How to forward your Gmail messages to Proton Mail

31 Oct 2024, 12:00 by Parth Shah · Android Police

Switching email providers isn't something we do often. While Gmail is the most popular offering, Proton Mail has become a strong contender due to its dedicated emphasis on privacy and security, cross-platform accessibility, and impressive feature set. Moving to a new email provider may appear challenging, but Proton manages the process well for transferring your existing and new Gmail messages on desktop computers and Android phones.

Why I ditched Gmail for Proton Mail

Two decades of Gmail was enough for me, thanks

Which services does Proton Mail support?

Proton offers a dedicated import tool that supports all the popular email providers, such as Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo. If you use another service, you may need to generate an app password or activate IMAP before you can import to Proton.

This arrangement ensures you can enjoy the advantages of end-to-end encryption and a privacy-centric platform without missing important messages during the transition. This guide provides detailed steps showing how to effortlessly forward your Gmail to Proton Mail, ensuring that you can relax with the confidence that your emails are protected.

Set up automatic Gmail forwarding to Proton Mail

While Proton offers mobile apps, its import tool is available only on the web. Follow the steps below to complete the forwarding setup.

Visit Proton Mail on the web and sign in with your account details.
Select the Settings gear in the upper-right corner and open All settings.
Scroll to Import via Easy Switch from the sidebar.
Select Set up auto-forwarding from Gmail.
Select Sign in with Google.
Follow the on-screen instructions to sign in with your Google account.
Review the permissions and check all the boxes.
Click Continue.

You'll see a confirmation banner from Proton about the forwarding process. Your upcoming Gmail messages will appear under your Proton Mail inbox. In our testing, the entire setup only took a couple of minutes.

After following the steps above, Gmail only forwards new emails to your Proton inbox. Your existing emails remain in your Gmail account only. If you wish to import them, you'll complete the import process from the same menu.

Additionally, based on our experience, the forwarding speed was rapid, ensuring you can easily access OTPs and other time-sensitive emails in no time.

Stop automatic Gmail forwarding to Proton Mail

If you no longer use the connected Gmail ID and want to stop the behavior, you can easily do so from Proton Settings. Here's what you'll do:

Go to Proton Mail web and open All settings (refer to the steps above).
Scroll to the History section and confirm your email ID.
Select Delete forward.
Click Remove to confirm your decision.

Fix Gmail not formatting emails to Proton Mail

Do you have issues receiving Gmail messages in your Proton Mail inbox? You may run into such instances when you accidentally revoke permissions for Proton in your Google account. You can resume the process using the steps below.

Go to Proton Settings on the web (refer to the steps above).
Scroll to the History section.
Select Resume under Actions for automatic forwarding.

You will start receiving all the upcoming Gmail messages in your Proton inbox.

Forward emails to Proton using Gmail Settings

You can also use Gmail on the web to forward your messages to the Proton email ID. That way, you have the flexibility to archive or delete your Gmail copy as well. Let's set it up.

Visit Gmail on the web and click the Settings gear at the top.
Open All settings.
Select Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
Click Add a forwarding address and enter your Proton ID from the pop-up menu.
Gmail asks for additional confirmation to verify your identity.
Select Proceed to confirm your forwarding email address.
Gmail sends a confirmation link to your Proton inbox.
Go to your Proton inbox and open the email.
Select the link to confirm your decision.
Move to Gmail Settings, select your Proton ID under the Forwarding menu, and choose one of the actions for your Gmail messages. You can keep Gmail's copy in the inbox, mark Gmail's copy as read, and archive or delete these messages.
Pick a relevant option and save changes.

That's it. You are all set to receive your Gmail messages in Proton Mail.

Forwarding Gmail messages to Proton Mail: FAQs

Are you still in two minds about forwarding Gmail messages to Proton Mail? Let's go over the commonly asked questions.

Are my Gmail messages encrypted when they are forwarded to Proton Mail?

Like your usual Proton emails, your Gmail messages are encrypted when they reach Proton's servers.

Does the system forward spam emails?

Whether you use Gmail's trick or rely on Proton's default method to set up forwarding, your setup won't forward emails from the spam folder.

What happens when you delete or archive a Gmail message in Proton Mail?

The actions you take regarding received Gmail messages are restricted to the Proton inbox. The emails in your Gmail inbox remain untouched.

Can I use filters on forwarded Gmail messages?

Yes, you can use filters and all the existing Proton Mail features on your received Gmail messages.

Can Google see my Proton email address?

When you use Proton's tool, it doesn't reveal your Proton mail address to Gmail. Google only knows that you used a Proton app to make the connection.

Complete your Proton Mail setup

Proton has done a commendable job by offering an import tool for existing Gmail and Outlook users. You can easily transfer your emails, calendars, and contacts from another service with only a few clicks. Remember, this is just one step in your journey to greater digital security.

Make sure to explore Proton's suite of productivity tools, including Proton Calendar, Drive, Docs, Pass, and VPN, to enhance your online privacy further and take full advantage of your Proton plan. Speaking of the Proton VPN, here is how you can use Proton VPN with any desktop browser.