Tuta, a German provider of end-to-end encrypted webmail, has announced the availability of a Tuta Mail application in the Nextcloud App Store. This integration allows users with a Nextcloud instance to access their Tuta mailbox directly within the Nextcloud interface. Nextcloud is a free and open-source platform that enables users to store and manage files, emails, calendars, and more, either on their own servers or through third-party hosting services.
Tuta has refused to support the IMAP protocol, citing concerns that it would require emails to be stored in plain text on the device, thereby compromising encryption. To address this, Tuta has embedded its own web client within the Nextcloud Mail app, which is available under a free license. This approach allows the Tuta Mail app to connect to IMAP accounts without exposing emails in plain text.
To use the Tuta plugin, users must install it on Nextcloud versions 33, 34, or 35. In Tuta's admin settings, users need to activate the Nextcloud plugin, provide the address of their Nextcloud server, and specify a destination folder, named "TutaAttachments" by default. After logging into Nextcloud, the Tuta plugin receives an application password for the connection.
The plugin enables two key functions: attachments received in Tuta Mail can be sent with a single click to the specified Nextcloud folder, and when creating an event in the Tuta calendar, a Nextcloud Talk link can be generated in the location field. It is noted that the Talk channel created is public, allowing guests without a Nextcloud account to join using the link.
These functions are available across various platforms, including desktop, mobile, and web browsers, as long as the Tuta Mail app is installed on the Nextcloud server. Regarding end-to-end encryption, the Tuta web client, including encryption modules, is embedded within the app. This ensures that emails remain encrypted end-to-end, with the Nextcloud server displaying them in plain text in the user's browser. Emails themselves remain securely stored with Tuta.
For users with self-installed Nextcloud instances, this setup does not significantly alter the existing trust in the server. However, for users on employer or hosting provider Nextcloud instances, attachments copied to the server become plain text files outside of Tuta's encryption. If this is a concern, users are advised to continue reading emails in the classic Tuta app and only send attachments that would have been stored on the Nextcloud server anyway.
Tuta Integrates with Nextcloud via Custom Plugin Bypassing IMAP Limitations
AI-rewritten from original reportingHow it works
tuta-mailnextcloudencryptionimapapp-storeend-to-end
Original sources:
- 🇫🇷Korben



