I hate email, because I haven’t wanted to deal with this I’ve been using my university Microsoft 365 for everything, which I’m recognizing is probably a bad idea. I was interested in Mailbox Mail because it was cheaper than Proton, and I’d prefer to self-host my calendar and storage. The issue is I’d like to use OpenPGP if I’m going to be paying for an email provider, but I’m still on iOS and the stock app doesn’t support OpenPGP, is there a client that does? Does it even matter if I use encryption since nobody else does? Is it just worth sucking it up and paying for proton at least until I switch to android?
I currently use mailbox, but I don’t use encryption pretty much for the reasons you outlined. I just can’t be bothered and there are better mediums for comms anyway. I’m considering switching to Proton mainly because it has decent security and a nice web app. I love that it is “zero-knowledge” out of the box, but I don’t really care about actually encrypting my comms over it, and neither should anyone else, but that’s just my 2c.
Nope, I haven’t found one I’d trust to use. I’m just hoping that the future Thunderbird for iOS app includes PGP functionality.
My personal mailbox is still on Proton.
For my self-hosted email I currently store all my messages with S/MIME instead of PGP for zero-knowledge email storage on my server. This is compatible with the native Mail app, but I had to pay some scam certificate authority like $15/year.
For my Privacy Guides email which is entirely PGP I just only check it from my laptop
No email expert but if you use an alias service like Addy, you apparently can set it up ahead of time.
Then it’s a matter of using any client, sending the email and the heavy lifting will be done for you. Doesn’t really solve the question itself but it’s a viable solution to use PGP while owning an iPhone IMO.
Proton makes sense, but it’s Linux compatibility, especially with Fedora Silverblue leaves something to be desired. I also just don’t need everything it offers, and I kind of appreciate that Mailbox works with open standards.
I’m excited about Thunderbird for iOS, but hasn’t that been in the works for a couple of years now? I’m also hoping Thundermail is good, but the early access price is steep.
Might have to do proton anyway if I can’t figure out a client that can read PGP . I’m still trying to rationalize paying for a service that’s both usually free, and should be used as rarely as possible.
If you don’t need a shared domain or the ability to encrypt all incoming mail with your public key, there’s no shortage of standards‑compliant providers outside of mailbox that you can use.
If you value the ability to create multiple addresses on shared domains, hook up a custom domain, or contact support, it’s easier to see the value in paying for email, since free options tend to lack all those features. It’s not necessarily some grand argument about if you’re not paying, you’re the product. Often it’s simply a matter of the features you need.
. I’m still trying to rationalize paying for a service that’s both usually free, and should be used as rarely as possible.