Natrium Mail — Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1

Can Natrium read my emails if requested by law enforcement, court orders, or hackers?

Accepted Answer

No. Natrium uses AES-256-GCM encryption with keys derived via scrypt (N=16384, r=8, p=1) and protected by hardware passkeys. Message bodies, subjects, and .enc attachment blobs are stored strictly as authenticated ciphertext; only minimal RFC 5322 SMTP routing headers are processed for delivery, so we cannot produce message plaintext under subpoenas.

Question 2

Why do I need to request access instead of signing up instantly?

Accepted Answer

Open email signups without phone verification attract automated spam botnets that quickly ruin sender IP reputation. Instead of demanding your phone number or government ID, our anti-abuse team reviews handle requests (typically within a few hours) so every member enjoys reliable inbox deliverability.

Question 3

How do I check the status of my access request?

Accepted Answer

Your access request status is tracked automatically on this device. Simply click "Check Status" on the navigation bar or hero section — your device signature and secure session token automatically query the vetting registry without needing to manually copy, remember, or paste a ticket serial number.

Question 4

What happens if I forget my password?

Accepted Answer

Because Natrium is truly zero-knowledge, your plaintext account password is never stored on our servers. You can recover account access using any of your configured recovery methods: your two-question Security Recovery challenge, enrolled Hardware Passkeys / FIDO2 WebAuthn authenticators, single-use 8-character 2FA backup codes, optional recovery email verification codes, or recognized trusted device reset authorization.

Question 5

Can I email people who use regular email providers like Gmail, Outlook, or Apple Mail?

Accepted Answer

Yes, seamlessly. Natrium is fully interoperable with all standard RFC 5322 email clients and servers over enforced TLS 1.3 with 2048-bit DKIM, SPF, and DMARC alignment. When receiving mail from external services, Natrium automatically neutralizes tracking pixels and screens attachments before display.

Question 6

How does attachment threat screening work alongside encryption?

Accepted Answer

Inbound external emails arrive at our MX boundary over TLS, where attachments are screened against 70+ antivirus engines via VirusTotal and sandbox detonation before being encrypted with AES-256-GCM into your .enc vault. For internal encrypted uploads, SHA-256 hash reputation checks verify safety without exposing file contents.

Question 7

What are Account Links and multi-identity switching?

Accepted Answer

Account Links allow you to connect multiple Natrium mailboxes together and switch between identities with a single click without logging out. Free accounts can link up to 2 identities, Pro accounts can link up to 5 identities, and Enterprise accounts enjoy unlimited identity switching.

Question 8

Are Hardware Passkeys (YubiKey / FIDO2) supported on the Free plan?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We believe strong physical authentication should never be locked behind a paywall. All Natrium accounts — including the Free tier — support biometric passkeys, Touch ID, Windows Hello, and hardware security keys (YubiKey / FIDO2 / WebAuthn) for phishing-resistant logins.

Question 9

Are there really no ads, sponsors, or tracking cookies?

Accepted Answer

Exactly zero. Natrium operates with zero advertising networks, zero marketing pixels, and zero behavioral telemetry. Our business model is funded entirely by optional paid Pro and Enterprise subscriptions, keeping our incentives 100% aligned with your privacy.