Proton, widely recognized for its commitment to providing secure, private, and anonymous digital services, has been steadily diversifying its offerings. Beyond its well-known secure email service, Proton has introduced additional services including calendars, a VPN solution, a password manager, and Proton Drive, a cloud storage platform designed with privacy in mind. Operating from Switzerland, a country renowned for its stringent privacy laws, Proton continues to expand and improve its services in response to user demands for heightened data protection.
The latest addition to Proton Drive, currently available exclusively on the Android platform, addresses a significant user need – the ability to securely back up photos to the cloud. This feature is a major enhancement to Proton’s privacy-centric cloud storage, ensuring that users can confidently back up their photos, even in cases of a lost or stolen smartphone. Given the vast number of photos taken daily using smartphones, this feature has substantial relevance.
Proton Drive leverages end-to-end encryption, a hallmark of the company’s commitment to data security. This encryption ensures that all photos are fully encrypted prior to transmission over the internet, offering robust protection against cyber threats. Importantly, even Proton itself cannot access the photos stored within the service. Beyond simple photo backup, users can utilize Proton Drive as their primary photo application, freeing up local device storage and offering centralized access to their photo collection.
Key features of Proton Drive’s photo backup functionality include:
- Secure Photo and Video Backup: Users can securely back up both photos and videos within Proton Drive, maintaining privacy and security.
- Cross-Device Access: Proton Drive facilitates seamless synchronization of camera and gallery uploads across multiple Android devices, providing accessibility whenever and wherever needed.
- Simple Configuration: The backup feature is designed for ease of use, automatically uploading all photos and videos to the cloud once configured.
- User-Friendly Management: The “Photos” tab offers an intuitive interface to view recently uploaded photos and provides convenient filtering options.
- Offline Accessibility: Users can access their most recent photos offline, with an “Available offline” feature enabling local downloads, ensuring that critical photos remain accessible at all times.
While Proton Drive offers an initial 1GB of free storage, users requiring additional capacity can explore several paid plans:
- Proton Unlimited: Priced at €9.99 per month (annual payment), this plan offers 500GB of secure storage and grants full access to Proton’s premium services.
- Proton Family: Designed for families or small groups, this plan, priced at €23.99 per month (annual payment), extends the benefits of Proton Unlimited. It accommodates up to six users and provides a combined storage capacity of 3TB.
- Drive Plus: For €3.99 per month (annual payment), users can access an additional 200GB of storage capacity within their Drive account.
Proton Drive’s new photo backup feature is an attractive solution for securely backing up photos to the cloud while prioritizing privacy and data protection.