We have some news regarding our iOS and Android mobile apps which we can now share with the community. Due to more limited staffing over the weekend, we typically can’t do major releases at the end of the week.
However, we decided to go ahead with a more limited release of the iOS and Android apps. The Proton Mail mobile app is now available in the Apple App store(new window) and Google Play store(new window) in Switzerland only.
Switzerland is where we are based and our home, and we have received incredible support over the years from the Proton Mail community in Switzerland. Whether it is helping us fight off one of the largest DDoS attacks(new window), or helping to force a nationwide referendum on surveillance(new window), the Swiss community has always helped to defend privacy. Switzerland is also the country with the highest proportion of users who have upgraded to paid Proton Mail plans(new window) to support our continued development, so it is natural to release first in Switzerland.
We will do a global release fairly soon. We are waiting on a couple things. First, we need to schedule the 24/7 shifts for the period around the release since we have to keep an eye out on server loads. While we were waiting for Apple, we also started on two new features on the webapp which are almost completed now, and given how close they are to completion, we will finish that development and launch with them. Finally, we need to provide more time for the reviewers and bloggers writing about the app to publish their reviews and guides.
As we announced earlier this week, it is possible to get immediate access to the mobile apps for free. We are giving access to iOS and Android to bloggers interested in writing about the Proton Mail iOS/Android apps prior to the worldwide release. To get immediate access, please email media@proton.me.
We are doing this based off of our experience from the release of Proton Mail custom domains(new window). Upon release, our support team was quickly overwhelmed with questions. However, some bloggers were able to quickly put out great Proton Mail custom domain guides which helped to answer many questions from the community and reduced our customer support load immensely. By letting the blogosphere get earlier access to the apps before launch, there will already be a pool of articles and resources available for new Proton Mail users by the time the apps hit the app store worldwide. If you are interested in helping with this effort, please get in touch with us!
We look forward to very soon getting secure email apps out to the entire world. For users who do not entirely trust Apple or Google, we will continue to distribute apps in parallel via our beta program(new window) even after the public release, and beta participants will continue to get new features well before public release, and help decide features to add to the apps. The app today has been largely shaped by the feedback provided by the beta participants, and we will continue with this development model in the future.
