Anyone using ProtonMail?

Discussion in 'privacy technology' started by jaypeecee, Jun 19, 2017.

  1. jaypeecee

    jaypeecee Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2007
    Posts:
    165
    Location:
    UK
    Hi Folks,

    I have recently started using ProtonMail, which seems pretty good to me. Are there other users of ProtonMail on Wilders? If so, any comments - good or bad?

    Prior to starting this thread, I did a search but I found precious little about this email provider. If I've missed something, please point me in the right direction.

    Thanks.

    JPC
     
  2. NormanF

    NormanF Registered Member

    Joined:
    Feb 20, 2009
    Posts:
    2,874
    Founded by scientists at CERN in 2013. Based in Switzerland, its an encrypted e-mail service.
     
  3. guest

    guest Guest

    i'm using it, it is really good stuff.
     
  4. Balthazar

    Balthazar Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2013
    Posts:
    166
    Location:
    Earth
    I think they are offering a good service. I supported the crowdfunding and I've been using their VPN service as well. It will be available for the public in a few hours.

    Imap will follow later this year.
     
  5. Trooper

    Trooper Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2005
    Posts:
    5,507
    I have an account but do not use it that much.
     
  6. jaypeecee

    jaypeecee Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2007
    Posts:
    165
    Location:
    UK
    Hi there,

    That's reassuring. So there are at least four other users on here! I first came across ProtonMail (PM from now on) on Android. According to the summary on Google Play Store, it is the "World's largest encrypted email service - easy to use, free for all." Couldn't resist putting it to the test. I'm always drawn to Swiss products and services.

    JPC
     
  7. Trooper

    Trooper Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2005
    Posts:
    5,507
    If I did not use Android or need a Gmail account I would probably switch to it full time. Maybe some day. Are you using the free or paid version?
     
  8. jaypeecee

    jaypeecee Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2007
    Posts:
    165
    Location:
    UK
    Hi Trooper,

    I'm using the free version and it does all that I need - at the moment. But I'm also a GMail user.

    It's just nice to know that I can send and receive encrypted emails when the need arises.

    JPC
     
  9. Trooper

    Trooper Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2005
    Posts:
    5,507
    Nice. The free size limitation is why I do not use it full time. I may in the future however. :)

    Cheers!
     
  10. jaypeecee

    jaypeecee Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2007
    Posts:
    165
    Location:
    UK
    Hi Balthazar,

    I looked at their VPN service but I seem to remember that there were special requirements for this. Am I right?

    JPC
     
  11. RockLobster

    RockLobster Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2007
    Posts:
    1,812
    I'll tell you all a story about that you may find interesting. I wanted to test the privacy tools available at the time so I went to a motel used public wifi, tail and tor. Proton mail setup required existing email so using tails/tor I made one at mail.com. I then went to proton mail and did the setup. The last part of the setup was to send them my password.
    "THE CONNECTION TO THE SERVER WAS RESET"
    I made a different password and tried again"
    "THE CONNECTION TO THE SERVER WAS RESET"
    I tried a bunch of times careful to generate a new password each time.
    "THE CONNECTION TO THE SERVER WAS RESET"
    So then I tried one last time, this time with the SAME password as the previous attempt. It went through no problem.
    "They" didn't mind me using protonmail as long as they intercepted my password first.
    They can do that even though I was using tails and tor. Their capabilities are far in excess of what most people realize.
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2017
  12. jaypeecee

    jaypeecee Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2007
    Posts:
    165
    Location:
    UK
    Really?!

    JPC
     
  13. Balthazar

    Balthazar Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2013
    Posts:
    166
    Location:
    Earth
    Not that I know of. I think there are no special requirements from a technical perspective (besides the usual). Beta testing was limited to paid users and lifetime members only.

    I didn't use the service that much because I have another subscription already. I am using it especially with Qubes where it is very easy to setup 2 or more services. It's been working fine. Tomorrow we will see what they are charging for the paid service. There will be a free service as well.

    I did not try ProtonVPN with Windows, just Linux and the command line.
     
  14. RockLobster

    RockLobster Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2007
    Posts:
    1,812
    That was only part of the story im trying to do this on a phone and my phone is not playing nice ill try to edit the post and add the rest
     
  15. sukarof

    sukarof Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2004
    Posts:
    1,887
    Location:
    Stockholm Sweden
    I am one of the early crowdfunders, but I dont use it much. Mainly because I have one well established mailadress and I use a mail client. If and when they implement IMAP for mail clients I might reconsider. But I surely will look at their VPN service.
     
  16. ZMsiXone

    ZMsiXone Registered Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2017
    Posts:
    326
    Location:
    EUROPE/poland/germany
    i have a free email account: the service seems to have a very good reputation. Thats the reason why i crated an account. I also will take look at their
    VPN service....
     
  17. anon

    anon Registered Member

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2012
    Posts:
    7,983
    +1
     
  18. Quassar

    Quassar Registered Member

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2011
    Posts:
    254
    Location:
    Poland
    Im using paid account
    work fast and interface is frendly for manage with copule e-mail aliasses :)
    About VPN also look great i can even play in dota on somes servers with out lags o_O
     
  19. anon

    anon Registered Member

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2012
    Posts:
    7,983
    ProtonVPN Swiss-based VPN launches
    https://www.ghacks.net/2017/06/20/protonvpn-swiss-based-vpn-launches/
    --------------------------
    Join Free Account Waiting List
    Currently, new free user registrations will be put on a Waitlist due to overwhelming demand for free user accounts.
    We are working to bring additional servers online and will contact users once they become available.
    If you want to get access right now, consider upgrading to a paid plan with access to paid servers.
    Skip wait with paid plan
    or
    Register for Waitlist
    https://account.protonvpn.com/signup
     
    Last edited: Jun 20, 2017
  20. aih

    aih Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2010
    Posts:
    32
    Old thread, I know. But I'm hoping I can entice users to give current facts and opinions.

    I just signed up for free accounts for myself and wife to give ProtonMail a spin. I expect to upgrade to a paid account if all goes well, and install ProtonMail Bridge and use it with Outlook. This is on a Win10 Pro machine.

    I've been searching and reading, and of course checking here. All the reviews I find so far are from years ago. Any pointers on that score would be appreciated. Until then I will keep searching.

    By the way, my reasons are (a) use E2E because I can, and I'm going to exercise that right; (b) all accounts I have right now between ISP accounts and "free" accounts are subject to snooping even if it's just for marketing (my ISP email accounts are hosted by Yahoo), and I don't like that; and (c) while my everyday communications aren't really sensitive right now, who knows what might come up once in a while.

    Thanks for any responses.
     
  21. TomAZ

    TomAZ Registered Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2010
    Posts:
    1,131
    Location:
    USA
    I have a ProtonMail account, but I also have a few others. ProtonMail seems to have a very good reputation, but for some reason (as of several versions ago) -- it became quite slow for me and even unresponsive at times. Not sure if that was because of changes they made on their end and/or compatibility with my OS (XP). Because I have several email addresses/accounts, I don't really use it all the much -- but I still do from time to time.
     
  22. 142395

    142395 Guest

    I made a rough comparison with Tutanota in this thread tho it lacks some aspects such as authentication log in Proton (disabled by default) or Protonmail Bridge.
    Their webmail is OSS and fairly matured, I think. But their smartphone app is still almost in beta and not yet OSS, and I reported bugs several times.
     
  23. aih

    aih Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2010
    Posts:
    32
    One thing that is holding me back is just about everyone I know is using Gmail, and the rest are using their ISP email (Comcast, Knology, and so forth). And I have a few still have an AOL address. With ProtonMail I could send them an encrypted email, and send them a password out of band, but they won't fancy that except in the rare case where it might be necessary. So in the ordinary case my communications will still get slurped on their end.
     
  24. Palancar

    Palancar Registered Member

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2011
    Posts:
    2,402
    This sums up the problem we all have with real name friends. I had a discussion with a few family members over the dinner table this weekend. All I get back is a blank stare. These are accomplished well educated leaders in life but they are unconcerned over internet stuff.
     
  25. aih

    aih Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2010
    Posts:
    32
    Thanks all for the responses.

    I'm leaning to paying for ProtonMail for myself and having my wife stay on her free account. I'll get the use out of the service but she wouldn't, and it still allows the two of us to communicate with email using E2E. As far as friends and family other than wife, I don't know yet, though I will probably encrypt emails with password sent out of band and they can go with it if they want to read the message, or not.
     
  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.