Proton Mail does not offer direct IMAP, SMTP or POP3 access. To use your Proton Mail account in a desktop email program such as Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird or Apple Mail, you install Proton Mail Bridge. Bridge runs on your own computer (Windows, macOS or Linux, not mobile), encrypts and decrypts your mail as it enters and leaves your computer, and gives your email program a local IMAP and SMTP server to connect to.
Proton Mail Bridge is currently available only with a paid Proton Mail plan. Use these settings in your email program, and always copy the exact values from Mailbox details in the Bridge app:
Inbound Server:
| Type | Server Address | Port | Encryption |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMAP Server (local Bridge) | 127.0.0.1 | 1143 (default) | STARTTLS or SSL, as set in Bridge |
Outbound Server:
| Type | Server Address | Port | Encryption |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMTP Server (local Bridge) | 127.0.0.1 | 1025 (default) | STARTTLS or SSL, as set in Bridge |
Other Settings
- Username: the Proton Mail email address shown under Username in Bridge Mailbox details.
- Password: the password generated by Bridge, shown under Password in Mailbox details. Do not use your Proton account password. If your email program asks for separate IMAP and SMTP passwords, enter the same Bridge password in both.
- Server: 127.0.0.1 for both incoming and outgoing. Bridge talks to your email program on your own computer and this connection does not leave your device.
- Ports: Bridge uses 1143 for IMAP and 1025 for SMTP by default. If Bridge uses different ports on your computer, use the ones it shows.
- Encryption: Bridge adds STARTTLS or SSL between itself and your email program, using a self-signed certificate it creates when you first set it up. In Bridge, Settings > Advanced settings > Connection mode lets you switch between STARTTLS and SSL, so match your email program to what Bridge shows.
- POP3: Proton does not offer POP3. Bridge can download all your mail into your email client, and you can export it from there.
Set Up Proton Mail Bridge
There is no IMAP or SMTP switch to turn on in Proton Mail. Bridge itself is the server. To get started:
- Step 1: Make sure you have a paid Proton Mail plan, then download and install Proton Mail Bridge for your computer.
- Step 2: Open Bridge, enter your Proton account details and click Sign in.
- Step 3: Select your account in Bridge and open Mailbox details to see the username, password, server and ports.
- Step 4: Add the account to your email program, using the Configure email client button in Bridge for step-by-step help, or enter the details manually. Keep Bridge running and signed in whenever you use the email program.
Troubleshooting
- Invalid password or login failed: Your email program must use the password generated by Bridge, not your Proton account password. Check that Bridge is running and you are signed in, and replace any saved password with the current one from Mailbox details. If you removed and re-added your account in Bridge, the password may have changed.
- IMAP Login failed: This appears when your email program connects to Bridge but you are signed out of the app. Click Sign in in Bridge, then enter the IMAP password from Mailbox details > IMAP > Password if asked.
- Certificate warning: Because Bridge uses a certificate on your own device, it is not signed by a certificate authority and you have to confirm it in your email program. In Thunderbird, confirm the exception for both IMAP and SMTP. In Outlook on Windows, choose View Certificate > Install if you do not want to be asked every time.
- Port is already occupied: Bridge uses ports 1143 and 1025 by default. If another app is using one, go to Settings > Advanced settings > Default ports > Change, raise the number by one (1144 for IMAP or 1026 for SMTP) and save. Then update the ports in your email program if you already set it up.
- Bridge failed to connect to your email client: Proton suggests removing your Proton account from the email program, deleting the account in Bridge (trash icon) to reset its message cache, signing in again and repeating the setup.
- New Outlook: Proton says the new Outlook for Mac has known sync issues that only Microsoft can fix and does not recommend it. Use a recommended client such as Legacy Outlook, Apple Mail or Thunderbird, or the Proton Mail Desktop app.
Related: Keyboard shortcuts for Protonmail | List of privacy focused email providers | Hushmail SMTP Settings | Gmail SMTP Settings | Webmail Wiki Setup tool
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