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You can move from Google to Proton without abandoning your history, but it is a staged migration rather than a one-click replacement. Use Proton Easy Switch for Gmail messages, contacts, and calendar events; use Google Takeout followed by a local upload for Drive and Photos; keep Gmail connected or accessible while you update accounts and verify the results.
Mail history, future mail, calendar changes, Drive files, and Photos each follow a different path. Treat them as separate workstreams, test the destination, and only then disconnect or delete the Google account.
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What moves directly, and what needs a separate export
Proton’s migration tools do not handle every Google service in the same way. Easy Switch can bring in existing Gmail messages, contacts, and calendar events. It can also connect an individual Gmail address so messages sent to the old address continue arriving in Proton Mail. That connection is not a complete two-way mailbox sync.
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Google Drive and Google Photos use a different workflow: create a Google Takeout export, download every archive part to your computer, unzip the files, and upload the result to Proton Drive or Proton Photos. A computer with enough free storage is required for this staging step. A portable external drive can provide extra space or a backup, but it is optional.
| Google data | Proton path | What the result means |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail messages | Mail settings → Import via Easy Switch → Google | Historical messages are copied. A later option can request all messages. |
| Gmail address | Authorize a Gmail connection during Easy Switch | Future messages can be received and sent from Proton, subject to connection limits. |
| Contacts | Easy Switch contact import | Up to 10,000 contacts are supported in the customizable import described by Proton. |
| Google Calendar | Calendar app → Easy Switch | One-time event copy; use an external-calendar subscription for continuing updates. |
| Google Drive | Google Takeout → unzip locally → Proton Drive upload | Folder structure is retained, but split archives may need reorganizing. |
| Google Photos | Google Takeout → unzip locally → Proton Photos web or Windows import | Photos and videos are copied; folder-derived albums may differ from Google Photos albums. |
Stage 1: inventory your Google account before touching anything
Start with an inventory, not an export. Write down every service and data set that matters so you can verify each one later.
List the Gmail material that must survive
- Old and recent messages, including messages stored outside the Inbox.
- Labels, nested labels, folders, starred messages, and messages with important attachments.
- Contacts, contact groups, and addresses used for account recovery.
- Any filters that automatically archive or skip the Gmail Inbox.
Labels and folders may not look identical after import. Proton supports three folder-hierarchy levels; deeper Gmail structures are reorganized during import. Nested labels can appear in a flattened parent–nested format, so record the structure of critical mail before you begin.
Record every calendar and file location
- Each Google Calendar, including shared calendars and calendars used only for subscriptions.
- Recurring events, reminders, invitations, and events belonging to other people.
- Drive folders, shared items, Google-native documents, and files that must remain editable.
- Photos albums, year or event groupings, and videos that are difficult to recreate.
Identify account dependencies
List banking, healthcare, government, payment, shopping, employment, school, and social accounts that use your Gmail address. Include password managers, two-factor authentication destinations, recovery email addresses, and services that send security alerts. These changes are part of the migration: importing mail alone does not change where those services send messages.
Confirm which Google edition you use
The personal Gmail instructions apply to non-Workspace Google accounts. Google Workspace migrations use a separate business workflow requiring a Proton administrator and a Google Workspace administrator. Do not apply the consumer Easy Switch connection procedure to a Workspace domain or a custom-domain mailbox.
Stage 2: check storage and create a safe staging area
Check available Proton storage before starting Easy Switch, and check free local storage before creating Takeout archives. The exact Proton quota and the size of an individual Google library vary by plan and account, so there is no universal amount to reserve. Your computer must have enough room for downloaded archive parts plus the unzipped files; unzipping can temporarily require additional space.
An external hard drive is useful when the computer cannot hold the Takeout export or when you want a second copy before deleting anything. Proton’s documented process does not require one. Do not erase the Google originals while an export is still being checked.
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Stage 3: import Gmail, contacts, and calendar data with Easy Switch
Start the Google authorization
- Open Proton Mail in a browser.
- Open Settings and choose Import via Easy Switch.
- Select Google.
- Sign in to the Google account you are moving and approve the permissions Proton requests.
- If Google shows a permissions warning, grant the requested scopes. Proton says that denying required permissions can produce a setup error.
During setup, choose whether to import email. Proton’s initial Gmail setup imports recent mail and uses up to 80% of the available Proton storage for that operation. After it finishes, More import options can be used to request all Gmail messages.
Choose a targeted import when a full copy is unnecessary
The customizable flow lets you select Emails, Contacts, and Calendars independently. For email, you can change the date range or select folders and apply an import label. For calendars, you can merge an imported calendar with an existing Proton calendar. The documented contact limit for this flow is 10,000 contacts.
Repeating an import does not duplicate messages that Proton has already imported, according to Proton’s support guidance. Even so, keep the source account available until you have checked representative messages and attachments.
Watch the import status
Easy Switch runs jobs in the background. Open the import-status view rather than assuming the job completed. Proton provides current and past status and controls to pause, resume, or cancel an import. A paused or failed job should be resolved before you begin account cutover.
Decide whether to connect the Gmail address after importing
Importing is about history; connecting is about continuity. During Easy Switch, you can authorize Proton to keep receiving messages sent to the old Gmail address and to send from that address within Proton Mail.
| Choice | Best fit | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Import only | You want a clean Proton inbox and can update every sender and account promptly. | New mail sent to Gmail remains in Gmail unless you continue checking it. |
| Import plus Gmail connection | You need a transition period while contacts and online accounts are updated. | It is not two-way mailbox synchronization; read state, stars, and folder moves do not mirror. |
The connection is for individual Google accounts. Proton’s personal guidance says Google Workspace accounts and custom-domain addresses are not supported for this connection. Gmail filters that skip the Inbox can also prevent connected messages from appearing in Proton, so review those filters before relying on the connection.
Because read/unread state and folder changes do not synchronize, decide which service is authoritative during the transition. If you archive or move a message in Gmail while working in Proton, do not expect the other mailbox to reflect that action.
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Import Google Calendar correctly
Run the one-time calendar import
- Open Proton Calendar on the web or Android.
- Use the Calendar app’s Easy Switch option.
- Authorize Google and select the calendars to import.
- Choose whether to merge an imported calendar with an existing Proton calendar when that is appropriate.
- Let the background job finish, then inspect recurring events, time zones, reminders, and representative invitations.
“Easy Switch performs a one-time import, not an ongoing sync, between your third-party calendar and Proton Calendar.” — Proton support documentation, “How to import calendars from Google Calendar with Easy Switch.”
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Proton’s calendar guidance says free accounts can have three calendars, so a free-account user may need to merge an imported calendar with an existing one. A separate troubleshooting page states that a Proton account supports up to 20 calendars; above that count, merge, skip, or remove calendars. These are Proton-documented figures accessed in 2026 and should be checked against the current plan and app behavior before you migrate.
Keep future changes visible
If the Google calendar will continue changing, subscribe to the external calendar using Proton’s documented subscription route. A subscription is the option Proton recommends for continuous updates; it is not the same as importing events into a fully independent Proton calendar.
Invitations sent to the Gmail address can still be added to Proton Calendar, but test the actual invitation flow with a spare event. When you are ready, ask regular contacts and organizations to use your new Proton address and update the services that generate calendar invitations.
Move Google Drive files through Takeout and Proton Drive
Create and download the export
- Open Google Takeout and select Google Drive for export.
- Create the export using the available archive settings.
- Download every archive part, not just the first file.
- Confirm that each part finished downloading before closing the browser or deleting temporary files.
- Unzip the complete set into a local staging folder.
The Takeout process can split a large export into several archives. Missing one part produces an incomplete library that may look valid until you search for a specific folder or document.
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| Method | Use it when | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Proton Drive web | You have a smaller export or want to upload selected folders interactively. | It requires the browser session to remain usable while the upload runs. |
| Proton Drive Windows or macOS desktop app | You have many or very large folders and can leave a computer running. | It requires installing and configuring the desktop app, but Proton describes it as generally more stable and able to retry failed transfers automatically. |
- Open Proton Drive on the web or in the desktop app.
- Choose the upload command and select the unzipped Takeout folders.
- Preserve the top-level folder names so you can compare them with the Google inventory.
- Leave the app or browser running until the upload status reports completion.
- Open several important documents and download a test copy to confirm they are usable.
Proton Drive retains folder structure. When Takeout has been divided into multiple archives, however, duplicate or split folder paths can appear. Reorganize those folders after upload only after you have confirmed that every archive part was included.
Google-native files may arrive in an exported format selected during Takeout. Verify that critical documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and shared files open as expected before removing the Google originals.
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Move Google Photos without losing the library structure
Export every Photos archive part
- Open Google Takeout and select Google Photos.
- Create the export and choose the largest practical archive size to reduce the number of parts.
- Download all archive parts.
- Unzip them into a staging folder before importing anything.
- Review the folders by year or event and reorganize them if the export split has scattered related photos.
Photos from the same period can land in separate export folders when the archive is split. If the Windows importer uses folder names to create albums, that split can produce several albums where Google Photos showed one. Reorganizing folders by year or event before import can make the resulting albums easier to use.
Choose web or Windows import
Proton documents importing Photos through the web Photos tab or the Windows desktop app. The Windows app creates albums from folder names, skips duplicates, and ignores files that are not photos or videos. Web import is available when you do not want to install the Windows app, and imported items appear in the Photos timeline.
| Photos option | Strength | Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Web Photos import | Works from the browser and is suitable for selected uploads. | It does not provide the Windows importer’s folder-to-album workflow. |
| Windows desktop import | Uses folder names to organize albums and skips duplicate media. | Album results depend on how Takeout folders were split and named. |
Respect the documented album limits
Proton’s Windows Photos import documentation lists a limit of 500 albums total and 10,000 photos per album (Proton support figures accessed in 2026). If an import exceeds either limit, the process can stop with remaining content unimported. Treat these as current support-page limits rather than permanent guarantees, and divide oversized albums before starting.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Verify the destination before cutting over
Verification is the point at which you find missing archive parts, an incomplete background job, or a calendar that was merged into the wrong place. Keep Google accessible while you run this checklist.
- Email history: Find one very old message, one recent message, a message with an attachment, and a message stored under a label or folder.
- Future mail: Send a test message to the Gmail address and confirm the connected-delivery behavior. Send from Proton using the intended From address and check the reply path.
- Contacts: Check important people, groups, phone numbers, and recovery addresses. Confirm that a test compose window offers the expected contacts.
- Calendar: Compare representative events, recurring series, time zones, reminders, and invitation responses. Test a new invitation and confirm the external-calendar subscription if you enabled one.
- Drive: Open critical documents, inspect folder paths, check a shared or frequently edited file, and confirm that uploads report completion.
- Photos: Browse old and recent media, inspect videos, check album counts, and look for duplicate or split year/event albums.
- Account access: Sign in to Proton on the devices you actually use and confirm recovery methods before disconnecting Gmail.
Update accounts, then disconnect Gmail deliberately
Change the email address on important services before ending the Gmail connection. Prioritize banking, healthcare, government, payment-linked accounts, password managers, work or school portals, domain registrars, and any service that sends login or recovery codes.
After updates propagate, monitor both addresses for a transition period. Search Gmail for senders that still use the old address, then contact those senders or change the relevant account. Do not assume that an imported message means the originating service has been updated.
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Troubleshoot the failures most likely to cause data loss
Easy Switch reports an authorization or setup error
Restart the connection and grant every Google permission requested in the authorization screen. Incomplete scopes can prevent setup. Confirm that you are using a personal Gmail account rather than a Workspace or unsupported custom-domain address, and check the import-status page for a paused or failed job.
Messages are missing or labels look wrong
Check whether the initial run imported only recent mail. Use More import options to request all messages or a specific date range and folders. Expect structures deeper than three levels to be reorganized. Search by sender, subject, and attachment name rather than relying only on the folder tree.
Connected Gmail mail does not arrive
Review Gmail filters that skip the Inbox; those messages may not be delivered through the connection. Also remember that the connection does not synchronize read state, stars, or folder moves. If the address is a Workspace or custom-domain mailbox, use the applicable business migration path instead of the personal connection feature.
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Calendar events are stale
That behavior is expected after a one-time import. Subscribe to the external calendar for ongoing changes, or ask organizers to send future invitations to your Proton address. If the account has too many calendars, merge, skip, or remove calendars until it is within the applicable Proton limit.
Drive or Photos uploads appear incomplete
Confirm that every Takeout archive part was downloaded and unzipped. Check Proton’s upload status, resume failed transfers, and compare a few known files with the original inventory. For large Drive jobs, the desktop app’s automatic retries can be more dependable than repeatedly starting browser uploads.
Photos are in unexpected albums
Split archives can scatter one year or event across multiple folders. Reorganize the unzipped folders before importing, or merge the resulting Proton albums afterward. Ensure that an album stays below 10,000 photos and that the total remains below the documented 500-album Windows limit.
Personal Gmail and Workspace require different plans
A personal migration can follow the Easy Switch and Takeout sequence described here. A Google Workspace migration is an administrative project: Proton’s business workflow requires a Proton administrator and a Google Workspace administrator, with domain, user, and policy considerations that do not apply to a single consumer Gmail account.
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If your address uses a company domain, verify ownership, retention requirements, aliases, delegated mailboxes, and organizational calendars before changing anything. A consumer Gmail connection is not a substitute for that administrator-led process.
Quick Recap
A practical cutover schedule
- Day 1 — inventory: list mail, contacts, calendars, Drive folders, Photos albums, recovery routes, and account dependencies.
- Day 2 — prepare: check Proton and local storage, create a staging folder, and review Gmail filters and calendar count.
- Day 3 — import: run Easy Switch for mail, contacts, and calendars; start Takeout exports for Drive and Photos.
- Day 4 — upload: unzip every archive part, upload Drive and Photos, and reorganize split folders if needed.
- Day 5 — verify: use representative-message, event, document, photo, and invitation tests; resolve failed or paused jobs.
- After verification: update external accounts and contacts, continue monitoring both addresses, then disconnect Gmail when no critical dependency remains.
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