Proton Drive iOS and Android Apps Now Available for Encrypted Cloud Storage

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.

proton drive ios
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.

proton drive

"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.

Top Rated Comments

contacos Avatar
17 months ago
There is also a "end of year" sale right now with up to 40 % off on the Proton Unlimited subscription

https://proton.me/mail/black-friday?ref=bf_22_mail_new-banner
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
17 months ago

I see Proton critically. They say that they are all about privacy, but it is very hard to sign out for their services without giving them your mobile number.

And then of course their was this scandal:
https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/06/protonmail-logged-ip-address-of-french-activist-after-order-by-swiss-authorities

Of course a service based in Switzerland is still better than anything in the US, but you should never access any Proton services without Tor or a VPN.
I don't see a scandal. I see a company having to comply with local law enforcement.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xxray Avatar
17 months ago
Super excited for this. Proton is still developing a lot of basic features, but it’s actually a lot cheaper for me than paying for iCloud and a separate VPN, and I never have to worry about anyone being able to access my files but me. No stressing about Apple starting to invade my privacy with their iCloud photo scanning.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cyb3rdud3 Avatar
17 months ago

That is what I do not understand. Germany is in the EU?

Exactly.
Germany pretty much IS the EU
Germany has different rules, and guidance. Believe it or not, it is actually allowed in the EU for member states to deviate. Data-at-rest in Germany is very important to a lot of companies and people and one of those wonderful individual quirks within the EU :)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xxray Avatar
17 months ago

any reccomendations for other cloud storage providers, specifically onedrive? boxcryptor is basically dead following dropbox buying them.
Not a cloud provider, but you can use Cryptomator to make your files E2EE on most cloud providers.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
andreagrandi Avatar
17 months ago

Not a cloud provider, but you can use Cryptomator to make your files E2EE on most cloud providers.
I came to suggest exactly this :)

I've been using, for example, pCloud + Cryptomator for over 3 years now. It also has a nice iOS client and Files integration.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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