# Switch to Protonmail Reason #32: Use encrypted contacts for sensitive details such as phone numbers and addresses A contact book can expose the identities and personal details of many people besides you. 2026-09-09 :: Switchboard Tech Services ![Switch to Protonmail Reason #32: Use encrypted contacts for sensitive details such as phone numbers and addresses](https://switchboardtechservices.com/static/images/defaults/guides.webp) ## Why this matters A contact book can expose the identities and personal details of many people besides you. Privacy is easier to defend before this information is collected than after it has spread. ## The protection Proton can store certain contact fields with zero-access encryption. ## Take action Move sensitive contact details into supported fields. Proton still needs display names and email addresses for routing and autocomplete. Email protection depends on the route and settings. Ordinary mail involving outside providers is not automatically end-to-end encrypted, and email metadata is not universally hidden. ## Sources [Proton Mail security checklist](https://proton.me/support/new-account-owner-security-checklist). - Categories: [Proton Mail](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/categories/proton-mail/) - Tags: [#Digital Self-Defense](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/tags/digital-self-defense/), [#Proton Mail](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/tags/proton-mail/), [#Email Privacy](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/tags/email-privacy/), [#Contacts Privacy](https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/tags/contacts-privacy/) [Guides RSS](https://switchboardtechservices.com/feeds/guides.xml "Subscribe using an RSS reader") --- Canonical URL: https://switchboardtechservices.com/guides/switch-to-protonmail-reason-32/ Language: en-us Content type: guide Author: Switchboard Tech Services Published: 2026-09-09T16:08:54+00:00 Description: Why use encrypted contacts for sensitive details such as phone numbers and addresses matters for privacy and security.