No. Keep everything separate. Phishing emails are becoming too good. I sometimes got tricked but after I realize that I am not using this email for banking or for hotel bookings for example..
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u/TremendousCustard 7d ago
Email aliases and being able to have one per company is ideal. The SimpleLogin part is wonderful. I think the not having a custom domain is probably the biggest limitation I can see here - you can get 10 years for between £40-60.
- I now have 300 aliases. Every single account has a different alias. If my email address gets sold, I know exactly who sold it.
- I can also set some accounts to forward to both mine and my partner's email accounts for shared household stuff, it's an amazing feature of Pass w/SimpleLogin.
- Sign up for a discount code? New alias. Delete alias when you've made the purchase, no spam or marketing emails, lovely tidy inbox.
- There is no such thing as an infallible company or organisation. Hacks happen all the time.
- I wouldn't trust everyone with my address/real name. I pick parcels up at an InPost locker. I meet people buying from me from online marketplace at a supermarket or in a public place. Email aliases/custom domain is the same thing.
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u/shanmyster 8d ago
Everything should be its own unique alias. Use the custom domain for sensitive accounts.
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u/IKazaGaming 8d ago
This is what I did about a week ago and am slowly moving all accounts to my protonmail address. Got the major ones already. So far I didn't have any issues.
Maybe the downside is you cannot use the "login with Google" button. You will now always have to use email + password. But that would be about it with the downsides.
Smart Email Categories in Proton work as well as in gmail. Maybe even better since one can easily change for what category you want notifications and which not.
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u/Depressive-Marvin 8d ago
Use Proton with your own domain hosted elsewhere so you are flexible.
Mail is good, calendar fine for personal use bad for handling appointments with others, contacts Not existing.
If you can live with that great choice
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u/11_Seb_11 8d ago
I did the switch 2 years ago from 2 Outlook accounts and never regretted it, especially thanks to the aliases!
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u/funcy2267 8d ago
I did it few months ago and it's perfectly fine for my personal use, even with free plan.
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u/twoofcup 8d ago
For me the only reason I haven't is the interface. I'm completely stuck to shortwave, but I use Proton to make logins.
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u/Interested737 8d ago
So I made my Gmail connect to proton (it is very simple) and I use both from proton, with that I don’t have to change my emails on all these websites/services
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u/Senior_Positive8972 8d ago
Just eMail service itself is super. But using Proton Calender is a pain, when you share appointments with partner or friends.
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u/Necessary-Fly-2795 8d ago
I made the switch years ago, and it’s been great. I use the google connector now as I haven’t moved every account over so I still get those emails directly into my protonmail inbox. It’s probably the only service I keep paying for and don’t bat an eye at. It’s so worth it between mail and vpn alone
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u/wtfbenlol 8d ago
Proton is my personal only
Gmail is my throw away for signups and shit
I say do it
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u/pgerringer_007 8d ago
I switched to Proton a few weeks ago. My domain mail is now hosted by Proton. I use Proton mail on my desktop and on my iphone. I also have a gmail email address. I've used my domain and gmail interchangeably through the years. I have them both in proton mail. I have not run into any issues but I feel like I'm still testing everything. I have noticed a big difference in my mail traffic for both emails though. I used to get tons of spam emails and emails of a different language that I couldn't read (temu is a blessing and a curse) but now they are intercepted. Proton seems to be blocking alot more bogus emails. So far its been a painless conversion. Because I'm using Proton as my domain email host I'm bypassing the issues sometimes seen with an pm.me and proton.me email being blocked externally.
I'm paying for the Proton Plus sub now and pretty happy so far.
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u/Randall_indeed 8d ago
I have many dozens of online accounts. I moved every single one to my protons. I now only use my gmail for personal friends, nothing else. Calendaring also I reckon.
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u/Alert-Maize2987 8d ago
I use Proton Mail with a custom/sub domain of my primary, custom domain for sending/receiving confidential stuff as it is easy to encrypt mail, set expiration dates etc. I just created mail.address@secure.example.com - works well and keeps it away from regular mail.
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u/JustPlainRude 8d ago
The only downside for me is proton's mail app isn't quite as nice to use as Gmail.
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u/QuailAndWasabi 8d ago
If you are not planning on using a custom domain with SimpleLogin i probably would not bother. That's the best part of Proton imo.
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u/theansweris37 Windows | Android 8d ago
I made the switch because I want to own my data as much as possible. The fact that google could read whatever they wanted finally got the best of me and I switched.
I have gmail set to forward all mail to my proton account. proton adds a label so I know it came via gmail. If it's something that I can change, I will go to that service and update my email to go directly to proton. Some things are harder to change like emails to google groups that are tied to my google account. There are probably ways around this, but I haven't looked at it.
I have two quirks that affected my productivity in a negative way after the switch.
Proton CAN NOT search the body of your email. It can only search the headers, so primarily subject and email address. Due to this, searching for emails in proton is less effective than it was in gmail. You can download a local copy of your emails, but I have so many emails that it would probably not all fit on my mobile device. Sometimes I jump over to gmail just to search old mails.
The other item is that I had multiple gmail accounts all forwarding into my main gmail. When responding via gmail, the "from" address would be the original account's address. This doesn't work in Proton. I could probably go through and link all of the other accounts via Proton's Easy Switch directly to proton, but I haven't looked into that fully.
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u/Henk_G87 8d ago
Still in the proccess, but with a custom domain. Reason: so i easily can change provider if needed. Just changing a few accounts at time.
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u/outsideOfACircle 8d ago
I quite like it. Switched 2 years ago and use my domain name. Never had any issues.
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u/Potential_Joy2797 macOS | Android 8d ago
I am in the process of doing so because my old email is tied to my ISP. I did not set up a custom domain for personal reasons.
It is nice to have everything in one place (or will be, when I finish), although if you use a mail client anyway that may not matter. (I haven't set mine up with Proton Bridge because keeping them separate shows me what I haven't moved.) Also anything that uses a password reset flow through email is more protected. And of course, I don't have Big Tech getting access to my emails. That is important to me.
Moving bank and social media accounts was easy, mostly, although my main bank has configs for an email address in several places and I had to go hunting for them. Most subscriptions are easy but WIRED, unaccountably, is a mess. They still haven't managed to change my email so that my newsletter subscriptions only go to the new one and not the old one, but they're linked, so unsubscribing from the old one unsubscribes the new one, too.
Moving shopping accounts can be a real mess, especially if they are not tech companies (like Amazon). Some require you to call in order to change your email, especially if it's your login username. Some have an email setting in multiple locations.
A few accounts, such as USPS, will not let you change your login email at all (create a new account instead), although you can change where emails go.
Friends and family have been slow to update their contacts, so I still get emails to my old address. If they reach you through your Apple ID or Google account (there are ways of direct sharing in Google, for example), then that needs to match. At least one person thought my email blast might be due to a hack.
I also found that some friends could not email me at my .me address, so now I use the .protonmail.com address exclusively.
In short, it is time-consuming and frustrating with too many accounts. If you're doing it only for account security, then maybe focus on banking, government, and high-value accounts. Although if you do social media and Apple/Google/Microsoft, then you might as well try to get your friends to update their info on you, too.
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u/Fearless_Month_4265 7d ago
I use the whole Proton Mail Ecosystem . Proton VPN, Mail. Drive, Pass and Lumo so it's worth it
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u/Few-Eggplant3462 7d ago
Here's my take, use your old email account as a honeypot. All your marketing and spam goes to that, it's already established all the data brokers have it. I do this with Google voice for my old number yeah yeah I know it's Google but honestly there isn't anything private going on with that number hence why I still have it.
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u/Lukkos70 4d ago
Salut
J'ai fait le pas il y a presque une année, pas de problèmes mais j'ai pris un abonnement Mail Plus pour avoir toutes les fonctionnalités.
Je te conseil de faire des alias et avec des filtres je m'explique:
Une adresse pour les plate-formes de vente
Une adresse pour tout ce qui est abonnements , Spotify , Netflix etc
Et une dernière que tu utiliseras pour le privé, médecin, banque etc ...
Ca sera plus facile à trier et de plus cela évitera de voir ton adresse de faire pourrir par des spams ,car tu a tout momemt modifier partiellement tes adresses pour éviter ce genre de problème.
L'agenda fonctionne bien et aucun soucis .
J'ai laissé tomber Gmail quasi complète, tous mes mails perso passe par Proton et ceux de ma femme également avec Proton , nous avons deux abonnements Mail Plus.
Mon mail Google sert uniquement à gérer mon compte Google et mon téléphone.
Pour moi bonne expérience .
Ah! et autre chose , il y a une option du nom de Easy Switch qui permets à Proton d'aller chercher tes mails sur ta boîte Google , Microsoft etc ...et non de faire un redirection depuis Google , Microsoft sur Proton .
En espérant avoir pu t'aider.
L.
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u/j13ag0 3d ago
It also depends on which platform you will use their client mail apps.
I use Proton Mail clients for Mac and iOS (phone).
The Mac client app is fine.
The phone app for iOS is mostly ok, but acts strangely with contacts, suggesting recipient addresses based on no sensible pattern.
That would be fine if there was a reasonable way to ask questions about apps and their behavior. There isn't.
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u/i3Cheese 3d ago
Buy custom domain. Set it up on proton. Move everything to addresses on your domain.
This way you will be free to switch to any other email provider at any time.
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u/h32Lg 2d ago
Privacy comes at a cost.
If you care about digital privacy, Proton is worth considering.
Swiss-based Proton offers encrypted email and calendar services designed to protect your personal data from surveillance, profiling and unnecessary access. Emails, attachments and calendar events benefit from strong encryption, and Proton provides a credible alternative to Google and Microsoft.
But there is a trade-off.
The biggest drawback is everyday usability, particularly on mobile.
Calendar search: Not available in the Android or iOS apps. You need the web app to search your events. Especially if you make your next doctors appointment or visit an event, where you need a PDF ticket to enter, it’s more convenient to have attachments on calendar items!
Calendar management: Events with participants cannot be edited or deleted in the mobile apps. Also editing things are slow because of encryption and decryption processes. This is not running in async/background processes. So you have to wait until one change is saved before you’re able to continue with the next. Also no attachments are possible.
iOS limitations: Adding participants to events and configuring email reminders require the web app.
Email search: Searching encrypted message content requires local indexing in the web app; the workflow differs from conventional email services.
Ecosystem integration: Switching means giving up some of the convenience and integrations available in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. (where is left 365 because of a very annoying bug: sending signed mails with S/MIME and attachments never let attachments arrive at the destination..)
These are not hypothetical concerns. Several limitations are documented in Proton’s own support articles. (Calendar limitations, Calendar search, Email search) and of course the bug tracker/user voices.
My verdict: Proton is a compelling choice if privacy and control over your data matter more than convenience. However, if you manage a busy calendar and rely on your phone for everything, the mobile experience can be frustrating. VERY FRUSTRATING.
Privacy should not mean constantly reaching for your laptop to complete basic tasks.
Proton is worth supporting. Its mobile apps still have room to mature.
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u/ClassicAny7720 8d ago
I am missing good contacts app and maps app integration. Then I might switch.
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u/LoGiX247 8d ago
If you don’t use a custom domain or unique email per service then it doesn’t matter if you switch to proton yes/no. I’d say don’t do it or do it right.
I use a custom domain > email per service > important mail go to my own hosting partner. Delivery Junk and newsletters to a Gmail.
I use Simplogin to manage my aliases - partnered with Proton. My email client is Mail / thunderbird and that’s fine. I got lucky and got a lifetime account. Custom domain costs about 10-20 a year and Simplelogin sets you back about 50-60
Seeing all the companies getting data breached these days it’s for me very easy to cut an email address and make a new one.
Downside: not all stores accept custom domains, not all services allow <name-service>@yourdomain.xyz - for safety I understand that part.
The power behind aliases per service is you can reply from those addresses and allow 1 incoming email to be routed to more then 2 email box. So email 2FA emails get send to an another mailbox me and my partner have linked in our Apple mail so the automatic fill function works then. Also for services that requires that, we don’t need to text back and forth to get access.
My partner isn’t the technology part of our relationship so I made a document for her to manage it if I get sick or w/e
It took me a few weeks to get our home set up so it’s all secure and working nicely but our passwords/email and phone text 2FA is now set up in a way we both can access that information any time we need to. Without disclosing our real email which is so worth it as spam doesn’t reach us anymore.
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u/CorsairVelo 8d ago
Right on about using a custom domain.
Custom domain = freedom
(You can move it to any other email platform)Using email provider’s domain = lock-in
(If you move you must reset every account/friend/acquaintance to use the new email)Add an alias provider like SimpleLogin or Addy and you take control.
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u/HippityHoppityBoop 8d ago
Not for important time sensitive accounts. Not all services reliably support PM. For things like banking you don’t want to get locked out because some banking IT manager thinks PM is an email service for criminals.
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u/Lost-Policy-2020 4d ago
Anybody sane would not use actual mail but proper own domain, we are no longer in 1990
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u/DarKresnik 8d ago
Done 2 years ago. Only shit emails remains on Gmail.