The Google One VPN was shut down, the Pixel VPN remained

Back in October 2020, Google One introduced a VPN that later became available on all plans and platforms. Google announced today that VPN by Google One will be shutting down in the coming months.

It was originally presented as providing “an extra layer of online protection for your Android phone” and “peace of mind that your data is safe”, with the company posting a White papers Which detailed how it works. In addition, Google had Third party audit of the system And open source Client APIs.

Currently, this VPN is available in Google One apps for Android and iOS, while Mac and Windows clients are also available. It originally required a $9.99 per month Premium plan, but was reduced to a $1.99 per month offering in March 2023.

Google is now turning off the VPN feature [they] I found that people simply don't use it. The company says 9to5Google The shutdown will allow the team to “refocus” and “support more requested features with Google One.”

Earlier this year, Google One reached 100 million subscribers, and CEO Sundar Pichai described it as a future growth area driven by artificial intelligence. Today's change comes on the heels of news this week that AI editing tools in Google Photos will be available for free in the coming months and no longer require a subscription except for unlimited use of Magic Editor.

Google One's VPN service will be discontinued over the next few months, with no specific timeline provided today. Existing users will be directed to third-party VPN alternatives.

Meanwhile, there are no changes to the free Pixel VPN offered with the Pixel 7 series in 2022. At the time, availability was guaranteed for five years.

In fact, the big VPN upgrade introduced with the Pixel 8 will be coming to the Pixel 7, 7 Pro, 7a, and Fold in June. Older Pixel phones will stop using the Google One app and switch to a built-in service which means no constant notification.

The VPN available with Google Fi will also remain available.