There’s no shortage of choice when it comes to email apps, and given that Google, Microsoft, and Apple all offer perfectly capable email services free of charge, the less well-known alternatives can often get largely ignored. It’s quicker and easier to just stick with the defaults.
However, if you do take time to look at some of the smaller email platforms that are available, you’ll find plenty in the way of useful features. You might even find you’re tempted to switch over, not least because these alternatives are less interested in collecting your data or keeping you locked into a particular ecosystem.
One app worth considering is Proton Mail, part of the larger Proton suite of tools. Built as a privacy-first solution by a team in Switzerland, you can sign up and use the service for free, or pay from $4 a month for extras—including more storage, more email addresses, and priority customer support.
You can read Jacob Roach’s review of Proton’s mail service, which he rates highly. The company also makes WIRED’s favorite VPN service, Proton VPN, and an excellent password manager.
Whether you’ve already signed up or you’re thinking about it, these four tips should help you get more out of your Proton Mail account.
1. Manage Newsletter Overload
Email newsletters certainly have their place—we’ve got a brilliant selection for you to choose from—but when everyone from your local car dealership to an app you uninstalled five years ago is sending regular missives to your inbox, it can start to be a serious drag on your time and energy. It also makes the genuinely useful newsletters harder to find in your inbox.
