Getting Started With: ProtonMail

ProtonMail is one of the most reputable and innovating secure and private Email services available. It offers a solid free tier, and several outstanding paid tiers depending on your needs. The support PGP, forward-secrecy, zero-access, and very strong encryption options, including a way to encrypt messages outside of their system of servers.
If you’re using another “free” Email service like Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook then you should consider switching to a more secure option like ProtonMail.
ProtonMail:
protonmail.com/
ProtonMail Aliases:
protonmail.com/support/knowle...
Pixel Trackers in Embedded Email Images:
www.theverge.com/2019/7/3/206...
Malicious Code in Embedded Email Images:
securelist.com/png-embedded-m...
How to Recognize and Avoid Phishing Attacks:
www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles...
Timestamp Chapters:
00:00 Getting Started With: ProtonMail
00:57 Why You Might Consider a More Private Email
02:37 Download and Install ProtonMail
03:03 Setting Up Your ProtonMail Account
06:16 Sending an Email and Email Options
07:58 Overview of Settings in ProtonMail
10:06 Folders and Labels
10:35 ProtonMail Account Settings
11:59 Making ProtonMail Your Primary Mail App
12:15 ProtonMail Settings in the Browser
13:18 Setting Up Two-Factor Authentication for ProtonMail
13:55 Using Aliases in ProtonMail
14:56 Outro

[@astupidmonkeyygaming544]

Very well organized and informational. Another great video. I enjoy your descriptions and explaining on why and how these things work in conjunction with ProtonMail. Also, explained why it was so safe. Keep up the great work!

[@jehusecurity]

Monkeyy, thank you for great compliment! Ironically, while we were making this video we received an Email that started with, “I noticed you didn’t open our last email...” That’s a heck of way to say that the service uses pixel trackers.

[@godschild917]

Excellent video!!

[@jerryarnold1999]

Well explained, thank you for the video.

[@jehusecurity]

Jerry, thank you for watching our video.

[@sonnelighting3565]

Thank you.

[@jehusecurity]

Thank you, Sonne!

[@ninemoons9336]

Where do I go to resume my import to avoid cancelation?

[@deusvult539]

You seem to have a good knowledge of Proton but please help with this problem I clicked "Forgotten Password" and to complete the procedure had to recall "last known password used". I could not do so and now my complete encrypted account is unreadable in that it stays encrypted so I have now a situation in which I can use Proton only as a normal conventional email system e.g. Google, outlook, AOL, etc. Proton Support won't assist even although I have told them the new password that I have - I still don't have "last password used". What options do I have?

[@stevejarvis186]

BUT do Proton Mail really off a FREE service. I looked at this video and a couple of others and because you said they offerred a FREE email service I signed up. They also say on their website that they offer a FREE email service, and I signed up around 2 weeks ago but two days ago got an email from them saying I`d only gotten a few days left of my trial period? I`ve written them an email querying this but no response as yet.

[@spbaldwin]

Is there a way to have emails go to a specific folder without using an alias? How do you mass delete on the app?

[@jehusecurity]

Sean, unfortunately setting rules isn’t possible within the app on mobile devices. However, rules be easily configured in the browser mailbox and then are applied within the mobile app, too. These rules do not have to be made on aliases only, this is simply how we showed it in the video. Mass deletion is easiest in the browser but you can search and then long hold on an Email to allow you to select multiple messages. Signing out of the mobile app also removes the Emails from the device if you are concerned about crossing borders with Emails stored on your device.

[@alanzweig8168]

When you use a mail client bridge like with Apple mail, do the emails you send go though the Proton mail servers when receiving mail from other email providers?

[@jehusecurity]

Alan, yes they do. Proton uses the bridge to connect their emails through their servers and Apple Mail (or other mail clients like Thunderbird) simply display the emails. As a note though, do keep in mind that an email from a third party (i.e. Gmail, Yahoo, or any other non-ProtonMail provider) will still pass through that service’s servers. Meaning, if someone sends you an email from an @gmail account their email and it’s contents will be seen by Google before being transferred to Proton’s servers. You can send an encrypted email to these addresses from your ProtonMail account, which will prevent the other servers from scanning the contents. This provides privacy and security at the expense of some convenience (that is, the recipient will have to click a link to an https website to open and read the email). They can then respond through this to again prevent snooping.

[@alanzweig4799]

@@jehusecurity Thank you for the clear and comprehensive answer. If I am sending and receiving messages through the Proton Mail servers, even though my sender or recipient may be subject to privacy issues, my identity is not revealed? I understand the content of the email is vulnerable, but am I correct when I say my identity is still private?

[@jehusecurity]

@@alanzweig4799 It becomes a bit complicated, but at the core the answer could be that your identity is offered protection from being revealed. We don’t mean to speak in riddles, but the degree to which your identity is shielded would depend on a few details: 1) Does your ProtonMail email response give away your identity? (That might be if you have set your real name or a known sobriquet to the name field.) 2) How often have you emailed this person and could the contents of the emails revealed (or unmasked) your identity? (Such as referencing things, like accounts, that are clearly mapped to your real identity.) 3) Is it possible that your recipient knows your real identity and has saved your email as a contact tied to your real identity? (Google, Yahoo, and some others will have access to contacts saved in their users’ accounts and often in their devices, if the permissions are given.) 4) Do you send the emails encrypted, requiring them to enter a shared secret and access the email via a secure link? Depending on the answers to these questions (and some other matters) it could be that your identity is still protected. ProtonMail has among the highest thresholds for revealing account information, and it’s extremely unlikely that they would reveal it to any company or anyone who is not a Swiss legal authority even in those rare cases. Understand, though, that email is considered terribly open. Among other things, your IP address can be transmitted in the header of the email. If your threat model calls for discreet communication which protects your identity, then it may be better to seek other forms of communication. Signal, Wickr Me, and Threema are great options for full featured messengers. We have videos currently on the first two. Onion Chat is another possible way, but isn’t as feature rich or as intuitive for many. We do have plans to include videos for Threema and Onion Chat in the near future.

[@kjbrocky]

Can I email with protonmail to non-protonmail users just like normal email? I've heard that you can choose the lock/key code or not. I'm confused..Thanks!

[@jehusecurity]

You absolutely can! The email works exactly the same as any other service, and emails to outside servers (non-ProtonMail) work great. What ProtonMail enables is the ability to send a special encrypted email to outside services (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.), but only if you select it during the message composition. You will lose some of the privacy value because the other service provider may read your email once it gets to their server.

[@jamesfreeman2258]

I'm a complete novice, and watched cause I'm interested in the product. The posts I read seem more knowledgeable than me. However, tge only thing I can say is thanks for the information. Also, can you slow down your information on the different fields on the proton app? It was for me way too fast to absorb.

[@jehusecurity]

Thank you for the feedback! We will absolutely make an effort to produce better quality and more user-friendly videos for our next tutorials and guides.

[@jehusecurity]

This is just an example of why we recommend a private and secure Email provider, such as ProtonMail or Tutanota. www.bbc.com/news/technology-56071437

[@SinenBazian]

i cant recieve any emails using my proton mailbox

[@vwy9892]

What happens if I pay for it, then create aliases and stop paying for it in the future? Will my aliases be deleted or something?

[@jehusecurity]

Vwy, thanks for watching the video. If you have a paid account, or have at any time in that account’s history, then nothing happens. Proton has stated that accounts that have ever been paid, even if they are subsequently downgraded to free, are exempt from inactivation. However, if it is a free account (and always has been) then after 12 months they only reserve the right to inactivate it and/or delete all data. It sounds like they lean towards more leniency here rather than strictly locking and deleting accounts.

[@kathleensteeves488]

I’m not receiving…..???

[@jasonhiggins.3853]

Hi how can i add an unsubscribe link to my proton emails? thanks Jason Higgins

[@jehusecurity]

Jason, perhaps the most straight forward method of doing this would be to set up a signature block just for any emails you send based on a subscription list. In the signature block you can include a link to a web form (if you have one on a website) or a link to open an email to an unsubscribe address (let’s say a “mailto:unsubscribe[at]example[dot]com”). In our experience adding links in ProtonMail are straighforward to navigate.

[@emmaawaiteykudjo14]

Can I email with protonmail to secmail ?

[@jehusecurity]

Emma, yes you can!

[@familygrant2900]

how can i block another emailer on proton mail?

[@jehusecurity]

Family Grant, you can block email addresses (or even entire domains) from the web interface. There isn’t an option for this on the mobile, which we admit is odd. Go to Settings → Filters → Spam filters → Block List → Add. You can mark an email address as Spam from the mobile app which will still deliver the email address but send it directly to the spam folder, but this may not be desirable in certain cases. In those cases you would need to login on a browser and block the address.

[@ivanpeterjameswavell3490]

I was a member of Proton until June the 1st last year when it's suddenly no longer work because I have done nothing wrong only told the truth about 90 domination after watching hunting Hitler on Sky history 2 and I would like to go back

[@ThaLintons]

You stop making videos?

[@AnonymousYT-oy8fm]

protonVPN, protonmaiL, protondrive, they're tracking you, reading your e-maiL, reading the digitaL data, sharing your data to 3rd party and governments.

[@jehusecurity]

Anonymous0893, we haven’t seen any research or reports that indicate what you describe is actually happening, but we’d be glad to review any sources you could provide to improve our understanding. For individuals with very high threat models there are few solutions that provide near-perfect privacy. However, for the average person with low to moderate threat models we understand the Email services we recommend to be a drastic improvement for privacy.

[@arsenez]

False assertion. It is 0knowledge. They cannot read neither the authority.

[@tincanboat]

it is out of focus

[@DEWorDEWnot]

Miserable to watch. you went thru way to fast making it difficult to even freeze the frame to see what you are talking about.

[@Flat_Earth_Addy]

Protonmail is the WORST email service!..

[@jehusecurity]

Lucy, it’s unfortunate you feel this way or had a bad experience. We have nothing but a great experience for years.

[@Flat_Earth_Addy]

@@jehusecurity Well you're lucky then. But I'm not alone. Thousands of people have had their lives ruined byProtonMail. Sure, the CIA spies on me through Gmail. But they never caused me any problems!

[@deusvult539]

@@jehusecurity Ok for you, Jehu. You are a professional IT geek. Most of us are not.