How to Migrate to Proton Mail from Any Email Provider

Why Switch to Proton Mail?

Proton Mail offers end-to-end encryption, zero-access architecture, and is based in Switzerland under some of the world's strongest privacy laws. Whether you're switching from Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or any other provider, Proton makes migration straightforward.

This guide covers two migration paths:

• Easy Switch — Proton's automated import tool for Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo (imports emails, contacts, and calendars in one click)
• Manual Import — For any other email provider using standard export/import formats

Choose Your Migration Path

Your Current Provider	Recommended Method	What It Imports
Gmail	✅ Easy Switch	Emails, Contacts, Calendars
Outlook / Hotmail	✅ Easy Switch	Emails, Contacts, Calendars
Yahoo Mail	✅ Easy Switch	Emails, Contacts
iCloud Mail	📦 Manual Import	Emails (IMAP), Contacts (vCard), Calendar (.ics)
Any Other Provider	📦 Manual Import	Emails (IMAP), Contacts (CSV/vCard), Calendar (.ics)

Step 1: Import Emails with Easy Switch

Proton's Easy Switch tool connects directly to Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo and imports your emails, contacts, and calendars automatically.

1. Log in to mail.proton.me
2. Click Settings (gear icon) → All settings
3. Go to Import via Easy Switch
4. Click Start import
5. Select your provider: Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo
6. Sign in with your existing email credentials and grant Proton permission to read your mailbox
7. Choose what to import:
   • ✅ Emails — All mail or specific folders/labels
   • ✅ Contacts — Your full address book
   • ✅ Calendars — All calendar events (Gmail & Outlook only)
8. Click Start import — the process runs in the background

Step 2: Import Emails via IMAP

If your current provider isn't supported by Easy Switch, you can import emails using IMAP credentials. This works with virtually any email provider.

1. In Proton Mail, go to Settings → Import via Easy Switch
2. Click Start import → select Other email provider (IMAP)
3. Enter your current email address
4. Enter your IMAP server details:
   • IMAP Server — e.g., imap.yourprovider.com
   • Port — Usually 993 (SSL) or 143 (STARTTLS)
   • Username — Your full email address
   • Password — Your email password (or app-specific password if 2FA is enabled)
5. Proton will verify the connection and show your folder structure
6. Select which folders to import, then click Start import

Step 3: Import Contacts

If you used Easy Switch, your contacts were likely imported automatically. For manual imports or to ensure completeness:

Export Contacts from Your Current Provider

• Gmail: Go to contacts.google.com → Export → select vCard format
• Outlook: Go to outlook.live.com/people → Manage contacts → Export → CSV
• Yahoo: Go to contacts.yahoo.com → Actions → Export All → select Yahoo CSV
• iCloud: Go to icloud.com/contacts → Select All → Export vCard
• Other: Look for an Export option in your provider's contacts/address book — choose vCard (.vcf) or CSV

Import into Proton Mail

1. Go to contacts.proton.me
2. Click the Import button
3. Upload your .vcf or .csv file
4. Review the contacts and confirm the import

Step 4: Import Calendar Events

Easy Switch imports calendars from Gmail and Outlook automatically. For all other providers, export and import manually:

Export Your Calendar

• Gmail: Go to Google Calendar Settings → Export — downloads a .ics file
• Outlook: Go to Calendar → Settings → View all Outlook settings → Shared calendars → Publish a calendar → Download .ics
• Yahoo: Yahoo Calendar doesn't have a direct export. Use a third-party tool or manually recreate events
• iCloud: Go to icloud.com/calendar → Share calendar → Public Calendar → copy the URL and download the .ics file
• Other: Look for a Calendar Export or Download option — choose iCalendar (.ics) format

Import into Proton Calendar

1. Go to calendar.proton.me
2. Click the ⋮ menu next to your calendar name
3. Select Import events
4. Upload your .ics file and confirm

Step 5: Set Up Email Forwarding

To ensure you don't miss emails during your transition, set up forwarding from your old account to your new Proton address:

Provider-Specific Instructions

• Gmail: Settings → See all settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP → Add forwarding address → enter your Proton email → verify
• Outlook: Settings → View all Outlook settings → Mail → Forwarding → Enable forwarding → enter your Proton email
• Yahoo: Settings → More Settings → Mailboxes → select your Yahoo account → Forwarding → enter your Proton email
• iCloud: iCloud.com → Mail → Settings (gear icon) → Rules → Add Rule → forward to your Proton email
• Other: Look for Forwarding, Mail Rules, or Filters in your provider's settings

Step 6: Update Your Email on Important Accounts

This is the most tedious but most important step. Systematically update your email address on all services:

Priority 1 — Financial & Critical

• 🏦 Banking and financial institutions
• 💳 Credit cards and payment services (PayPal, Stripe)
• 🏥 Healthcare and insurance portals
• 🏛️ Government services (tax, benefits, ID)

Priority 2 — Security & Identity

• 🔐 Password manager account
• 📱 Apple ID / Google Account recovery email
• 💼 Work and professional accounts
• 🛡️ Two-factor authentication recovery email

Priority 3 — Daily Services

• 🛒 Shopping (Amazon, eBay, etc.)
• 📱 Social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X)
• 🎬 Streaming (Netflix, Spotify, YouTube)
• 📦 Delivery and subscription services

Priority 4 — Everything Else

• 📧 Newsletters and mailing lists
• 🎮 Gaming platforms
• ✈️ Travel and loyalty programmes
• 📰 News and media subscriptions

Step 7: Secure Your New Proton Account

Now that your migration is complete, lock down your new Proton account:

1. Enable Two-Factor Authentication — Settings → Security → Two-factor authentication → enable with an authenticator app
2. Save Your Recovery Phrase — Settings → Recovery → set a recovery email and save your recovery phrase offline
3. Review Login Sessions — Settings → Security → Sessions → revoke any you don't recognise
4. Consider Proton Pass — Use Proton's password manager to generate unique passwords for every service
5. Set Up Proton VPN — Add network-level privacy alongside your encrypted email

What's Next?

Now that you've migrated to Proton Mail, continue strengthening your digital security:

• 🔒 How to Secure Your Email Account — Universal hardening guide for all email providers
• 🛡️ Explore the Privacy Stack — Discover Proton's full suite including VPN, Drive, Calendar, and Pass
• 🔍 How to Tell If Your Email Has Been Hacked — Learn the warning signs of a compromised account