Connect Proton Mail

Before you start

Proton Mail keeps your mailbox encrypted, so it does not expose IMAP or SMTP directly. Instead, paid Proton plans include Proton Bridge, a desktop app that decrypts mail locally and serves it over a local IMAP and SMTP connection on your machine.

Because Bridge runs on your own computer at 127.0.0.1 (localhost), it is designed for desktop mail clients on the same machine. A cloud service such as AI Emaily generally cannot reach Bridge unless that local server is deliberately exposed to the internet.

Recommended path

Bridge is built for local desktop clients, so the most reliable cloud setup is to route Proton mail through a mailbox AI Emaily can reach directly. Choose one of these:

1. 1

   Forward Proton to a reachable mailbox

   In Proton settings, set up forwarding (or an alias) to a Gmail or Fastmail address you control. Connect that mailbox to AI Emaily using its own Gmail one-click tab or IMAP app password. AI Emaily then syncs your Proton mail through that account.

2. 2

   Or expose Bridge if you run it yourself

   If you host Bridge on a machine that AI Emaily can reach over the network, point the IMAP tab at that host and the Bridge IMAP port. Most users on a personal laptop will not have Bridge reachable from the internet, so prefer the forwarded setup above.

Set up Proton Bridge

1. 1

   Install Proton Bridge

   Download and install Proton Bridge on your computer from your Proton account. Bridge is available on paid Proton plans. Sign in to Bridge with your Proton credentials.

2. 2

   Open the account's connection details

   In Bridge, select your Proton account and open its mailbox or IMAP/SMTP settings. Bridge shows the local host (127.0.0.1), the exact IMAP and SMTP ports, and a Bridge-generated password unique to that account.

3. 3

   Copy the Bridge password

   Copy the password Bridge displays. This is the only password you paste into AI Emaily. Do not use your Proton account password.

Add it to AI Emaily (IMAP tab)

Use this only if AI Emaily can actually reach your Bridge server. If Bridge is on a personal machine and not exposed, use the forwarded mailbox path above instead.

1. 1

   Open Add mailbox and choose IMAP

   In AI Emaily, open the Add mailbox dialog and select the IMAP tab. Proton has no one-click Gmail or Outlook option.

2. 2

   Enter your email and the Bridge password

   Enter your Proton email address. For the password, paste the Bridge-generated password, not your Proton login password.

3. 3

   Enter the Bridge server settings

   Set the IMAP host to 127.0.0.1 and port 1143, and the SMTP host to 127.0.0.1 and port 1025. Match the exact ports shown in Bridge if they differ.

4. 4

   Save and let AI Emaily test the connection

   AI Emaily verifies the connection before saving. If the test fails, a hint indicates which setting is likely wrong. A connection refused error usually means the host is not reachable from AI Emaily because Bridge is running on localhost.

Server settings

Troubleshooting

• Connection refused or timeout: AI Emaily cannot reach 127.0.0.1, because that address points at your own computer, not at a server AI Emaily can see. Bridge is designed for desktop clients on the same machine. Use a Gmail- or Fastmail-forwarded mailbox instead.
• Authentication failed: You likely pasted the wrong password type. Use the Bridge-generated password shown in Proton Bridge, not your Proton account password.
• Bridge not running: The local IMAP and SMTP servers only exist while Proton Bridge is open and signed in. Confirm Bridge is running and the account is unlocked.
• Wrong ports: Confirm the IMAP port (1143) and SMTP port (1025) match exactly what Bridge displays; Bridge can assign different ports on some setups.
• TLS or certificate errors: Bridge uses a local certificate for its connection. If you exposed Bridge over the network, make sure your security and TLS settings match what Bridge documents.
• No Bridge available: Bridge requires a paid Proton plan. Free Proton accounts cannot use IMAP, so route mail through a forwarded mailbox AI Emaily can reach.