How to use the Proton Scribe writing assistant
- Lecture
- 5 minutes
Proton Scribe is a privacy-first writing assistant built into Proton Mail. It helps you draft new emails or improve existing ones, without compromising your data.
You can also run Scribe locally, so your data never leaves your device.
In this article
- Availability and requirements
- Set up Proton Scribe
- Using the writing assistant
- How to use the Proton Scribe add-on (Proton for Business)
- Troubleshooting
Availability and requirements
| Plans | – Included with Proton Duo, Family, Visionary, and Lifetime. – Available as a paid add-on for Proton for Business – If you’re on another paid Proton Mail plan, you can try Scribe for free for 14 days. |
|---|---|
| Platforms | – Proton Mail web – Proton Mail desktop (macOS only) |
| Languages | – Server-side: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese. – Local mode: English |
Set up Proton Scribe
Enable Proton Scribe
- Open your account settings.
- Select Messages and composing from the sidebar.
- Toggle Proton Scribe writing assistant on.
The Proton Scribe pencil icon now appears in your composer.
Decide where to run Scribe
The first time you use Scribe, you can choose where to run it:
Securely run on Proton servers (recommended for most people)
Scribe runs on Proton’s secure servers. This option is faster, works on any device, and supports more languages. Your prompts are encrypted in transit and deleted immediately after use.
Securely run on device
Scribe downloads a local LLM to your device, so your data never leaves it.
To use Scribe in local mode, you’ll need:
macOS
- Minimum 4 GB storage space (the local LLM is 3.8 GB)
- M-series chip
- 8 GB RAM
- Chromium-based browser (e.g., Chrome, Edge, Brave) or the Proton Mail desktop app
Windows
- Minimum 4 GB storage space (the local LLM is 3.8 GB)
- Intel Core 7th generation or AMD Ryzen 1000 series CPU
- Dedicated GPU with 6 GB VRAM and FP16 capability (e.g., Nvidia RTX 2060, AMD RX 5500 XT)
- 8 GB RAM
- Chromium-based browser (e.g., Chrome, Edge, Brave)
Local mode is only available in English. It doesn’t work in incognito or private browsing mode.
Using the writing assistant
Generate a new email
- Open a new email in the composer.
- Click the pencil icon below the subject line.
Click Help me write and enter your prompt (for example, “Write a cover letter for an engineering job”).
3. Wait for Scribe to generate a draft. If you need to cancel, you can click the cross button (X) at any time.
4. Review the output. Click Insert to make it your draft, or edit your prompt to regenerate.
Your generated text is now in the email body, ready to review and send.
Note: Be sure to check for accuracy. Proton Scribe is just a writing assistant, so it may not always have correct details.
Improve an email
- Write out your email (or open an existing draft).
- Click the pencil icon at the bottom left of the composer.
- Choose an action:
- Select Proofread, Expand, or Shorten from the menu.
- You can also Formalize or Make it friendly. Click the ellipses (…) icon to show these options.
4. To improve a specific part of your draft, select the text you want Scribe to edit.
- Select an option or click Modify selection to add a custom prompt.
- Click Insert when you’re happy with the result.
Your generated text is now in the email body, ready to review and send.
Disable Proton Scribe
- Open the Settings (⚙️) sidebar.
- Toggle off Writing assistant.
Proton Scribe is now disabled and hidden from your email composer.
Remove the local model from your device
- In Chrome (or another Chromium-based browser), go to Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies → See all site data and permissions.
- Click the trash icon next to proton.me.
You’ll need to sign in to your Proton account again after deleting the model.
Send feedback
If you want to help improve Scribe, you can give feedback on its output:
1. Once Scribe generates a draft, click the thumbs up or thumbs down icon.
2. (Optional) Tick the checkbox to include your prompt and the response.
3. Click Submit.
How to use the Proton Scribe add-on (Proton for Business)
On Proton for Business plans, Scribe is a paid add-on purchased per user. Organizations can start with a 14-day free trial that gives both administrators and users access to Scribe.
Start your free trial
Open the Mail composer and click the pencil icon. This will automatically start your trial.
Buy the Proton Scribe add-on
To purchase the add-on after your trial:
- Open your account settings.
- On the Dashboard page, click Customize plan.
3. Under Proton Scribe writing assistant, select the number of users you want to purchase Scribe for.
4. Complete payment.
You have now purchased the Proton Scribe add-on.
Manage user access
- Open your account settings. Select Users and addresses from the sidebar.
- Click Edit next to a user.
- Toggle Writing assistant on or off.
Cancel your Proton Scribe add-on
To cancel the Proton Scribe add-on, you’ll first need to disable it for each individual user:
- Open your account settings. Select Users and addresses from the sidebar.
- Click Edit next to each user and make sure Writing assistant is turned Off.
- Now select Dashboard from the sidebar and click Customize plan.
- Set Proton Scribe writing assistant to zero users.
Troubleshooting
Slow performance
If you’re experiencing slow performance in local mode, you may be running out of memory. Try:
- Close unused programs and browser tabs.
- Restart your computer to free up memory.
Note that Scribe automatically unloads from memory when not in use.
When using local mode, performance may vary depending on your hardware. If your hardware doesn’t meet the system requirements(nouvelle fenêtre), consider switching to server-side mode instead.
Can’t access Proton Scribe
Double-check that Scribe is available on your plan. If you’re using Proton for Business(nouvelle fenêtre), make sure that your administrator has given you access to Proton Scribe.