15 May 2025 : A few weeks ago, the Swiss privacy-focused tech company had shared an update roadmap for its increasingly powerful ecosystem for apps, and the first of those big changes has arrived on schedule. Proton Drive, the company’s cloud storage service that rivals the likes of Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox and Box, has added a feature called Albums. This gives Proton Drive versatility as a photo backup service on Android devices as well as the Apple iPhone and iPad. This specific feature means Proton Drive squarely has Google Photos in its sights.
This update, and with the roadmap suggesting significant updates for the Docs suite within Drive, improved Drive app for macOS, as well as split-tunnelling additions in ProtonVPN for macOS and Linux, improved categorisation in Proton Mail and File Attachment in Proton Pass being some examples, gives the company enough arsenal to continue to build an alternate ecosystem to Google and Microsoft, as well as specific usability including cloud storage and identity manager apps such as LastPass and Apple Passwords.
“Highly requested by our community, this new feature enhances Proton Drive’s existing secure file and photo storage experience. Albums lets you manage your memories with ease and privacy — all while continuing to protect your files with Proton’s industry-leading privacy and security safeguards. The only people who can access your images are you and the people you choose,” explains Anant Vijay, Product Lead for Proton Mail and Drive.
The updated Proton Drive adds functionality to organise photos that have already been backed up further into specific albums, creating a shared album, and marking favourite photos within the gallery. Arriving soon, the ability to generate links to share photos via these links, instead of giving a friend or family member access to an entire album.
“Just like everything stored in Proton Drive, every Album you create is protected by end-to-end encryption. That means only the people you choose can access them — album names and metadata like photo locations included. Our advanced privacy and security measures keep your memories safe from advertisers, algorithms, and hackers alike,” Vijay details the privacy layer for Albums in Proton Drive.
Summary:
Proton Drive introduces encrypted Albums, offering users secure photo organization and sharing with end-to-end privacy—positioning itself as a private alternative to Google Photos.