Swiss-based privacy startup Proton today announced the availability of mobile apps for its Proton Drive cloud storage service, providing users with an easier way to securely upload, store, and share files from their iOS and Android devices.
All files and folders uploaded to the storage service are protected by Proton's open-source, publicly-audited end-to-end encryption, which uses on-device encryption keys ensuring no one else – not even Proton – has access to the contents. That includes associated metadata, such as file and folder names, real file size, file extensions, thumbnails, and more.
Data uploaded and stored on Proton's servers reside in data centers in Switzerland and Germany, giving users strong legal and hardware protections (the company claims it falls outside US and EU jurisdiction and isn't subject to intelligence-sharing agreements). There are no file size limits, so users can share and transfer large files securely.
The apps also offer offline access to files and folders so they can be accessed without an internet connection. If offline access is activated for a file or folder, they are encrypted and saved on-device so that they can only be accessed through the Proton Drive app.
In addition, users can generate secure file-sharing links from the Proton Drive app that can be shared with others, even if they don't have a Proton account. Shared files are similarly delivered in an encrypted environment and can be downloaded securely by recipients.
Proton Drive offers a free version with 1GB of cloud storage, while users subscribing to 500GB of encrypted storage ($9.99/month) via the Proton Unlimited plan also get Proton Mail, Proton Calendar, and Proton VPN. There's also an individual Proton Drive subscription that offers 200GB of storage for $3.99 a month.
"People have historically had very few options for secure personal cloud storage," said Andy Yen, founder and CEO of Proton. "While there have always been apps to upload and store files on your phone, they provide poor privacy, and data leaks from mobile devices are common. Proton Drive brings end-to-end encrypted file storage to iOS and Android and aligns with Proton's mission to ensure that privacy tools are easy to use and freely available."
The Proton Drive app is available as a free download from the App Store and Google Play Store. Proton says a Proton Drive Windows app will be available in beta shortly, followed by an app for macOS.
