ProtonMail begins testing for imap and smtp support

Secure email service ProtonMail begins testing imap and smtp support. It allows users to receive email in email clients. The support for imap has been lacking in the service until now.

The function is called ProtonMail Bridge, the service has announced in an email to users. The e-mail service has put a page online where users can sign up for the beta of Bridge. Out of those, ProtonMail will select “a few dozen” users to try out the feature in January. If the test is successful, the feature will be available to all users.

With Bridge, mail programs such as Outlook, AppleMail and Thunderbird can receive and send the encrypted mails. Users have to enter which client they use and which architecture the processor in their PC runs on, so it is obvious that Bridge requires a separate plug-in. ProtonMail supports Windows 7 and above, Linux and OS X. According to the service, imap support was a frequently requested feature. ProtonMail does not comment on support for Microsoft Exchange, another widely used e-mail protocol.

ProtonMail presents itself as a safe and free alternative to regular webmail services such as Yahoo Mail and Gmail. ProtonMail’s basic service is free, but the company hopes users will get the paid version to support the service and keep it running. The paid accounts are Proton’s only source of income, which, unlike other mail services, says it does not want to earn from advertisements.