{"id":567233,"date":"2026-03-28T20:28:22","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T20:28:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/567233\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T20:28:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T20:28:22","slug":"i-ditched-google-drive-and-photos-for-this-privacy-focused-app","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/567233\/","title":{"rendered":"I ditched Google Drive and Photos for this privacy-focused app"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Rita El Khoury \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been a Google Drive<\/a> user for well over a decade but have been playing with the idea of de-Googling<\/a> my life for a while now. I\u2019ve tried several times, but I keep coming back to the company\u2019s apps because they\u2019re so easy to use and work seamlessly together.<\/p>\n

I wanted to give it another shot, and I think I\u2019m finally at a point where I\u2019m able to say goodbye to at least some of the biggest Google apps, including Drive, Photos<\/a>, and Docs. And that\u2019s thanks to Proton Drive, a well-known privacy-focused app that merges the three into one.<\/p>\n

While I like the overall experience, there are several drawbacks to Proton\u2019s apps<\/a> that make it less than an ideal solution for many people. But for those like me who want to ditch Google for security reasons, Proton is hard to beat.<\/p>\n

Are you thinking of moving away from Google Drive?<\/p>\n

403 votes<\/p>\n

Yes, for security reasons.<\/p>\n

41%<\/p>\n

Yes, but for other reasons.<\/p>\n

19%<\/p>\n

No, I’m staying with Google Drive.<\/p>\n

23%<\/p>\n

I don’t use Google Drive.<\/p>\n

17%<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s why I made the switch<\/p>\n

\"proton<\/p>\n

Tushar Mehta \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Those of you who know Proton can already guess the main reason for the switch \u2014 it\u2019s privacy. While Google\u2019s apps are generally safe against bad actors thanks to features like 2FA and the company\u2019s commitment to security, I have one major problem with them: Google doesn\u2019t support end-to-end encryption for consumer accounts.<\/p>\n

This means the company can technically see everything in my account if it wants to \u2014 all my documents, images, and other files. That includes emails, notes in Keep<\/a>, and my conversations with Gemini. The older I get, the more I cherish my privacy, and the idea of someone (or something) accessing my personal files with just a few clicks is scary. Furthermore, Google generally has to share data with governments when asked. While I don\u2019t think any government is targeting me, the thought of it happening is frightening to say the least.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t want to miss the best from Android Authority?<\/p>\n

\"google\"google<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s where Proton Drive comes in. The Swiss-based company offers end-to-end encryption, which basically means that I, and I alone, have access to the files in my account. Proton doesn\u2019t have the decryption keys, so even if the company wanted to see what\u2019s in my account, it couldn\u2019t. It also means that if a government agency asks for data, Proton simply has nothing readable to hand over.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s AI. While I trust that Google employees aren\u2019t randomly going through my images, AI definitely is. Gemini<\/a> basically scans every image, email, and document in a Google account by default to provide features like natural language image search. For example, searching for \u201ccat\u201d brings up all your feline photos because the AI has scanned and labeled them. I don\u2019t like the idea of AI analyzing all my data, and I\u2019m not alone. My colleague Tushar recently shared his thoughts on the matter, explaining how he\u2019s bothered by this feature<\/a> being turned on by default.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s none of that in Proton Drive. No AI scanning my docs. No company employees having access to my files. Everything is private by default, giving me peace of mind about my sensitive business documents and personal thoughts jotted down in Proton Docs.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what I like about Proton<\/p>\n

\"Proton<\/p>\n

Mitja Rutnik \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

While privacy is the main catalyst, I also really enjoy specific Proton Drive features that make it a better option than Google Drive in many ways. The first thing I noticed is that Proton Drive keeps everything under one roof. This includes all the files I upload, the documents I create in Proton Docs, and all the photos I back up.<\/p>\n

Google does things differently. Photos is considered its own service with a dedicated app and website, and your images don\u2019t natively appear in the Google Drive app anymore. It\u2019s a small difference, but one I actually prefer \u2014 though I may be in the minority. Opening Proton Drive shows me all my important files in one place without needing to switch apps.<\/p>\n

To my surprise, I\u2019ve been very impressed with Proton Docs. I write for a living, and this Google Docs alternative offers everything I need. Compared to Google, it\u2019s a lot cleaner and simpler, without skimping on formatting features.<\/p>\n

I’ve never been a fan of Google Docs.<\/p>\n

While I\u2019ve used Google Docs extensively over the years, I\u2019ve never been a big fan of its cluttered design. Between the menu bar at the top, the massive formatting ribbon, and shortcuts to various Google Workspace tools on the right, it feels excessive. You can hide a lot of it, but I still prefer Proton\u2019s philosophy. Proton Docs is minimalist at its core, allowing me to focus on writing while only keeping the essential formatting options in view. I don\u2019t need to tweak the page once I open it \u2014 it\u2019s perfect the way it is.<\/p>\n

Photo management is also easy, thanks to the ability to create albums and sort files by type (videos, photos, screenshots) with a simple click. I can change the theme to customize the interface, and I enjoy the dedicated \u201cShared\u201d tab that lets me see all files shared with me in one place. The app is incredibly easy to use and less cluttered than Google Drive. However, it\u2019s far from perfect.<\/p>\n

Nothing is perfect<\/p>\n

\"Google<\/p>\n

Edgar Cervantes \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Because it\u2019s so fiercely privacy-focused, Proton Drive lacks a lot of the convenience features Google Drive and Photos offer. All those AI-powered tools that speed things up are absent. Search is basic \u2014 you can\u2019t search for \u201cbeach\u201d or photos of a specific person. That would require AI scanning, which Proton fundamentally opposes.<\/p>\n

Proton also lacks photo editing capabilities. There\u2019s no Magic Eraser or Gemini integration to summarize your documents. There\u2019s also no equivalent to Google Photos\u2019 Locked Folder<\/a>, which separates sensitive images from your main grid. Granted, Proton won\u2019t randomly surface old photos via an \u201cOver the years\u201d feature to an unsuspecting friend looking over your shoulder, but a dedicated vault for sensitive images would still be a great addition to prevent awkward swiping accidents.<\/p>\n

The UI feels a bit more old-school, and while the app is fast, it occasionally takes a fraction of a second longer to load a file or image than Google Drive does.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the price. A free Proton Drive account only gives you 5GB of storage, while a Google account gets you 15GB. 5GB isn\u2019t enough for most people, so you\u2019ll likely need to upgrade. Their 200GB plan costs $4.99 per month, which is $2 more than the equivalent Google One tier.<\/p>\n

Privacy vs features<\/p>\n

\"proton<\/p>\n

Calvin Wankhede \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

The battle between Proton Drive and Google Drive is ultimately a battle between privacy and features. Google offers a lot more overall: it\u2019s feature-packed, the design is modern, and the ecosystem is incredibly mature.<\/p>\n

However, Proton offers absolute privacy. For my workflow, Proton Docs is slightly better than Google Docs, and having all my files and photos under one roof is a massive plus. I\u2019m definitely staying with Proton for now. I sleep better at night knowing my data is safe from prying eyes, and while I miss a few of Google\u2019s conveniences, the compromise is worth it to me.<\/p>\n

Your mileage may vary, though. If you can\u2019t live without Google\u2019s AI-powered features and you trust Google enough that privacy isn\u2019t your primary concern, switching to Proton is probably pointless. But if you\u2019re in the same boat as I am, trying to reclaim your digital footprint, Proton Drive is hard to beat.<\/p>\n

For me, this is just the start. The Swiss company offers many other apps bundled in its Unlimited plan (starts at $10\/month), including Proton Calendar, Mail, Pass, and VPN. I\u2019ll be doing a deep dive into those soon in hopes of ditching a few more Google services.<\/p>\n

Thank you for being part of our community. Read our\u00a0Comment Policy<\/a> before posting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rita El Khoury \/ Android Authority I\u2019ve been a Google Drive user for well over a decade but…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":567234,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[49,48,158256,26714,61],"class_list":["post-567233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-google-drive","tag-google-photos","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/567233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=567233"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/567233\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/567234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=567233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=567233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=567233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}