Stop giving Google Docs and Microsoft Office 365 access to everything you write.
Proton Docs gives you a fully private, end-to-end encrypted document editor with real-time collaboration, so you can work with your team without sacrificing privacy.
In this complete tutorial, we’ll show you how to:
✅ Create, edit, and organize secure documents in Proton Drive ✅ Import existing Word or Google Docs files and convert them to Proton Docs ✅ Collaborate securely with teammates in real time ✅ Share documents with Proton users or via secure public links ✅ Manage permissions, track version history, and export files when needed ✅ Stay compliant with GDPR, HIPAA, CPPA, and Swiss privacy laws
By the end of this video, you’ll know everything you need to replace big tech office suites and reclaim control over your data.
🔗 Try Proton Docs free today: https://drive.proton.me 📚 Need help? Explore our Help Center: https://proton.me/support
00:00Sound familiar? You need to collaborate, share, and store documents securely. But you can't risk
00:11your sensitive data being scanned, analyzed, or accessed by big tech companies. That's where
00:17Proton's Secure Workspace comes in. With Proton Docs, you get collaborative document editing
00:23with end-to-end encryption, so you can work together and securely share and store the
00:27docs you create without compromising privacy. Before we dive into this tutorial, make sure
00:34to subscribe to our channel and hit that notification bell. Today, I'm going to show you everything
00:38you need to know to use Proton Docs effectively, from creating your first documents to collaborating
00:43securely with your team. Here's what most people don't realize about document collaboration.
00:51Every time you use Google Docs or Office 365, you're essentially giving those companies
00:56access to read everything you write. Proton Docs uses zero-access encryption, which means
01:01your documents are encrypted before they even leave your device. Proton can't read them,
01:07governments can't subpoena them, hackers can't access them, and big tech can't scan the data
01:12for training AI.
01:13Soft limits.
01:14But here's the thing, it works like any other Office Suite. You get real-time collaboration,
01:19commenting, suggestion modes, and all the features you expect. The only difference is, it's actually
01:24private.
01:27Let's start with the basics. Proton Docs is accessed through Proton Drive, so you'll need
01:32to know how to navigate this interface. First, log into your Proton Drive account. You can access
01:37this at drive.proton.me. From here, you can create new documents or manage your existing files.
01:44Notice the clean, organized layout. Everything is designed for productivity and security.
01:51Let's create a document. The process is pretty straightforward, but there's a few things
01:56you should know. To create a new document, click the New button in the top left corner.
02:00Then select New Document from the drop-down menu. Perfect! You now have a blank document.
02:07Notice it opens with a default name. To rename it, simply click on the document name in the top
02:12left corner and select Rename Document from the drop-down. Let's call this Q4 Strategy Document
02:19and hit Enter.
02:21Now let's explore the editing features. Proton Docs has everything you need for professional
02:27document creation. The toolbar at the top contains all your formatting options. Let's go through
02:32the most important ones. I'll type some content so we can see the formatting in action. Basic text
02:37formatting works exactly as you'd expect. Bold, italic, and underline. You can also change text
02:44color and add highlighter. You can create numbered lists, bullet points, or even checklists. These are
02:54perfect for organizing information. Adding links is simple. Select your text, click the link icon, and paste
03:01your URL. You can also insert images directly from your device. Just click the image icon
03:08and upload your file.
03:16Position your cursor where you want the table and click Insert Table in the toolbar. By default,
03:21you get a table with a highlighted header row. To add more rows or columns, hover over the edge
03:27of the table until you see a plus sign appear. Click it to add a new row or column.
03:33For more advanced options, hover over any cell and click the grid icon. This gives you options
03:39to duplicate rows, delete columns, clear contents, and more.
03:46You probably have existing documents you want to work with. Proton Drive makes this easy.
03:50From your main Proton Drive interface, you can drag and drop existing files directly into your Drive.
03:56I'll drag a Word document into Proton Drive. To edit the Word document in Proton Docs,
04:02right-click on it and select Open in Docs. Here's something important.
04:07When you edit an existing file in Proton Docs, it creates a copy in Proton format.
04:13Your original file stays untouched. Now for the really powerful stuff, secure collaboration.
04:21To share a document, click the Share button in the top right corner.
04:25You'll see a sharing dialog. Enter the email addresses of the people you want to collaborate with.
04:31You can give them either viewer or editor permissions. You can also add a personal message to explain what you're sharing and why.
04:39Click Share to send the invitations. Your collaborators will receive an email with a secure link to access the file.
04:46Here's the key difference from other platforms. That link is encrypted and only people with Proton accounts can access it.
04:53No one else can see your files. Not even Proton.
04:56Let's see collaboration in action. I've invited my colleague to edit the document. So let's follow the complete process.
05:05After I sent the invitation, my colleague received a secure email with a link to access the document.
05:12When my colleague clicks the link, they're taken to a secure page where they need to log into their Proton account to access the document.
05:19Now when my colleague opens the document, I can see their presence indicator in the top right.
05:24It shows their initial and if you click the initial, it jumps to their cursor's current position.
05:30For more formal collaboration, I can switch to suggesting mode by clicking the pencil icon.
05:35Now when I make changes, they appear as suggestions instead of direct edits.
05:40I can also add comments by selecting content and clicking the comment icon.
05:45Sometimes you need to change who has access to your files. Go to Shared and find your shared file.
05:56Click the three dots menu next to it. Select Manage Shared to see all your collaborators.
06:02To change someone's permissions, click on their current role and select a new role.
06:07To remove someone's access entirely, select Remove Access. They'll immediately lose access to the file.
06:14Sometimes you need to share links with people who don't have Proton accounts.
06:20Public Links makes this possible.
06:22In the Share dialog, you'll see a Create Public Links section.
06:26Toggle this on to enable public sharing.
06:29A public link is generated that anyone can access.
06:32Copy this link and share it with your intended recipients.
06:35For added security, you can set an expiration date for the link or add password protection.
06:42And you can also stop sharing or remove the link whenever you need.
06:46Public Links are perfect for sharing non-sensitive files with clients, partners, or even a wider audience.
06:52But remember, even Public Links maintain end-to-end encryption.
06:57Proton Docs automatically saves version history so you can review or restore earlier versions.
07:04Click on the file name and select C version history to see all previous versions.
07:10Browse through previous versions and choose to either make a copy to create a new file from that version,
07:16or restore this version to replace the current one.
07:20This is incredibly valuable for sensitive documents where you may need to track changes or recover from mistakes.
07:26Finally, let's cover how to export your files when you need to share them outside of Proton.
07:34Click on the document name.
07:36You can export documents in multiple formats.
07:38Word, PDF, HTML, Markdown, or plain text.
07:44This means you can work entirely in Proton, but still share files with people working in other platforms when necessary.
07:50Proton Docs isn't just another word processor.
07:56It's built for privacy-first collaboration.
07:59Proton ensures compliance with key regulations like HIPAA, GDPR, and CPPA.
08:05And Switzerland's robust privacy framework provides an additional layer of legal protection for your content.
08:11Even Proton staff cannot read your documents.
08:14This level of security is essential for legal professionals, investigative journalists,
08:19medical practitioners, and anyone managing confidential information.
08:24Your confidential documents shouldn't be mined for data by surveillance capitalism.
08:29Head over to drive.proton.me now and create your first secure document.
08:34Bring a teammate into a collaborative project and see for yourself how seamless and protected real-time editing can be.
08:41With Proton Docs, you can maintain efficiency while preserving privacy.
08:45If this walked through clarified Proton Docs for you, please like this video and subscribe to our channel and activate notifications for more Proton content.
08:53Have questions about Proton Docs? Share them in the comments section.
08:56We review every comment and frequently we develop follow-up content based on your suggestions.
09:02Begin using Proton Docs today. Your confidential information will thank you.
Be the first to comment