Proton, the online privacy and security company best known for its Proton Mail application, has previously released its Proton Pass password manager for iOS and Android, along with web extensions for Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Brave web browsers, and its own web-based app. Today, users of Windows can finally download the long-awaited dedicated Proton Pass desktop app.
In an emailed press release, Proton says the Windows version of the Proton Pass app offers those users some advantages compared to the various web extensions and the web app. The biggest one is that the Windows app can be used even when your PC is offline.
The press release quotes Son Nguyen, the Product Lead for Proton Pass, as saying:
While Proton Pass has long been available as a browser extension on desktop, even in today’s highly connected world offline support is still necessary . . . The Proton Pass desktop app for Windows lets you access all of your credentials without a browser or internet access, which has been requested by Proton Pass for Business customers.
The offline mode of the Proton Pass Windows app includes the Argon2 hashing algorithm. Proton says this will keep your passwords safe, even if your PC is not connected to the internet. That feature is available for people who pay for a Proton Pass Plus or Unlimited subscription plan. However, a paid subscription to Proton Pass Plus is pretty affordable at just $4.99 a month, or $23.88 for a year.
As with the other Proton Pass mobile apps and web browser extensions, the new Proton Pass for Windows offers end-to-end encryption for all online signup options. That includes not just passwords, but email addresses, and login user names. It can even encrypt data like credit card numbers, codes, and more. The service also generates random email addresses that people can use to sign into services where they would not like to use their own email address as a login.
Proton Pass for Windows should be available to download today on the company’s website. The company says it will release Proton Pass apps for macOS and Linux sometime later in 2024.