What you need to know
- Google plans to shut down the VPN service included with Google One subscriptions.
- The company said that it found that the Google One VPN was underutilized, which is why it is being removed.
- Notably, Pixel owners and Google Fi subscribers will still have access to their included VPN services.
Google bundles a few virtual private network (VPN) services with its other offerings, but one of those is going away soon. Google One VPN, the VPN service included with all Google One subscription tiers, will shut down in the coming months. Luckily, the company will not make any changes to the other VPNs it offers through other programs, like Pixel phone purchases or Google Fi cellular plans.
The move was communicated to Google One subscribers Thursday, April 11 in an email viewed by Android Authority. "With a focus on providing the most in-demand features and benefits, we're discontinuing free shipping for select print orders from Google Photos starting on May 15 and VPN by Google One later this year," the email said.
Google's idea with the Google One VPN was to bolster its subscription offerings while fulfilling a need for privacy on the web. The feature was first a perk of the Google One Premium plan, but it has been available on all Google One plans since early last year. However, the feature wasn't all that popular, at least according to Google.
The company is "discontinuing the VPN feature as [it] found people simply weren't using it," according to a statement provided to 9to5Google.
Again, Google reiterated the need to shift focus toward features that Google One subscribers make the most out of. This is the same reason the company gave when it decided to cut 17 features from Google Assistant in January.
For what it's worth, Google is keeping its original promise to owners of Pixel 7 series phones and newer. A separate VPN service, called Pixel VPN, is included on those devices for five years. Even with the discontinuation of the Google One VPN, the Pixel VPN will still be available. In fact, Google is expanding Pixel VPN to run on the Pixel 7 series and Pixel Fold without needing the Google One app. This functionality first appeared on the Pixel 8 series and is making its way to older devices in June.
The VPN included with Google Fi cellular plans is also unaffected, meaning that there are still a few ways to get VPN service through Google. However, anyone reliant on the Google One VPN who doesn't have a new Pixel or Google Fi service will need to switch to another provider.
