The current sign-up CAPTCHA requires users to read the time from artistic/surrealist clock images. This design is fundamentally flawed for the following reasons:

[nibas924-glitch]

Problems:

1. Artistic clocks are ambiguous
   The clock images use surrealist painting styles where clock hands are extremely difficult to distinguish from background elements. There is no clear visual separation between hour and minute hands.

2. Users are blocked after 2 failed attempts
   After just 2 incorrect answers, the IP address gets blocked temporarily. This is too aggressive for a CAPTCHA that is genuinely hard to read — even with careful attention.

3. Audio alternative is not usable
   The audio puzzle plays different sounds and a bell chime, but does not clearly speak the time in any recognizable format. It is not an accessible alternative.

4. Real user impact — 5+ days unable to create account
   I have been attempting to create a Tuta account for 5 days. Every attempt fails due to the CAPTCHA, not due to any intent to abuse the system. This is directly preventing legitimate sign-ups.

5. Support email unanswered
   A support email was sent on Tuesday (June 3, 2026). As of Thursday (June 5, 2026), no response has been received.

Expected Behavior:
CAPTCHA should be solvable by a normal human user within 1–2 attempts

Audio alternative should clearly speak the answer
IP block threshold should be more lenient, or a cooldown timer shown

Suggested Alternatives:
Simple math-based CAPTCHA
Text recognition CAPTCHA
Standard accessible CAPTCHA (self-hosted, privacy-respecting like hCaptcha or friendly captcha)

Environment:
Platform: Android Mobile App
Attempt duration: 5+ days
Failed attempts: Multiple sessions

References:
Proton Mail uses a significantly simpler CAPTCHA and has 10M+ users vs Tuta's ~1M — better onboarding UX directly impacts adoption.