How to Migrate from Outlook / Hotmail to Proton Mail

Move your emails, contacts, and calendars from Microsoft Outlook or Hotmail — step by step, without losing anything.

March 2026 · 10 min read

Whether you've been using Hotmail since the 90s or you're on the modern Outlook.com, migrating to Proton Mail is a straightforward process. Proton has built tools specifically designed to make switching from Microsoft painless.

This guide covers everything — importing your entire mailbox, transferring contacts and calendars, and setting up automatic forwarding so you don't miss a single email during the transition.

Step 1: Import Your Emails with Easy Switch

Proton's Easy Switch tool connects directly to your Microsoft account and imports your emails automatically. It works with both Outlook.com and legacy Hotmail addresses.

1. Log into your Proton Mail account at mail.proton.me
2. Go to Settings → All settings → Import via Easy Switch
3. Click Import messages and select Outlook
4. Sign in with your Microsoft account and grant Proton permission to read your emails
5. Choose which folders to import — you can select all or pick specific ones
6. Optionally set a start date if you only want recent emails
7. Click Start import and let it run — large mailboxes may take several hours

You'll receive an email notification when the import finishes. You can also monitor progress from the Easy Switch settings page at any time.

Step 2: Import Your Contacts

You can import contacts directly via Easy Switch or manually export them from Outlook and import the file into Proton.

Option A: Easy Switch (Recommended)

1. In Proton Mail, go to Settings → Import via Easy Switch
2. Click Import contacts and select Outlook
3. Sign in with your Microsoft account and grant permission
4. Select which contact groups to import
5. Click Start import

Option B: Manual Export & Import

1. Go to outlook.live.com/people
2. Click Manage → Export contacts
3. Choose All contacts and click Export — this downloads a CSV file
4. In Proton Mail, go to Contacts in the left sidebar
5. Click Import (top-right) and upload the CSV file
6. Review the mapping and click Import to finish

Step 3: Import Your Calendars

Outlook calendars can be exported as ICS files and imported directly into Proton Calendar.

1. Go to outlook.live.com/calendar
2. Click the Settings gear icon → View all Outlook settings
3. Go to Calendar → Shared calendars
4. Under Publish a calendar, select the calendar you want to export
5. Choose Can view all details and click Publish
6. Copy the ICS link and open it in a new browser tab to download the file
7. In Proton Calendar, click Settings → Import
8. Upload the .ics file and choose which Proton calendar to import into

Step 4: Set Up Automatic Forwarding

While you transition, set up automatic forwarding so any emails sent to your old Outlook/Hotmail address are automatically delivered to your new Proton Mail inbox.

1. Go to outlook.live.com and sign in
2. Click the Settings gear icon → View all Outlook settings
3. Go to Mail → Forwarding
4. Toggle Enable forwarding on
5. Enter your new Proton Mail address in the forwarding field
6. Optionally tick Keep a copy of forwarded messages if you want a backup in Outlook
7. Click Save

Optional: Use Proton Mail Bridge for Desktop Clients

If you use a desktop email client like Thunderbird, Apple Mail, or even the Outlook desktop app, Proton Mail Bridge lets you connect your Proton account to these clients using standard IMAP/SMTP.

1. Download Proton Mail Bridge from proton.me/mail/bridge (requires a paid plan)
2. Install and sign in with your Proton account
3. Bridge generates local IMAP/SMTP credentials for your email client
4. Add a new account in your desktop client using the credentials Bridge provides
5. Your encrypted Proton emails will now sync to your desktop client

Post-Migration Checklist

Once your migration is complete, take these steps to fully secure your new setup:

• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your Proton account for maximum security
• Set up a recovery method — add a recovery email or phone number in Proton settings
• Update your email address on critical accounts: banking, government services, social media, and subscriptions
• Configure Proton Mail filters to organise incoming mail into folders automatically
• Explore Proton Calendar and Proton Drive as replacements for Outlook Calendar and OneDrive
• Set a reminder to disable forwarding from Outlook after 3–6 months once you're confident everything is updated