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# What Happens to Your Email Account When You Get Hit By a Bus? Proton's Got Your Back
- URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-emergency-access/
- Published: 2025-08-29T07:26:26.000Z
- Updated: 2025-08-29T08:46:02.000Z
- Description: This should be useful during emergencies.
- Author: Sourav Rudra
- Tags: Privacy 🛡️, News, #Import 2025-11-08 21:15

Just a month after rolling out its [Microsoft Authenticator alternative](https://itsfoss.com/proton-authenticator-launch/), Proton is already back with more news. That launch showed they can go toe-to-toe with Big Tech when it comes to providing privacy-focused alternatives to their offerings.

This time, the focus is not on managing passwords or 2FA codes but on life's unexpected events. They have introduced [Emergency Access](https://proton.me/blog/emergency-access?ref=itsfoss.com), **a way to let trusted people manage your Proton account** if you are unable to due to circumstances.

[Not using Proton yet? Get it here](https://proton.go2cloud.org/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=15&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=news.itsfoss.com)

## Proton Emergency Access: What is It?

![an illustration that shows the people i trust page in proton pass with an emergency contact added](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/08/proton-emergency-access-banner.jpg)

**Source: Proton*

Imagine being stuck somewhere you cannot access your devices, maybe due to travel restrictions, an accident, [a foreign occupation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupation%5Fof%5FPalestine?ref=itsfoss.com), or even a high-risk situation involving persecution by authorities over your work.

With this, you **can assign up to five trusted contacts**. These people can request access to your Proton account if you are unavailable, but you stay in control of who gets access during the waiting period.

Once the waiting period is over, access is automatically granted, ensuring your data can be managed when it’s needed most. Moreover, it’s easy to add or remove trusted contacts anytime, and **all your data still stays protected** under Proton’s end-to-end encryption umbrella.

The waiting period is flexible, btw. It ranges from 1 day to several months, so you decide how long contacts must wait before access is granted. This feature works across all Proton services, like [Mail](https://proton.go2cloud.org/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=15&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=news.itsfoss.com), [Calendar](https://proton.me/calendar?ref=itsfoss.com), [Drive](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=43&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=news.itsfoss.com), [VPN](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=10&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=news.itsfoss.com), [Pass](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=38&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=news.itsfoss.com), and [Wallet](https://proton.me/wallet?ref=news.itsfoss.com). (*partner links*)

Keep in mind that **Emergency Access is only available for users on Proton’s paid plans**. *Free* plan users won’t have access to this feature.

**Suggested Read** 📖

[Say Goodbye to Microsoft Authenticator! Proton Just Introduced a Solid AlternativeProton’s 2FA app helps keep your accounts safe and secure.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-223.png)It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/proton-authenticator-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/proton-authenticator-launch/)