I want to use Outlook or Thunderbird with my free Proton account
Other mail apps only work through Proton Mail Bridge on a paid plan. On a free plan, use the Proton website or Proton apps.
Proton Mail Email: Settings, Sign-In & Fixes
Proton Mail is encrypted, so ordinary mail apps cannot connect to it directly. Outlook or Thunderbird only work through the Proton Mail Bridge program, which needs a paid plan.
Covers @proton.me, @protonmail.com, @pm.me. Run by Proton AG (Switzerland). Checked against Proton Mail's own help pages, November 2026.
Proton Mail email server settings
Proton Mail doesn't publish settings we could confirm, so we don't list any here (a wrong port causes more trouble than none). Use the settings on Proton Mail's own settings page. Desktop mail apps need Proton Mail Bridge (paid plans only) and the password Bridge shows you, not your Proton password. Free accounts use the Proton website or apps.
Email still not working?
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Common Proton Mail email problems
My mail app rejects my Proton password
Use the password shown in Bridge under "Mailbox details", not your Proton account password.
My mail app shows a certificate warning
Bridge uses its own certificate on your computer. Accept or confirm it for both incoming and outgoing mail.
Bridge stopped syncing after I changed my password
Sign back in to Bridge, then update the password in your mail app.
I need POP settings
Proton does not offer POP. Use Bridge (IMAP) or export your mail instead.
Problems that look the same on every provider
Can't sign in, or the password stopped working
- Sign in on the provider's own webmail page first. If that works, the problem is your mail app, not the account.
- If webmail rejects the password, use the provider's "Forgot password" page. Never use a reset link from an email you did not ask for.
- Many providers now need a separate app password (or their own sign-in screen) for Outlook, Apple Mail and phone apps. Your normal password will not work there.
Not receiving emails
- Check Spam, Junk and any filters or "blocked senders" in webmail.
- Check whether the mailbox is full; most providers stop accepting mail at the storage limit.
- If your app shows nothing new but webmail does, remove and re-add the account in the app using IMAP.
Can't send, or emails are stuck in the Outbox
- Check the outgoing (SMTP) server, port and security on this page against your app; old guides often list ports that no longer work.
- Turn on "My outgoing server requires authentication" and use the same username and password as incoming.
- Large attachments are a common cause. Remove the attachment and try again.
Contacts are getting spam from my address
- Change the password from webmail, then sign out of all other sessions if the provider offers it.
- Check forwarding rules, filters and the reply-to address in settings; attackers often add a hidden forward.
- Turn on two-step verification, and update the password anywhere else you used the same one.
Setting it up on a new phone or computer
- Use IMAP rather than POP so mail stays in sync across your phone, computer and webmail.
- Enter your full email address as the username unless the provider says otherwise.
- If the app offers the provider by name (Yahoo, Google, Outlook), choose that instead of "Other".
Sources: Proton: IMAP, SMTP and POP3 setup · Proton: SMTP submission · Proton: Bridge with Thunderbird on Windows · Proton: reset your password. Providers change settings from time to time; their own page is the final word.
Tried the steps and still stuck?
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