How to Migrate from Gmail to Proton Mail

    Move your Gmail emails, contacts and calendars to Proton Mail with Easy Switch — your labels become folders, and forwarding is handled for you automatically.

    JDCS
    By Jordan Dickson · Reviewed by CSG Security Engineers

    Updated June 2026 · 5 min read

    Leaving Gmail for Proton Mail puts your inbox back in your own hands — and thanks to Proton's Easy Switch, most of the move happens for you. This guide shows you how to bring your Gmail messages, contacts and calendar across in a single pass, with your labels kept as folders, then keep an eye on anything still landing at your old address.
    Affiliate disclosure: if you create or upgrade a paid Proton plan through links on this page, CyberSecurityGuides may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we use and trust.

    First, you'll need a Proton account

    Easy Switch imports everything into a Proton account, so create one first if you don't have it yet. The free plan is fine for a quick try, but Gmail mailboxes are often large and free storage fills up fast — so if you're moving years of mail, a paid plan saves you stopping halfway. You'll also unlock extra security options and Proton's full suite of privacy apps.

    Already on Proton?

    Skip straight to the Easy Switch steps below.

    Proton Mail Plus

    More storage, your own custom domain and extra aliases — plenty of room for a full Gmail import.

    Get Mail Plus
    Proton Unlimited

    Proton Unlimited

    Everything in Mail Plus, plus VPN, Pass, Drive and Calendar in one encrypted plan — the full privacy stack.

    • End-to-end encrypted
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    Proton Mail
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    + Calendar

    Move your Gmail across with Easy Switch

    Easy Switch connects straight to Google and pulls your email, contacts and calendar over in one go — turning your Gmail labels into Proton folders along the way. Four steps and you're done.
    1

    Open Import via Easy Switch

    Everything happens inside Proton's settings. Once you're signed in to your Proton account:

    1. Open the Settings cog at the top-right of your inbox
    2. Select All settings
    3. Choose Import via Easy Switch from the left-hand menu
    P
    Search messages
    Y
    PProtonWelcome to Proton Mail9:14 AM
    GGitHubSign-in from a new deviceYesterday
    FFigmaYour weekly summaryMon
    Settings
    All settings
    LayoutRow
    DensityComfortable
    ComposerNormal
    Keyboard shortcuts

    Theme

    Sync with system
    Inbox

    Account

    Home
    Subscription
    Recovery
    Account and password
    Security and privacy
    Import via Easy Switch

    Proton Mail

    Messages and composing
    Filters

    Import via Easy Switch

    Bring over your email, calendar events, and contacts from another provider.

    Choose your service to connect with

    Google Yahoo Outlook

    More import options

    Opening the Import via Easy Switch page from the Proton inbox

    2

    Connect your Gmail account

    From the Easy Switch page, hook up the Gmail account you're leaving:

    1. Under Choose your service to connect with, pick Google
    2. Sign in with your Gmail address and password in the Google window
    3. Review what Proton is asking for and choose Allow so it can copy your mailbox over
    Inbox

    Account

    Home
    Subscription
    Recovery
    Account and password
    Security and privacy
    Import via Easy Switch

    Proton Mail

    Messages and composing
    Filters

    Import via Easy Switch

    Bring over your email, calendar events, and contacts from another provider.

    Choose your service to connect with

    Google Yahoo Outlook

    More import options

    Choosing Google in Easy Switch and approving access in the Google sign-in window

    Gmail users

    Google shows a consent screen listing the access Proton needs to copy your mail, contacts and calendar. You can disconnect it again any time from Easy Switch — and if you use 2-Step Verification, just approve the usual Google prompt (no app password needed for the Google connection).
    3

    Customize your import

    Proton gathers your Gmail data and shows a Customize and confirm screen. Gmail labels arrive as Proton folders, so this is your moment to tidy up before anything lands.

    Click Customize under Emails, give the import a clear label (your Gmail address works well), pick a colour you'll recognise, and Save.

    Open Manage folders to choose which labels to bring over — categories like Promotions, Social and Spam are usually safe to skip. Untick what you don't need and Save; unsure? Leave it all ticked, folders are easy to clear out later.

    Inbox

    Account

    Home
    Subscription
    Recovery
    Account and password
    Security and privacy
    Import via Easy Switch

    Proton Mail

    Messages and composing
    Filters

    Import via Easy Switch

    Bring over your email, calendar events, and contacts from another provider.

    Imports

    Imports show one-time transfers of email, calendars and contacts.

    yourname@gmail.com

    Google Mail · 17 Jun 2026

    Connected emails

    Connect and manage your external mailboxes in Proton Mail.

    Gathering your data

    We're gathering your data from your provider…

    Go back

    Customize and confirm screen — labelling the import and choosing which Gmail labels to bring across

    Labels become folders

    A Gmail message can carry several labels, so the same email may show up in more than one Proton folder. That's expected — it mirrors how Gmail had it organised.
    4

    Start the import

    With your selection set, kick it off:

    1. Check emails, contacts and calendars are ticked on the Customize and confirm screen
    2. Click Start import
    3. It all runs on Proton's servers — close the tab whenever you like and it carries on

    Large Gmail accounts can take a while, and messages filter in gradually rather than all at once, so don't worry if folders look sparse at first.

    Inbox

    Account

    Home
    Subscription
    Recovery
    Account and password
    Security and privacy
    Import via Easy Switch

    Proton Mail

    Messages and composing
    Filters

    Import via Easy Switch

    Bring over your email, calendar events, and contacts from another provider.

    Imports

    Imports show one-time transfers of email, calendars and contacts.

    No imports yet

    Connected emails

    Connect and manage your external mailboxes in Proton Mail.

    Customize and confirm

    Your data is ready to import from yourname@gmail.com to your Proton account.

    Just confirm your selection and we'll do the rest.

    Emails (all messages)

    Import all messages from 5 folders and label them as

    yourname@gmail.com

    Contacts

    All your contacts will be imported, up to a limit of 10000

    Calendar

    Import 5 of 5 calendars: Create 5 new calendars

    CancelStart import

    Clicking Start import and the Gmail import appearing as In progress

    Forwarding is handled for you

    Because Easy Switch keeps a connection to Gmail, new messages continue arriving in Proton automatically for a while after the import — no manual Gmail forwarding rule required. You can still add a permanent rule later in Gmail's Forwarding and POP/IMAP settings.

    Troubleshooting & FAQs

    How long does a Gmail import take?
    Anywhere from a few minutes to several hours depending on mailbox size. It runs in the background on Proton's servers and shows In progress under Settings → Import via Easy Switch — you can close the tab and it keeps going.
    Will my Gmail labels and folders be kept?
    Yes. Easy Switch recreates your Gmail labels as folders in Proton Mail. Since a Gmail message can have multiple labels, it may appear in more than one Proton folder.
    Does Easy Switch bring my contacts and calendar too?
    Yes — tick contacts and calendars on the Customize and confirm screen and your Google Contacts and Google Calendar come over in the same pass, with no separate export needed.
    Do I need to set up Gmail forwarding manually?
    Usually not. Easy Switch keeps a connection to Gmail so new mail continues arriving in Proton for a period after the import. If you want a permanent forwarding rule, you can still add one in Gmail's Forwarding and POP/IMAP settings.
    I use 2-Step Verification on Gmail — will it still work?
    Yes. Connect through the Google option and approve the usual Google sign-in prompt. You don't need an app password for the Easy Switch (Google) connection.
    Can I keep using a desktop client like Thunderbird or Outlook?
    Yes, with Proton Mail Bridge on a paid plan (Mail Plus or Unlimited). Bridge lets desktop clients connect to your Proton mailbox over IMAP/SMTP.

    Before you wrap up

    The import is the easy part. To get the full benefit of the switch, make sure the accounts that matter actually use your Proton address — and that the account itself is properly locked down.

    Security isn't automatic

    Moving your mail doesn't secure anything on its own. Your other accounts only gain Proton's protection once their contact email is your Proton address, and your Proton account is only as safe as the security settings you switch on.

    What to do next

    Update your accounts

    Switch your logins, bills and statements across to your new Proton address.
    Update your accounts

    Secure your new account

    Turn on two-factor authentication and lock the account down before you rely on it.
    Secure your Proton account
    Tags:
    Email Security
    Getting Started

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    JD

    Written by

    Jordan Dickson

    Founder, CyberSecurityGuides

    Founder of CyberSecurityGuides, writing practical, jargon-free guides that help everyday people recover from and protect against online attacks.

    Reviewed by CSG Security Engineers

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