> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://sendroid.app/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Proton Mail

> Proton Mail Bridge and IMAP/SMTP setup

Proton Mail has limited third-party IMAP support. You typically connect standard mail clients through **Proton Mail Bridge** or a paid plan.

## Option 1: Proton Mail Bridge (recommended)

Bridge is a desktop app that exposes standard IMAP/SMTP locally. Free accounts can use it.

| Protocol | Address     | Port |
| -------- | ----------- | ---- |
| **IMAP** | `127.0.0.1` | 1143 |
| **SMTP** | `127.0.0.1` | 1025 |

* **Username**: Proton Mail address
* **Password**: Generated in the Bridge UI—not your Proton login password

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install Bridge">
    Download and install Proton Mail Bridge from the [Proton website](https://proton.me/mail/bridge).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Sign in and get credentials">
    Sign in to Bridge and copy the IMAP/SMTP username and password it generates for your mail client.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure your client">
    Enter the local address and Bridge credentials in your mail client. Keep Bridge running while you use the client.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Option 2: Paid direct IMAP/SMTP

**Proton Mail Plus** and other paid plans support direct connection to `imap.proton.me`. See [Proton's official IMAP documentation](https://proton.me/support/imap-smtp-and-pop3-setup) for current settings.

<Info>
  Free Proton Mail does not support direct third-party IMAP. Use Bridge instead.
</Info>

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Why is ProtonMail Bridge required?">
    Proton's servers only see end-to-end encrypted mail. Bridge runs on your computer, holds your decryption key, and exposes a standard IMAP/SMTP interface locally. Without Bridge, third-party clients cannot decrypt your mail.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is Bridge free?">
    Bridge itself is free to install, but requires a paid Proton plan (Mail Plus, Unlimited, or Business). It's not available on the free Proton tier.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use Bridge with a cloud-hosted mail client?">
    Not out of the box — Bridge serves IMAP on `127.0.0.1` (localhost). A client running in the cloud cannot reach your local Bridge without a tunnel (e.g. WireGuard, Tailscale) or a self-hosted client on the same machine as Bridge.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

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