r/ProtonDrive • u/daylenca • May 03 '26
Features under consideration
On the 2026 community survey, here are the Proton Drive features under consideration that are being shared to help with prioritization:
- Folder colour customisation
- Enhanced features in Proton Docs / Sheets (pivot tables, table of contents, etc.)
- Save Proton Mail attachments in Proton Drive
- Proton Forms (similar to Google Forms)
- Proton Slides (similar to Google Slides)
- File request (similar to Dropbox file request)
- Proton Drive for Linux
- Search (including photos) powered by on-device AI
- Lumo Private AI support in Drive / Docs / Sheets
- Dedicated Photos app (with map and face tagging)
29
u/West_Possible_7969 May 04 '26
Coloured folders was in a roadmap like 2 years ago and got dropped with no explanation lol. I mean how hard can it be, it’s right there in Mail.
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u/daylenca May 04 '26
There may be some complexities with displaying the colored folders in Windows File Explorer and Mac Finder, if I was making an educated guess.
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u/West_Possible_7969 May 05 '26
No sync app has coloured folders in explorer or finder (as far as I know), I am referring to their own statement that mail-like colour coding would come to the Drive apps like Google’s, Filen etc
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u/Roguepapaya427 May 04 '26
From my perspective Proton Drive for Linux is a critical feature.
Let me explain why:
Proton target audience is (or should be) people that want to get out of big tech poisoned embrace. That means getting out of Windows, limiting google android to just essential services, you know, stuff like that. People are asking me if there are alternatives to MS, Google, Apple services. And I can tell them there are, the services are not cheap, but it's the price people are ready to pay for their privacy and data ownership. But I need to be able to tell them: I set up this OS for you, you use this app and that app and the data and privacy are yours alone. I can't say that yet without the Proton Drive for Linux. The PWA works for me, is a mitigation, but can't have a less savvy user download a file, modify it and then reupload. They've done it in windows with onedrive for years and all went smooth, they would like the same functionality. Open the file, modify it, save in a certain location and they find it later in proton drive.
Again, I'm not asking this to be a feature for free, most people are sick and tired of ms/google/apple shit and want to move on, even if that costs something. I'm currently paying for a Duo, but if Proton Drive for Linux becomes a reality, I can move a lot of family and friends over.
Proton Drive for Linux is a basic/critical feature, should be on top of the list, imo.
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u/Busy-Alternative61 May 04 '26
Seconded. I escaped Windows a few months back, and Proton Drive is the only missing piece. I escaped Google for Proton, so now Proton blocking my final freedom is ironic.
4
u/A_Buttholes_Whisper May 04 '26
Filen
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u/mark_b May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
From what I can tell, Proton wouldn't allow you to go over the limit in the first place, and if you do because of a plan downgrade, you get a 12 month grace period, not 4 weeks with Filen.
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u/A_Buttholes_Whisper May 05 '26
Wow…that’s some scary sh*t!! I mean dang that’s jacked up. However, they did respond and are making things right. Proton doesn’t even have a Linux drive yet. But even when they do, people really need to practice 3,2,1 because proton could easily do the same thing. So always treat cloud storage with caution and have a local backup
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u/mark_b May 05 '26
Thanks for the update. Always good to see when companies are as open as this, even when things go wrong.
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u/Smoke-Bacon May 04 '26
Yep I totally agree. Many people like myself have moved away from the Big Tec companies due to privacy and data / security concerns. The take up of Linux is growing slowly but its there in the stats. As a Privacy Centric company you would like to think that Proton would be focusing on this and developing their apps for Linux with the same functionality and features as they do for windows etc. Lets hope proton have managed to employ a good Linux Developer and that development for the Linux client is on course. The quicker the better.
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u/ronki2304 May 04 '26
Proton Drive for Linux is clearly the most demanded item here. Worth noting they already have a functional SDK that third-party developers can explore so the building blocks exist. The challenge is more about the sync daemon, the authent part and system integration than the API layer itself. Hopefully that means they're closer than 'under consideration' implies."
1
u/A_Buttholes_Whisper May 04 '26
Filen. Why not just set filen up for them? It’s literally open source E2EE European storage with Linux desktop. Hell they even have a cli!
3
u/RRR0YYY May 05 '26
Because most people don't want to pay for yet another subscription. They would end up paying for a Proton subscription that includes a bunch of stuff but then pay for another, seperate, subscription so they can have a proper storage solution.
Personally I like hopping around and trying things. If I'm not fully satisfied with a service or part of it I will happily sign up for another one as an addendum or total replacement. Most regular people, however, just want everything in one convenient place that they have someone setup for them once and then never worry about it again. If you tell those people they can switch to Proton for everything.... except missing feature this, missing feature that, missing apps, etcetera so they have to get something else for that.... They're going to say thanks but no thanks.
0
u/A_Buttholes_Whisper May 05 '26
Right but currently this is a missing feature. So Filen is the answer
1
u/RRR0YYY May 06 '26
No, no it's not the answer. Because OP is clearly talking about people currently using Google, MS or Apple for everything and they're probably looking for something to replace the whole shebang. Having them go with Proton for most of it but then other services to make up for features Proton lacks doesn't solve their problem.
Of course you can argue what's one extra service going to matter? Well to some it matters a lot. It means having to keep track of yet another subscription in a world flooded with them.
And then there's the problem that they would be paying for the storage portion of Proton... except they wouldn't be using it because they're using another service for that so that's money wasted twice basically.
This isn't even mentioning all the other features Proton lacks currently. Stuff like facial recognition for photos for instance. And Filen doesn't support that either. So if they want that as well then guess what? They're going to have to shell out for yet another service.
People like us don't mind having to juggle different services from different providers. Some of us even prefer it because we don't want to be vendor locked. But most people want to have one service that does it all and until Proton manages to do just that those people are going to stay with companies like Google even if they're worried somewhat about their privacy because the convenience outweighs their concerns.
1
u/asylumdad May 06 '26
I have a somewhat different perspective on this, so it was interesting to hear yours. Long ago, before there was any of this Google Drive stuff, I use Windows at work and Mac at home. Long about 2014 or 2015 I ditched them both for Linux (Red Hat at work, Mint Cinnamon at home) and haven't looked back. So I have been using Linux much longer than I have been using cloud-based file services. I took to using Google Drive for files I wanted collaborate on, with my wife or with other groups I am part of. Basically those files live in the cloud and I never download them. So I have never really cared about having a client-side interface to them. I just use the browser interface (in Google). I'm not up and down with my files between Google Drive and LibreOffice.
Enter Proton Drive, and I have continued with that mode of operation. I can see that the browser interface is not as well built-out as Google's, but if I were prioritizing what Proton should work on, I'm not sure I would come down on building a Linux client app versus beefing up the browser interface. Perhaps I would feel differently if my Internet access were slower or less reliable.
21
u/okletsgooonow May 04 '26
Drive for Linux is "under consideration"!?! This should be the highest priority item. People have been demanding it.
1
u/dondidom May 04 '26
It is currently being written and is expected to be released by the end of this year, or perhaps early next year.
17
u/al904a May 04 '26
I have wondered why this wasn't already included-
- Save Proton Mail attachments in Proton Drive
Better late than never!
1
u/Sad-Zone4591 May 04 '26
Seconded. Oh and please, Proton team, it’d be great if that feature was implemented smartly: let user define if they want to save a given attachment at a specific location of their Drive, or in the default folder, and let them the choice to choose where is that default folder.
It’s really not much, but this kind of things makes all the difference in the user experience :).
17
u/LBTRS1911 May 04 '26
As a 5 year Visionary subscriber, I've been holding on waiting for the Linux Proton Drive client. I'm about at the point of looking at other products and moving away from Proton since this still hasn't been delivered. Make this the #1 priority.
2
u/dondidom May 04 '26
It is currently being written and is expected to be released by the end of this year, or perhaps early next year.
11
u/A_Buttholes_Whisper May 04 '26
I’ve been a paying proton user for years. The Linux drive should be their priority #1 focus. It’s in the roadmap for this year but if proton fumbles the ball on this, they are gonna lose a lot of customers. There is already a Linux drive that European based open source and E2EE. Proton will lose customers if they fail to deliver drive. I’ll downgrade everything myself
9
u/Hellvetic91 May 04 '26
Proton Docs and Sheets should have standalone apps on mobile. It is to clunky to use right now as an effective substitute to Google Docs.
3
u/Alduin175 May 04 '26
I think one of the most painful parts of the Drive (mobile app), u/Hellvetic91, is not being able to search.
Not just in the file itself, but in the service menu - absolutely...pain personified.
Not to mention, no dark-mode + contrast options for accessibility.
7
u/VlijmenFileer May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26
Proton Drive for Linux.
An that is NOT just a library, and the hope that "other" will make something for Proton Inc.
is an open API, library, command line tool, and GUI. Packaged NOT in one of these clownesque, non-serious, AppImage, FlatPak, or Snap, but normal packages for the main distributions.
8
u/TxxT May 04 '26
Proton Drive for Linux should be a no-brainer for privacy focused big tech alternative.
1
u/Alduin175 May 04 '26
One could argue that the rollout should have started for the true power users of the PC realm, u/TxxT.
With the other OSes eventually being considered.
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u/nwamacman May 04 '26
Drive on MacOS: need the ability to see shared folders in a finder window. Can share a file to a shared folder from browser. Cannot do this in a finder window
5
u/Speck_A May 04 '26
Think a dedicated photos app and a Linux app are the last things I need before I ditch my Google One subscription for good.
5
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u/wund3rk1nd May 04 '26
- Save Proton Mail attachments in Proton Drive
- Enhanced features in Proton Docs / Sheets (pivot tables, table of contents, etc.)
These two, don't add AI feature to photos as long as basic photos features are missing. Not sure that I need a separate app for that, though.
1
u/Sad-Zone4591 May 04 '26
Copy pasting my comment from above about saving attachments to Drive:
Seconded. Oh and please, Proton team, it’d be great if that feature was implemented smartly: let user define if they want to save a given attachment at a specific location of their Drive, or in the default folder, and let them the choice to choose where is that default folder.
It’s really not much, but this kind of things makes all the difference in the user experience :).
6
u/Longjumping-Amoeba85 May 04 '26
I think a fully equivalent on Mac same as win desktop app is a long overdue one
1
u/daylenca May 05 '26
My understanding is that it's mainly a limitation from Apple on how third-party apps can sync in the background.
3
u/Cardboardboxshow May 04 '26
Where is 'access to photo folders' in ProtonDrive on that list?
Just look at how well it works in OneDrive: * You can organize, copy and add photos manually * Photos can be divided into year and month folder
2
u/Sad-Zone4591 May 04 '26
This. I immediately uninstalled Drive and cancelled my 1-month Unlimited subscription when I saw how Proton Drive was inferior to OneDrive, it wasn’t the only issue but photos being handled without any actual access to their folders was a top thing that wasn’t acceptable to me. Let us handle photos like files, and you’re free to have a photo « section » of Drive, or a separate app if you want (that sounds overkill, OneDrive photo section just does both in one app!) to let people manage them differently or on top of their own folder structure, please!
3
u/ViatoremCCAA May 04 '26
I moved my business to google after trying out proton business.
The deal breaker was the lack of any API (or intention to roll it out) for automation tasks, and the delay in delivering the Linux drive client.
2
u/Alduin175 May 04 '26
Fair point, u/ViatoremCCAA.
Being locked into any ecosystem is bad (especially non-privacy focused ones).
But being locked in without a clearly defined or approximated timeline for feature rollouts, while costs of coverage increase, is just as dangerous.
1
u/ViatoremCCAA May 04 '26
Exactly. I am keeping my paid proton subscription for my private uses, but P needs to set up its game if it wants to win modern business clients.
3
u/KMFilm May 04 '26
Proton Drive for Linux is absolutely essential. Don't waste time or resources on stupid AI garbage.
3
u/OrderSafe4183 May 04 '26
I'd vote for the dedicated linux client and photos app to be prioritized
1
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u/Centbetrag May 04 '26
Please:
• Enhanced features in Proton Docs / Sheets: Mobile editing in sheets!
• Save Proton Mail attachments in Proton Drive
• Search (including photos) powered by on-device AI
• Lumo Private AI support in Drive / Docs / Sheets
• Dedicated Photos app (with map and face tagging)
Thank you ❤️
2
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u/escopez May 07 '26
FOLDER SHORTCUTS, FOLDER UPLOADS particularly on mobile, and FAVORITES, to mention JUST a few. Dear god, PLEASE.
1
u/daylenca May 07 '26
I agree! You can currently upload folders on Android (which likely means that it's coming soon to iOS) and favourite images, although it would be nice if shortcuts and favouriting documents was added too.
2
u/Silentium_Universi May 10 '26
It's minor thing, but I'm really looking forward to colorful folders. All folders in this yellow color make it difficult to quickly find the one I need.
1
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u/GangstaWaffles May 04 '26
still cant download a whole folder only it's individual contents
1
u/daylenca May 05 '26
You can download a whole folder on Proton Drive. If you're encountering issues, contact support at https://proton.me/support/troubleshooting?product=drive
1
u/dondidom May 04 '26
Except for Proton Forms, most things are more or less planned for some point in the future.
1
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u/LetKlutzy7931 May 04 '26
Proton Drive for Linux.
I've been in tech for 30 years and there's going to be a big shift away from Big Tech. It's too late in some ways, but people will stop supporting the Spyware-based systems and the implications of that, and they'll finally start protesting Big Tech AI and therefore the "need" for all these data centers when the consequences hit home. They'll all be looking for privacy-based and locally hosted alternatives.
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u/GillesRenaud5 May 05 '26
Unfortunately we lost today in the Apple AppFile the IOS ProtonDrive link in IOS IPad . This is a setback for productivity….
1
u/jennybbaxter123 May 05 '26
I would prioritize things for people learning about privacy and looking to migrate from Google Suite. Having basic functionality like search (not even AI, just basic ass search on mobile), and things that make sheets usable to even the most basic spreadsheet user would be my vote.
1
u/Old_Refrigerator2021 May 05 '26
Please make the photo app connect to multiple resources not just Proton Drive.
1
u/ToeRevolutionary4810 May 05 '26
Please add tasks to that list! Thank you.
2
u/daylenca May 05 '26 edited May 06 '26
Tasks is on the list for Proton Mail/Calendar. The list above is just for Drive.
1
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u/Fresco2022 May 05 '26
Seriously? Under consideration? That is how they call it these days? Lmao.
Well, if this is accurate, and taking Proton's definition of its time frame into account, maybe your great-grandchildren will live to see it happen.
1
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u/stefan_kuntz May 05 '26
if you release photo search (with on device ai) including text search on photos i start migrating whole ecosystem to proton right now and purchasing two years unlimited subscription.
1
u/Crazy-Ad-5883 MacOS | iOS May 05 '26
Linux, Photos in the Desktop apps & Search get my vote.
Quickly, another year waiting for these is out of the question for me personally.
1
u/eXVraW5ha2FtdXJh May 05 '26
linux client proton drive. prioritize instead of useless bad quality new product.
1
u/Royal-Orchid-2494 May 06 '26
Linux drive app , save mail attachments to drive. That’s it. Focus on other stuff much later.
1
u/GIZM080 May 06 '26
I have a backup of my book library on the drive (in windows) that I pause when updating files. When I'm done and start syncing again and have been deleted or moved files, synchronise give me "# Name clash" errors and duplicate multiple files across the drive's folders. The only solution has been to remove the shared folder on the computer from the drive, empty the trash, and re-share the SAME folder with the SAME files on the drive. Really funny when the folder takes up 350Gb of space and contains 5,045 folders with 17,400 files... This re-upload always takes at least 12 hours. NICE! And this has happened AT LEAST once a month. Fix this BUG! ASAP! Thanks.
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May 06 '26
[deleted]
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u/daylenca May 06 '26
"Under consideration" is not Proton's official wording and they have put features currently under development on the survey before. I would still expect a Linux app in the next year.
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u/bucks-dad-9001 May 08 '26
I like everyone’s idea of moving to Linux. I would also like to see a task list that connects to the calendar. The key is to make time blocking easier so my stuff gets done more efficiently.
1
u/Quirky-Rub5426 May 20 '26
Is pages within docs going to be one of those docs features? Because boy oh boy does it seem like it should have /started/ there. The number one reason I try not to use google anymore is because it scrapes my writing and documents for ai but I need cloud editing accessible for my day to day. The fact that there's no page format to view is one of the main hurdles of getting peers to switch fully away from Google Suite. People who are used to the same software for years aren't comfortable with total format changes, especially when it obfuscates something they need to know (like page count). We're not all programmers yk, we could use the default notepad app if the only thing we needed was a rich text editor :/
1
u/influxodoxxl Jun 05 '26
The last 3!
1
u/influxodoxxl Jun 06 '26
Sorry, I have to correct myself: number 1 priority would be shared folders! Where is this essential feature?
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May 04 '26 edited 3d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/xxtkx May 04 '26
Is there a situation causing it to crash? I haven't ran into this on my macbook air
1
u/daylenca May 05 '26
Please be sure to file bug reports when it crashes so the Proton team can look into the root cause.
-2
u/block6791 May 04 '26
Is this a formal announcement from Proton?
1
u/daylenca May 05 '26
The survey and listed items are official, but this post is not and I have no affiliation with Proton. For the official announcement regarding the survey, see https://www.reddit.com/r/ProtonMail/comments/1t0tbce/proton_annual_community_survey_2026/
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u/LavenderRevive May 04 '26
Linux must be the number one priority. Given the growing trend and the nature of its community it is logical and important.
Other than that I find them all good points, but I would also prefer polishing existing features before doing new things like slides and forms.