this post was submitted on 22 Feb 2024
30 points (63.2% liked)

Proton

4565 readers
143 users here now

Empowering you to choose a better internet where privacy is the default. Protect yourself online with Proton Mail, Proton VPN, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive. Proton Pass and SimpleLogin.

Proton Mail is the world's largest secure email provider. Swiss, end-to-end encrypted, private, and free.

Proton VPN is the world’s only open-source, publicly audited, unlimited and free VPN. Swiss-based, no-ads, and no-logs.

Proton Calendar is the world's first end-to-end encrypted calendar that allows you to keep your life private.

Proton Drive is a free end-to-end encrypted cloud storage that allows you to securely backup and share your files. It's open source, publicly audited, and Swiss-based.

Proton Pass Proton Pass is a free and open-source password manager which brings a higher level of security with rigorous end-to-end encryption of all data (including usernames, URLs, notes, and more) and email alias support.

SimpleLogin lets you send and receive emails anonymously via easily-generated unique email aliases.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
ProtonPrivacy
alex_herrero
Nelizea
30
Proton now attempting to make users link their Google account (media.kbin.social)
submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/protonprivacy
39 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I guess their new free plan changes means they force you into linking your account with Google, make you spam done on a million websites as they try to make you change the email associated with them and to use their mobile app.

If you don't do these things you lose your free data allowance!
And as a paid user it's even more annoying shit to deal with when visiting your inbox!

The best part? Doesn't even allow you to dismiss it.

Why does Proton keep making the UX worse and they are getting more aggressive.

all 43 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] alex_herrero 46 points 4 months ago

It is an error. A fix to remove this is coming, as the team stated some hours ago:

"There is a fix incoming, thanks for your patience!"

https://www.reddit.com/r/ProtonMail/comments/1axhsfv/comment/kro14ta/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

[–] [email protected] 27 points 4 months ago (3 children)

as a paid user ive never seen anything like this

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

This is on a paid account, that's what's more disgusting. Maybe just a huge error on their end, but I still don't believe this is a good way to get business from their free accounts. Wanting people to link their account to a Google account when the goal and marketing is privacy??

[–] [email protected] 13 points 4 months ago (1 children)

it kinnd of looks like its just attempting to get you to setup alternative access methods so you dont get locked out of the account.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Nope, it just tells you some basic privacy info, wants you to link a Google account, wants you to change your account emails for different services (you have to click done on them all) and wants you to login on their mobile app.
It seems like this was their plan for adding the extra 5GB storage to free accounts, which I think is fair, if you are not forced to link a Google account, that's the worst offender here. It appears massively bugged though and probably should not be appearing on paid accounts at all.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I'm not sure what what you think is involved in "linking" your Gmail.

It's all standard procedure when switching to any new email address or service.
You go to your old email, set up an auto forward. That way while you're telling all your various accounts your new email address, you don't miss anything that's still going to the old address.

It doesn't give Google any access to your Proton account, Proton emails, or anything really. Just the knowledge that you're using another email. If that still bothers you, the address you have Gmail forward to could be a SimpleLogin address. That way even Google doesn't know what your new Proton email address is.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

The idea is to ease the transition away from your Google account.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I'm on the Unlimited plan and I got this same thing today in my inbox. It was weird because it was like "double your storage to a gig" , but I have 500 gigs.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Guys... That's very clearly a bug. It's the little thing they would show to new users, and they probably added it because they saw an influx of new users since they announced larger storage for free plans. It's an onboarding thing that is displayed to everyone by accident, i dont get the outrage. Plus you can just click the "x" button and it goes away

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Hopefully they fix it faster than the "email from the mobile app sends before saving the last live copy, truncating the email" issue they've been having for nearly a year and the "installing the VPN client on Linux will utterly break non-VPN connections" that has been plaguing Linux users since at least 2021.

I was an early adopter of Proton. Their new attitude of "features, not fixes" has me looking elsewhere.

[–] Nelizea 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

That should both not be an issue anymore. For Android, there's a fully rewritten App in beta status (https://proton.me/support/mail-android-beta) and the new Linux client has been released as well. (https://protonvpn.com/support/linux-vpn-setup/)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Last I checked, the former was still an issue.

The latter, I have not tried because its easier to just use OVPN and avoid thd app and its potential issues. Regardless, Proton left paying clients with two fundamentally broken apps for months to years.

Edit: The issues with the mail client persist.

[–] Nelizea 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Can you please report that behaviour through the app to the support team please? Feel free to DM me the ticket number. I'd like to forward that to the team for an internal follow up.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago

I thought this was just an attempt to help users move from gmail to proton?

I have a forward setup, was one of the first things I did when moving to protonmail.

[–] robolemmy 11 points 4 months ago (4 children)

I’m seeing it too, on a paid account. I opened a ticket with support and their response was that they’re looking into it.

It pisses me off to see crap like this. I pay to avoid ads and I’ve become hypersensitive to them. I know the hard core apologists will say it’s not an ad, but in my book it is.

I know how to use the service and I don’t give a fuck about how they think I should be using it.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It's a bug, bugs happen.

Source: am software engineer

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago

If only there were a way to pilot changes through a tier of users willing to act as testers.

[–] ArtVandelay 8 points 4 months ago

It's definitely an ad. Just because it happens to be from the same company doesn't make it not an ad.

[–] VerseAndVermin 7 points 4 months ago

It's an ad. Same with the offers to save for whatever the latest sale is. I'm already paying. Ya got me. Leave me alone.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Admitting you're hypersensitive is the first step to fixing your hypersensitivity.
Good work. Tomorrow you can take another step.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

If they keep this shit up, plenty of people will be taking the step to turning them into a historical footnote. Expecting the service you've paid for, without interruption, is not a difficult ask.

Except apparently for Proton, it is.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Yeah I'm getting the same thing on mine as an unlimited user. I think it's a bug since the window goes back even after I click maybe later.

Edit: the popup is gone today so it probably was a bug.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

yeah not to sound brainwashed but I also think it might just be a bug for paid accounts. it's also not hurting me, and doesn't affect my ability to check mail.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago

It popped up for me too on their unlimited plan. I clicked the X and went on with my life.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

What happens if you don't click the x?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I never managed to click the X once.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

You are clearly moving your mouse to the x in the video. Does this block your ability to use your account?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Yeah, perhaps the video doesn't showcase it, but it actually just comes back after a second, regardless of if I move my mouse or not.

No it doesn't, it just sits on the screen, if you have emails there it goes to that corner, then disappears after a second. It just jumps around appearing/disappearing as I go through stuff. Very annoying, but not actually blocking functionality.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Is this after creating a new account? I have a bunch of free accounts that I'm actually working to get them all upgraded to the new 1GB email and 5GB drive allowance. I haven't created a new account in a while so not sure if it's only for newly created accounts.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

No, this is an existing account with Proton Unlimited.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Huh, ok that's interesting. I haven't encountered that. I do remember seeing a pop up sometimes, but it's not the one you're seeing and it usually just happens one time on each account and doesn't bother me again.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Seems bugged. I assume it shouldn't even be appearing for paid accounts. And the linking a Google account shouldn't even be a thing at all.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

You keep saying linking a Google account, but nowhere do I see that happening. Setting up a mail forward is not in any way linking anything.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

It wants you to link accounts so Proton can automatically setup mail forwarding for you.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Ow I could just click 'x'

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago

I have a paid Proton account. I feel like part of what I'm paying for is to not see the word gugal, so I'd be unhappy if I did

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Would this just be the screen when you don't have any emails, or does it pop up on top of the emails? It's a bit hard to read on the gif because it keeps moving

If it blocks you from doing things, then that's bad. If it's just the "you don't have any emails, this is how you can get started", then I don't really see the problem.

Likely more users would want to see the options listed there, and people that don't want to link it can just ignore it till an email comes in. I'm assuming it disappears when emails come in

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Sorry, was showcasing how its bugged and I can't get rid of it (I never manage to click X, it just goes comes back to middle after a second regardless of what I do). If you have emails, it turns into that tiny version on the side, but again just randomly disappears, I managed to click X on it, but it came back again. Regardless of whether or not Proton should be doing this, the implementation is not robust and is broken for me.