Switching to Proton: A Practical Guide to Replacing the Google Ecosystem

Thinking about leaving Google without giving up convenience? Proton offers a privacy-focused ecosystem that covers email, cloud storage, passwords, calendars, VPN, documents, and more—all under one account with end-to-end encryption where possible.

A smooth migration works best in three stages:

• Start with Mail, Calendar & VPN: Import your emails, contacts, and calendar, then secure your internet connection with Proton VPN.
• Move Passwords & Files: Import passwords into Proton Pass, migrate files and photos to Proton Drive, and enable automatic photo backups.
• Finish with Docs & Sheets: Basic document editing and collaboration are available, although some advanced features and bulk imports are still limited.

Helpful features include:

• Email aliases to reduce spam and improve security.
• Built-in password management with two-factor authentication support.
• Secure file sharing with password protection and expiration dates.
• End-to-end encrypted video meetings, cloud storage, and document collaboration.

Before migrating, configure your account recovery options carefully. Because Proton uses strong encryption, losing both your password and recovery methods can permanently lock you out of your data. Overall, Proton provides a strong privacy-focused alternative, although some productivity tools are still catching up with established platforms.

Original video: I Rebuilt My Entire Digital Life on Proton: Full Walkthrough (en / 41:34) - Cloudwards (YouTube)