1. Understand what ProtonMail offers. End-to-end encrypted email. Based in Switzerland (strong privacy laws). No phone number required. Free tier gives 500MB storage.
2. Go to proton.me. Click “Sign Up.” Select free plan.
3. Create username. Use fake name. Not your real name. Example: “marketplace.seller” or “refund.methods.”
4. Create password. Strong password. Write down on paper. Not digital.
5. Skip recovery email. Leave blank. Do not add phone number. Recovery options weaken anonymity.
6. Complete CAPTCHA. ProtonMail asks to prove you’re human.
7. Verify with email? No. ProtonMail doesn’t require verification for free accounts.
8. After signup, you have @PROTON.me email address. Also @protonmail.com works.
9. Access ProtonMail over Tor. Download Tor Browser. Go to proton.me. Log in. Your IP is hidden.
10. Use ProtonMail mobile app. iOS and Android. More convenient. Less anonymous than Tor.
11. Send encrypted email to other ProtonMail users. Messages are end-to-end encrypted. ProtonMail cannot read them.
12. Send encrypted email to non-ProtonMail users. Set expiration password. Share password via other channel (Signal, Telegram).
13. Set expiration time. Email self-destructs after 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week. Good for sensitive information.
14. Use aliases. ProtonMail gives 1 free alias. Create different addresses: contact@, sales@, support@. All go to same inbox.
15. Create multiple free accounts. Each free account gives 500MB. Use different usernames for different identities.
16. Delete account when done. Settings > Account > Delete account. All emails gone. No trace.
17. Use ProtonMail Bridge (paid). Connect ProtonMail to Outlook or Thunderbird. $5/month.
18. Use ProtonMail with custom domain (paid). Use your own domain with ProtonMail. $5/month.
19. Check email headers. Sent emails contain IP address. ProtonMail does not log IP. But your email client may.
20. Never use ProtonMail for illegal activity. ProtonMail complies with Swiss court orders. They log nothing, but if you’re a target, they can be compelled to log.
