I used to be shocked how simple it was.
I’m not quitting Gmail. Yet. But this experiment confirmed me what it might be like if shifting our digital lives had been as simple as ordering a pizza.
Right now, the relative simplicity of my Gmail-to-Proton switch isn’t typical.
If you may have an iPhone, it’s troublesome or unimaginable to save lots of your images or backups of what’s in your cellphone to something apart from Apple’s cloud. On an Android cellphone, Google will steer you to make use of Gmail, Google Maps and Google’s cloud. If you wish to ditch Spotify or Amazon, you may be reluctant to go away behind your playlists or wishlists.
(Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Post. Interim CEO Patty Stonesifer sits on Amazon’s board.)
Corporate tech giants make some nice merchandise. But we even have little alternative however to remain in a Big Tech marriage, whether or not we’re in love or not.
I’ll clarify how I moved my Gmail messages, why you would possibly wish to, and the way my e-mail swap was enabled by European bureaucrats who wish to make it simpler so that you can get a Big Tech divorce.
I’m not making an attempt to influence you to stop Gmail or Apple Photos. But you deserve actual freedom to select up your digital reminiscences and transfer to one thing higher. And there are too many obstacles in your approach.
How I took the exit ramp from Gmail
Proton pitches itself as a safer and personal e-mail service. It’s free to begin utilizing. Proton provides an “Easy Switch” characteristic with directions to maneuver your inbox messages from Google’s Gmail, Yahoo or Microsoft’s Outlook.
There’s not but a simple approach to switch messages from one other e-mail supplier, equivalent to Apple or your web service supplier.
I checked a field asking whether or not I wished to repeat simply my Gmail messages or additionally my Google calendar entries and cellphone contacts.
Next I entered my Gmail account password. The entire course of took me just some minutes. (Check out the One Tiny Win part under for extra detailed directions.)
After about three hours of Proton processing within the background, my Gmail messages completed flowing into my Proton inbox. The firm says this might take as much as a number of days.
The unique messages are nonetheless in my Gmail. New emails despatched to my Gmail tackle nonetheless present up in my Gmail inbox. This provides me an opportunity to check drive Proton with out committing to switching e-mail suppliers.
Proton additionally permits you to ahead emails mechanically from Gmail to Proton if you wish to wean your self off Gmail.
Proton stated that about 90 % of recent customers don’t pull in messages from one other service and as an alternative begin with an empty inbox.
Why you would possibly wish to think about an e-mail change
You know that “free” providers have strings hooked up. Google reveals you advertisements in Gmail based mostly in your on-line exercise whenever you’re logged into Google. (Gmail not scans your inbox to focus on advertisements.) It’s additionally useful to Google whenever you’re logged into Gmail and the corporate is aware of who you might be as you hop across the net.
Proton is without doubt one of the few surviving e-mail suppliers from a comparatively small firm, and it doesn’t promote advertisements or make cash in different methods out of your private data.
Google stated in a press release that its communication software program together with Gmail is “deeply committed to building a platform that’s an open and extensible foundation for our users, customers, partners, and developers.”
The Google consultant additionally pointed to the corporate’s work with a tech coalition to make it simpler for individuals to maneuver their information amongst completely different providers.
Andy Yen, Proton’s CEO, advised me that he doesn’t anticipate you to stop Gmail or no matter e-mail supplier you’re utilizing.
Yen imagines Proton because the place for communications that you just wish to preserve personal, like these amongst your family and friends or e-mail associated to your funds and well being.
“Our goal is not to be the only email account you use,” Yen stated. “It’s to be the email account for things that matter.”
Consider rigorously earlier than you switch emails as I did. Proton had a glimpse at my Google account information. I’ve executed sufficient reporting about Proton to belief the corporate however you positively shouldn’t belief simply any e-mail supplier.
Yen stated that Google did a rigorous safety verify earlier than Proton may entry a software program hyperlink to Google account information.
European regulation is liable for my e-mail change
Yen stated Proton’s Easy Switch characteristic was doable due to Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation.
That privateness legislation is liable for the fixed cookie pop-up messages you see on web sites. But GDPR additionally compelled many firms to allow you to transfer your information from one digital service to a different.
It’s not at all times simple or helpful to maneuver your information some other place. I downloaded 15 years of my tweets and different data from Twitter nevertheless it’s not like I’m going to switch it to Instagram or one thing.
Another European legislation, the Digital Markets Act, is making an attempt to go even additional.
The legislation could, for instance, require Google and Apple to allow you to extra simply again up your cellphone to Dropbox’s cloud, use Proton Mail whenever you faucet an e-mail tackle in your cellphone and pay for apps with out utilizing the businesses’ official app shops.
Google stated Android provides individuals selections equivalent to switching the built-in keyboard or messaging app and in some circumstances paying for apps with out utilizing a Google account.
It’s not clear but how Big Tech firms will change their providers to adjust to the legislation. Some elements of the DMA won’t make sense or face up to authorized challenges. But I consider the DMA is an fascinating try to loosen tech giants’ grip in your life.
I discovered it eye-opening to make use of Proton’s e-mail switch characteristic. It made me curious how simple it may be to modify out of different digital providers I take advantage of.
And even when you stick to Gmail, iCloud or Facebook Messenger without end, you need expertise firms to really feel terrified that you just would possibly ditch their merchandise at a second’s discover. That concern is what retains innovation alive for you.
But company terror is just actual if it’s really simple to modify.
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Here are extra particular steps to switch your Gmail messages to Proton Mail:
Your first transfer is to create a Proton Mail account when you don’t have one already. You could must pay Proton for it when you’re shifting numerous messages from Gmail or one other e-mail supplier.
Proton Mail provides you 500 MB of free digital storage and you may double that to 1 GB when you do just a few duties in your account. (My Google account says I’ve about 2.2 GB of Gmail messages.)
For comparability, Apple provides iPhone house owners 5 GB of free storage for e-mail, images and backups in your gadgets. Google provides 15 GB totally free for Gmail, its picture service, file storage and different cloud providers.
Proton has a 15 GB storage possibility for e-mail, digital file storage and extra that prices $4.99 a month and an “unlimited” account with 500 GB of storage for $11.99 a month.
Pro tip: If you’re paying for Proton Mail, you’ll lower your expenses when you purchase on Proton Mail’s web site and never within the Proton Mail apps for iPhone or Android gadgets.
Apple and Google’s app shops cover lower-priced digital subscription choices from you. Proton is among the many smaller tech firms which have picked fights with Apple and Google over their management of what you are able to do in apps.
From my Proton Mail inbox, I went to the Settings gear icon within the higher proper hand nook. Choose “Go to settings” → Import through Easy Switch → Gmail. Or that is the place you’ll be able to choose to repeat your e-mail messages from a Yahoo or Outlook account as an alternative.
Next I entered my Gmail account password. That was just about it.
You can select to maneuver solely your Gmail messages to Proton, or additionally switch your Google calendar entries and cellphone contacts.