This weekend I finally did it! I made the move from Gmail to Protonmail. It wasn’t easy and there was much internal conflict as I’ve had the same email address for many years. In this article I want to break down why I moved and what you can expect if you decide to make this same journey.
Why?
The main reason was privacy. I know Google claims they don’t scan your emails to serve up ads, but how can one truly be sure of that? I mean this is also the same company that shows me ads based on conversations I’ve had in real life (yes, I have an Android phone and have had Google home assistants). I made the decision a while ago that I was going to avoid using big name companies for services if possible. I realize I can’t exactly get away from using either an Apple or Android, but as far as email. I could do that!
But Gmail is free, why would you want to pay so much for Protonmail?
The answer is simple. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. I knew I would get a reliable service because I’ve done my research, and I’ve read reviews. Another thing that helped was that they were having an anniversary sale and I got two years for 70 bucks. That came out to be around 3 dollars a month and I could also use my Protonmail to host this website’s email!
What about your old email address?
I’m keeping it! I have setup forwards, but I can’t completely abandon it without losing services like YouTube. What I could do though was only use it for services that like to send me spam. Who cares if Google reads that (I know, they don’t read my email). There’s nothing wrong with having multiple emails but honestly, I created my Gmail address when I was into gaming and it’s not a great email to hand out during job interviews or signing up for in person services.
I’m sold! What do I have to do to switch?!
The first step is to go through your list of accounts and update your email addresses. Some sites make this easy and some make it extremely difficult if not impossible. I will say that it gave me the chance to go through all my accounts and really take stock on what’s important to me. What sites truly need my actual email address and which ones can go immediately to my junk folder. I also realized that this move also increased my security! For a little while I don’t have to worry about someone trying to password spray my accounts since not that many people have that address, and it hasn’t gotten a chance to be leaked to the darkweb… yet. With Protonmail you can also have up to 10 aliases, so the sites I didn’t want to have my actual email got an alias.
What about my old emails?! I don’t want to leave them behind!
Protonmail has thought of this. They have a built-in feature to help you transfer everything from Google to Protonmail. They will transfer contacts, calendars and even your massive amounts of email. They call this system their ‘Easy Switch’ option. (https://proton.me/support/switch-from-gmail-to-proton) You can switch from Microsoft, Yahoo, Google or Other (which I assume uses IMAP to transfer your email).
Conclusion: The End Results of My Switch
It took a while and was sometimes annoying, but I think it’s a good choice. I have supported a great cause and excellent system with a company that respects privacy. While I don’t have anything to hide in my email, I don’t like the idea of big companies selling my data even if they say they don’t. I also think my new address sounds more professional! I love the Protonmail interface and how snappy their system responds. All in all, I think I made a good choice and I encourage you to ask questions if you’re on the fence!
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