Move Gmail Contacts & Calendars to Proton

This guide walks you through exporting your Gmail contacts and calendars and importing them into Proton Mail or Proton Calendar. You’ll keep all your addresses, phone numbers, and events, and you can do the whole transfer without any third-party tools. Before you start, make sure you have a Proton account with Proton Calendar enabled (it’s free) and that you’re signed in to both Gmail and Proton in your browser.

What You’ll Need

• A Gmail account with contacts and/or calendars you want to move
• A Proton account (free or paid) with Proton Calendar activated
• A computer with a modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari)
• Your Gmail password (and 2FA code if enabled) to download the export files

Step-by-Step

Part 1: Export Contacts from Gmail

1. Open Google Contacts in your browser and sign in if needed.
2. In the left sidebar, click Export (if you don’t see it, click the three-line menu icon at the top left).
3. Choose what to export: select All contacts or pick a specific group.
4. For the export format, choose Google CSV (this works best for Proton).
5. Click Export – a file named something like contacts.csv will download. Keep it handy.

Part 2: Import Contacts into Proton

1. Go to Proton Mail and sign in.
2. Click the gear icon (Settings) in the top right.
3. In the left menu, go to Proton for Business > Addresses (or just Contacts if you don’t see that). Actually, for personal accounts: go to Settings > Proton for Business is not there. Instead, go to Contacts in the top navigation bar.
4. In the Contacts page, click the Import button (top right, looks like an upward arrow).
5. Select the contacts.csv file you downloaded. Proton will show a preview of the contacts it found.
6. Click Import – your contacts will appear in the list. You can create groups later if needed.

Part 3: Export Calendars from Gmail

1. Open Google Calendar in your browser.
2. On the left side, under My calendars, find the calendar you want to export (usually your primary one).
3. Click the three dots next to the calendar name, then select Settings and sharing.
4. Scroll down to the Export section.
5. Click Export – a ZIP file will download containing an .ics file for each calendar. If you have multiple calendars, you’ll get multiple .ics files.
6. Unzip the downloaded file to a folder on your computer.

Part 4: Import Calendars into Proton

1. Go to Proton Calendar and sign in.
2. In the top right, click the Settings gear icon.
3. In the left menu, go to Import/Export.
4. Under Import calendar, click Import.
5. Select the .ics file(s) you extracted. You can import one at a time or select multiple.
6. Choose which calendar to import into – you can create a new one or use an existing one.
7. Click Import – your events will appear in Proton Calendar. Repeat for each .ics file.

Common Mistakes

• Exporting contacts in the wrong format. Google offers vCard (.vcf) and CSV. Proton works best with the Google CSV format. If you use vCard, you may lose some fields or get duplicate entries.
• Forgetting to unzip the calendar export. Google gives you a ZIP file. If you try to import the ZIP directly, Proton will reject it. You must extract the .ics files first.
• Importing into the wrong Proton calendar. If you have multiple calendars in Proton, double-check which one you’re importing into. You might end up with events in a shared or work calendar.
• Not checking for duplicates. If you import the same file twice, you’ll get duplicate contacts or events. Always check after importing.
• Missing contacts with custom fields. Google CSV may not map every custom field perfectly. After import, spot-check a few contacts to ensure phone numbers and addresses came through.

Tips

• Use the Google CSV format for contacts – it preserves more data than vCard in Proton’s importer.
• Export each calendar separately. If you have multiple Google calendars, export them one by one to keep them separate in Proton. This makes it easier to manage.
• Check for time zone issues. Google Calendar stores events in your local time zone. Proton should handle this, but verify a few recurring events to ensure they start at the correct time.
• Clean up before importing. Delete any test events or old contacts you don’t need. This reduces clutter and makes the import faster.
• Use Proton’s import preview. For contacts, Proton shows a preview before finalizing – use it to spot any obvious issues.

Troubleshooting

• Contacts import fails or shows errors. Make sure the CSV file is not corrupted. Try exporting again from Google, or open the CSV in a text editor to see if it has data. If the file is huge, try splitting it into smaller parts.
• Calendar import says “No events found”. This usually means the .ics file is empty or the wrong file. Check that you unzipped the folder and are importing the correct .ics file (not the ZIP). Also ensure the file contains events – open it in a text editor and look for lines starting with BEGIN:VEVENT.
• Events are shifted by a few hours. This is a time zone issue. In Google Calendar, check the time zone of the exported calendar. In Proton, ensure your account time zone is set correctly in Settings > General.
• Contacts have missing phone numbers. Google CSV sometimes exports phone numbers in a separate column. If they’re missing, try exporting as vCard instead and import that – Proton supports vCard too.
• Import button is greyed out. Make sure you’re on the correct Proton plan – Calendar import is available on free and paid plans. Also, try a different browser or disable ad blockers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my contacts’ profile pictures transfer?

Usually not. The CSV format doesn’t include images, and Proton’s importer doesn’t fetch them from Google. You’ll need to add photos manually if you want them.

Can I move my Gmail emails too?

Yes, but this guide only covers contacts and calendars. For emails, you’d use Proton’s Import-Export app, which is a separate desktop tool. That process is more involved and not covered here.

Is my data safe during the transfer?

Yes. The files stay on your computer, and you upload them directly to Proton. No third party is involved. Proton uses end-to-end encryption for your data once it’s in their system.

What if I have multiple Google accounts?

You’ll need to export from each account and import them separately. You can import them into the same Proton account, but be aware you might get duplicate contacts if the same person appears in multiple accounts.

Can I import my calendars into a shared Proton calendar?

Yes, you can import into any calendar you have access to, including shared ones. Just select the correct calendar in the import dialog.

Will recurring events work correctly?

Yes, recurring events are preserved in the .ics format. However, check that exceptions (like a moved occurrence) are also imported – they usually are, but it’s good to verify.

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