4 reasons I’m finally uninstalling Google Drive - and what I’m replacing it with

For years, like countless others, I trusted my digital life to Google Drive. It was my go-to hub for documents, photos, and everything in between. However, as I started filling it up with confidential media and documents, I started to have concerns about data privacy and wanted better control over my digital footprint. After much deliberation and research, I decided to uninstall Google Drive and started to find a cloud storage solution that truly aligned with my needs. That journey led me to Proton Drive, a service that ticked all the boxes for me.

4 Proton Drive offers ample security features

Google Drive leaves a lot to desire

One of the biggest frustrations I faced with Google Drive, especially when sharing sensitive information, was its limited approach to private sharing. While I could restrict access to specific people, the total control I needed just wasn’t there. I can’t set a password to a shared file or folder, and there is no way to add an expiry date either. Sometimes, I had to use third-party tools just for such options.

In comparison, the sharing experience in Proton Drive feels intuitive and truly secure. I recently had to share a collection of legal documents with a client. It was a highly sensitive matter, and with Proton Drive, the sharing was flawless. I created a shareable link for the folder, and then with a few clicks, I was able to set a strong password and an expiration date.

This means even if the link fell into the wrong hands, the documents remained protected. It also gave my client ample time to review the documents, but ensured that access was automatically revoked once the critical period passed.

3 Proton Drive has a gallery view built in

No need to switch to another service

Initially, when I first started exploring Proton Drive, its built-in gallery view for photos and videos was just basic. It was basically a grid of all my uploaded memories, organized by date. It lacked any real organizational power, which felt like a major drawback for me.

But that has changed recently. Proton Drive has really stepped up its game with the integrated gallery. I can now create albums for organizing events, trips, and specific projects. I can even mark several photos and videos as favorites for easy access.

Of course, it’s not as feature-rich as Google Photos. But atleast my media library is end-to-end encrypted and I can always access it right from my Proton Drive vault. I can even enable auto-upload on my iPhone to backup all the photos and videos.

2 Proton has a robust ecosystem

Even edges out Google Drive

Proton offers the same solid ecosystem as Google. It even edges out the Android maker in several ways. For instance, I can now create private documents directly using Proton Docs. I can also access my contacts and calendars from the sidebar. Proton Mail is another neat perk to keep my inbox secure.

And thanks to native apps, hide-my-email aliases, and other perks, Proton Pass has become my go-to password manager. The company also bundles Proton VPN, which ensures that my internet connection and online activities are secured and hidden from prying eyes.

The entire productivity bundle is a part of the Proton Unlimited plan, which is priced at $11.5 per month. Aside from the mentioned apps, it offers 500GB of Proton Drive storage, which is enough for my needs (atleast for now). Google also offers several productivity tools, but its password manager and VPN offerings are not as powerful as Proton’s.

1 I trust Proton with my private data

Open-source and supports end-to-end encryption

Privacy is the biggest reason I finally broke free from Google Drive. Proton operates on a different philosophy. First of all, their entire suite of applications, including Proton Drive, is open-source. Any casual user or security expert can verify the company’s tall claims by inspecting the code.

The real game-changer is support for end-to-end encryption. No one, including even Proton, can access my files, their names, or even metadata. It’s truly a private vault for my digital life.

Beyond Google’s grip

Ultimately, making the switch from Google Drive to Proton Drive wasn’t just about finding a new place to store my files; it was about reclaiming control and trying a new ecosystem of apps and services. And so far, aside from a few niggles, my experience has been positive. It’s far from perfect, though. I would love to see faster download and upload speeds and more improvements for the media library in future updates.

Among all the apps and services offered by the company, Proton Pass impressed me a lot. Here’s why it has become my favorite password manager on all my devices.