How to Delete a Proton Mail Account Permanently

Deleting a Proton Mail account is simpler than deleting a Gmail or Apple account, but it's also less forgiving. Google gives you roughly 20 days to change your mind; Proton gives you zero. And because one Proton account now powers Mail, Calendar, Drive, VPN, and Pass, "deleting my email" quietly deletes those too. Do the steps below in order — the export and the subscription cancellation genuinely cannot be done afterward.

Step 1: Export your mail and data

1. Download your messages with the Proton Mail Export Tool

   Proton's official Export Tool is a desktop app (Windows, macOS, Linux) that signs in to your account and downloads every message as standard EML files, preserving folders and labels. Find it via proton.me/support — look for "Export Tool" or "download your emails". EML files open in Thunderbird, Apple Mail, and Outlook.

2. Paid plan? Bridge and IMAP work too

   Proton Mail Bridge (included with paid plans) runs locally and exposes your encrypted mailbox over IMAP. Connect Thunderbird or another desktop client through Bridge and copy every folder to local storage or another account — useful if you want a live migration rather than an archive.

3. Don't forget the rest of the account

   Download files from Proton Drive, export Proton Calendar (each calendar exports as an ICS file from calendar settings), export contacts as VCF, and export Proton Pass logins if you use it. All of this is destroyed with the account.

4. Move your logins off the address

   Search the inbox for "verify", "welcome", and "receipt" to find services registered to your Proton address, and switch them to a new address before deleting. After deletion, password-reset mail to your old address bounces forever. If you were breached into leaving Proton, check our data breach guide before you burn the account.

Step 2: Cancel any paid subscription first (required)

Proton will not delete an account with an active paid plan — the delete option is unavailable until you're back on the free tier. In the web app, open Settings → All settings → Dashboard and cancel or downgrade your subscription. Two things to know:

• Unused time is generally forfeited. Proton may credit a prorated amount to your account balance when you downgrade, but that credit dies with the account — don't expect a refund route through deletion.
• Subscribed through an app store? If you pay via Apple's App Store or Google Play, cancel the subscription there (in your phone's subscription settings), then wait for the plan to lapse or contact Proton support. Deleting the account does not stop app-store billing.

Step 3: Delete the account

1. Open account settings in the web app

   Sign in at mail.proton.me, click Settings (gear icon) → All settings, then go to Account and password.

2. Choose "Delete account"

   Scroll to the bottom of the page — the Delete account option is deliberately last, in the danger zone. Click Delete.

3. Give feedback and confirm with your password

   Proton asks why you're leaving (a short feedback form) and then requires your account password — plus your two-factor code if 2FA is enabled — to confirm. This is the point of no return.

4. Deletion happens immediately

   Once confirmed, you're signed out everywhere and the account is gone. Mail sent to your old address bounces from that moment. There is no grace period, no "undo" email, no support ticket that can bring it back.

What happens after deletion

• All Proton services die together. Mail, Calendar, Drive, VPN, Pass, and Wallet are one account. Your VPN stops authenticating, Drive files are erased, Pass vaults become unreachable.
• Incoming mail bounces. Senders get a delivery failure. Nothing is held or forwarded.
• Aliases go down with the ship. Any extra addresses on the account — including @pm.me addresses and SimpleLogin aliases linked to your Proton login — stop working.
• New free accounts may be limited. To fight spam and abuse, Proton restricts how many free accounts you can create and delete. If you delete several free accounts, expect friction (or a temporary block) when registering another — don't treat free accounts as disposable.

If your reason for leaving is inbox chaos rather than Proton itself, consider that a fresh address gets polluted the same way the old one did. Aliases — which Proton itself is unusually good at — fix the root cause.

Frequently asked questions