How to Migrate from Outlook / Hotmail to Proton Mail

    A step-by-step guide to moving your emails, contacts, and calendars from Outlook or Hotmail to Proton Mail.

    JDCS
    By Jordan Dickson · Reviewed by CSG Security Engineers

    Updated June 2026 · 5 min read

    Leaving Outlook, Hotmail or Live 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 Outlook messages, contacts and calendar across in a single pass, with your folders recreated on the Proton side, 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 Outlook 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 Outlook 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
    • Swiss-based, no ads
    • One plan, every app
    Get Proton Unlimited
    Proton Mail
    Proton VPN
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    Proton Drive
    + Calendar

    Move your Outlook mail across with Easy Switch

    Easy Switch connects straight to your Microsoft account and pulls your email, contacts and calendar over in one go — recreating your Outlook folders on the Proton side as it goes. Four steps in Proton, then one quick setting back in Outlook, 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 Outlook account

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

    1. Under Choose your service to connect with, pick Outlook
    2. In the Import your data to Proton box, leave Emails, Contacts and Calendars ticked and click Continue
    3. Sign in to your Microsoft account in the popup, then on Let this app access your info? choose Accept so Proton Easy Switch 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 Outlook in Easy Switch and approving access in the Microsoft sign-in window

    Outlook users

    Microsoft 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 turned on two-step verification while securing your account, just approve the usual Microsoft prompt (no app password needed for the Easy Switch connection).
    3

    Customize your import

    Proton gathers your Outlook data and shows a Customize and confirm screen. This is your moment to tidy up before anything lands.

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

    Open Manage folders to choose which folders to bring over — system folders like Junk Email and Deleted Items 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@outlook.com

    Outlook · 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 Outlook folders to bring across

    Folders stay as folders

    Outlook already organises mail into folders, so Easy Switch maps them across one-to-one — Inbox to Inbox, Sent to Sent, and so on. There's no label-to-folder juggling like there is coming from Gmail, so your structure arrives intact.
    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 Outlook 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@outlook.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@outlook.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 Outlook import appearing as In progress

    5

    Forward new Outlook mail to Proton

    This last step happens back in Outlook, not Proton. The Easy Switch import is a one-time copy, so turn on forwarding to make sure new messages still reach your Proton inbox while you move your accounts across:

    1. In Outlook.com, open Settings (the gear, top-right) → Mail → Forwarding and IMAP
    2. Switch on Enable forwarding
    3. Enter your Proton address, and tick Keep a copy of forwarded messages so nothing is lost
    4. Click Save
    Microsoft

    Sign in

    yourname@outlook.com

    Password

    Forgot password?

    Sign in

    Enabling forwarding in Outlook.com settings and pointing it at a Proton address

    Switch it off once you're settled

    Forwarding is a safety net for the changeover, not a permanent setup. Once every account that matters is sending to your Proton address, come back to this screen and turn forwarding off.

    Troubleshooting & FAQs

    How long does an Outlook 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 Outlook folders be kept?
    Yes. Easy Switch recreates your Outlook folders as folders in Proton Mail, mapping them across one-to-one. Because Outlook already uses folders rather than labels, your structure arrives intact with no duplication.
    Does Easy Switch bring my contacts and calendar too?
    Yes — tick contacts and calendars on the Customize and confirm screen and your Outlook contacts and calendar come over in the same pass, with no separate export needed.
    Do I need to set up Outlook forwarding manually?
    Yes — for Outlook this step is on you. The Easy Switch import is a one-time transfer and doesn't keep syncing new mail by itself. To keep receiving messages at Proton while you move your accounts over, turn on auto-forwarding in Outlook.com under Settings → Mail → Forwarding and point it at your Proton address.
    I use two-step verification on my Microsoft account — will it still work?
    Yes. Connect through the Outlook option and approve the usual Microsoft sign-in prompt. You don't need an app password for the Easy Switch connection — the consent screen handles two-step verification for you.
    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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