I recently created a proton mail account after downloading the app from the play store using a Gmail account. Was this a mistake? Also, when using proton mail through other apps downloaded from the play store, will I be indavertently sharing my data with google, defeating the purpose of my switch to proton? I like proton’s interface better anyway, but if there’s no advantage it might be better to have just two email addresses (Microsoft and Gmail)
Was this a mistake?
Clarifying: are you asking if downloading the Proton Mail app through the Google Play Store gives Google access to your Proton account? If so, the answer is no.
Yes, thank you!
First. Let me explain some bits about the Play Store. You are using the Google Play store, so of course, it stores the list of installed apps on your Google account. That’s fairly obvious. However, the relation with the apps generally end there. Some apps might have Google account integration (Google Games for example, or just as a login method) but not more than that. There’s also potential Google ads and Crashalytics, but it ain’t “directly” connected to your Google account (It link your device through an unique ID, which Google could correlate with your logged Google account on this device)
That out of the way :
- ProtonMail android app doesn’t use any of those Google stuff in it.
- You can download their app separately of the Google Play Store. Throught their website, source-code release or F-Droid (Depending of their project. Proton isn’t consistency with those)
- ProtonMail don’t care about your Google account, outside of importing your emails into your new Protonnail account if you choose to do so.
Also, there is still a privacy gain, from using an email address from Protonmail, but only when you use it. It is just a better and more private e-mail provider. If you keep using a Gmail and Outlook email, than you will still issues with those emails addresses be used and read, for ads and analytics.
Do note you can use your protonmail address on your Google and Microsoft account. Those services just tend to automatically create an email account on their respectice services by default (Gmail & Outlook) but they aren’t required.
Ok so would you advise:
- creating a Gmail account for play store and signing up with proton in the apps
- or using the proton email for play store and apps
