Encrypted email provider ProtonMail opens to public, adds Android and iOS apps

[AZgl1500]

Seems that Apple, et all, is not the only business in the game of keeping things private.

Proton has been in the business for a while, and now they have their promised Secure Email app ready for us to play with.


http://www.techrepublic.com/article...d-and-ios-apps/?ftag=TRE684d531&bhid=23006433

ProtonMail, the Swiss provider of an end-to-end encrypted email service, announced Thursday that it was exiting beta and opening registrations to the general public. Additionally, the company announced free mobile apps for both Android and iOS.

Encryption is, without a doubt, leading conversations around information security. Following the Snowden revelations, and the more recent war between Apple and the FBI, ProtonMail couldn't have picked a more turbulent environment in which to go public. However, that could work in their favor, as increased questions about privacy have driven more people to seek encryption solutions.

 

[codesplice]

BTW, ProtonMail is/was the email provider of choice of Eliot, the hacker main character of Mr. Robot (great show). If it's good enough for Eliot, it's good enough for me!

Also important, here's the link to the app on the Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.protonmail.android

 

[AZgl1500]

I just installed the Android app, and it is totally useless to me, at the tender young age of 73.

I can't see a damn thing, I just sent in a special request to the developer to "Fix it" or I am gone.

the app is a horrible purplish pastel watery blend of colors all over the place.
The fonts are the smallest made, I can't see the screen unless I use a 5 inch magnifying glass, and I sure won't be doing that thru the day.

the app is useless to 50 percent of the male population in this world, we are all Pastel Color blind.

no where, does it allow you to change the background, the fonts, the colors, no where.

 

[girolez]

I agree about the colour scheme - especially the set up screens which were really hard to see (I'm only 55!)

 

[Hadron]

It's funny how human senses vary: I can't say it's the colour scheme I'd have chosen, but I had no difficulty at all.

(Fonts are slightly smaller than I set in AquaMail. I'm slightly younger than girolez, certainly using larger fonts these days than I used to a couple of decades ago).

 

[AZgl1500]

I got an email back from Proton, and they said they would look into it to see "if there is any reason to change things".
well piss on them, the app is useless for Color Blind people. I uninstalled it.

it is totally irresponsible for them to not give the user the option of changing the theme.

 

[Hadron]

Actually the settings are quite limited. The one that bothers me most isis that there doesn't seem to be an option to disable the swipe gesture: since I cannot set it to do the same as on Aquamail (move to next/previous message) I'd like to disable it rather than have it do things I'm not expecting. I have at least set it not to flag mail a spam though, as I don't want to do that by accident.

I may be sending them some feedback.

 

[svim]

So much anger and bitterness about the interface. Maybe temper your frustrations and expectations of entitlement by trying to look at this from the developers' point of view -- they felt this privacy issue was important enough that they created this mail app on their own time and offered it to the public for free.

 

[AZgl1500]

you totally miss the point, the display is just a faint mess of mottled purplish looking colors.
I cannot see any of the fonts on it, UNLESS a magnifying glass in used to see the screen and make it ten times bigger than it really is...

they don't even use a Black font, it is just a darker blue font. that is total disregard for the user, and to be so blase in their reply? uh huh, I have my opinion of them and it sticks. and it is their reply that formed my opinion....

I just went looking for it, but it got Trashed automatically after xx days of not pulling it back.

At least What'sApp gives you choices, and I will stay with WhatsApp..... might as well, Proton requires your recipient to also have their app anyway.

 

[Hadron]

Only for end to end encryption. You can send/receive mail to/from other systems perfectly well (I tested by mailing my regular work address).

 

[codesplice]

Tutanota is another free encrypted email service that may be worth checking out. It's been a minute since I used their app, but I don't remember any soft/muted colors.

 

[AZgl1500]

Tutanota is another free encrypted email service that may be worth checking out. It's been a minute since I used their app, but I don't remember any soft/muted colors.

do you know if that is available on the Apple Store?
my son has an iOS company phone, and he likes to keep his personal emails out of their snoopy eyeball range. So far, we have been using WhatsApp messaging for that purpose

 

[codesplice]

do you know if that is available on the Apple Store?
my son has an iOS company phone, and he likes to keep his personal emails out of their snoopy eyeball range. So far, we have been using WhatsApp messaging for that purpose

Looks like it: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tutanota/id922429609?mt=8

 

[girolez]

Having had a good look at protonmail, colour scheme aside, its a great app. Its the email equivalent of Telegram and because its based on email, much more useful because everyone can receive emails.

 

[El Presidente]

you totally miss the point, the display is just a faint mess of mottled purplish looking colors.
I cannot see any of the fonts on it, UNLESS a magnifying glass in used to see the screen and make it ten times bigger than it really is...

they don't even use a Black font, it is just a darker blue font. that is total disregard for the user, and to be so blase in their reply? uh huh, I have my opinion of them and it sticks. and it is their reply that formed my opinion....

It is free though, so if you don't like it, just don't use it (which is what you're doing).

Fwiw, I do tend to get riled up about silly stuff like colour schemes too (don't get me started on how pissed off I was with Material Design when it first rolled in to town), but for free apps etc, I just uninstall and move on.

The setup was horrible, in app it's more bearable, but still not ideal. It lacks configuration options and text is too small. I mean, I'm apparently not as old as some of you, but I'm certainly not a young man any more and I did find stuff hard to read.

 

[svim]

I'm sorry to be so blunt but this isn't an app designed to be convenient and user-friendly, its focus is on security. If you're more focused on encrypted communications and a GUI with a low-snooping factor it's a really interesting project with lots of potential. But if you want a mail app that primarily just looks good there are numerous options that are much more suitable. Bottom line is there's always a balance between security and convenience, and that still makes it really difficult to accommodate everyone's individual tastes.

 

[AZgl1500]

@svim
that is no excuse for them making it so damn hard to read, and choosing such a thin font.
I made my choice, I uninstalled it and will never look at anything of theirs again, no matter how great it might be.
you don't piss on someone with poor communications skills like they did and expect the customer "to like it".

 

[svim]

If it's really easy for you to read it's also easy for someone standing behind you to read. That's my point about low-snooping factor.
With so many other user-friendly mail apps on Google Play why is there do much bitterness about a product that's clearly not targeted at you? It's like complaining about a text editor because it doesn't have the same features as a word processor. Those are also two inter-related categories but have different end-uses.