When Google announced the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro a few weeks back, one of the features they gave special weight to was a free built-in VPN service through Google One. At the time, they would only confirm that it was coming later this year, but a Google support page has now given us a clearer time frame.
In December, Google is planning to launch VPN by Google One for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. This is an included perk as an owner of either phone and does not require a Google One subscription. And since this isn’t a subscription thing, you don’t get any of the other Google One benefits unless you actually subscribe to one of those plans.
Here’s how Google describes it:
As of December 2022, Pixel 7* and Pixel 7 Pro* consumers can access VPN by Google One at no extra cost on those devices through the Google One app without a Google One subscription. All other Google One membership benefits are sold separately.
Current Google One premium members (2 TB or higher) already have access to VPN by Google One on multiple devices. This VPN offering doesn’t impact the price or benefits of Google One Premium plans.
VPN by Google One is only available with eligible Google accounts. Workspace and certain supervised accounts (including child accounts) aren’t eligible.
With the release of yesterday’s Android 13 QPR1 Beta 3, Google appears to have built-in support for this free VPN service, as spotted by Mishaal Rahman:
Beta 3 adds support for “built-in” VPNs in preparation for the launch of the Pixel 7’s free Google One VPN service.https://t.co/3589Uj0zRc.apps.privacy.wildlife = AdaptiveVPNPrebuilt, a stub APK in the Pixel 7’s system image. pic.twitter.com/rxGLKHwggm
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) October 21, 2022
Why should you care about a free VPN service? Privacy, man. Using a VPN can protect your privacy as you browse the web or use apps from your phone. Google’s VPN sends your data through a “strongly encrypted tunnel” that also doesn’t associate any of it with your Google account.
I’d imagine this launch will be a part of the December Pixel Feature Drop, which should also bring is Clear Calling and other goodies. The last two December Feature Drops were packed full of fun new stuff. Let’s just hope all of this doesn’t stay exclusive to the Pixel 7 for long. I’d imagine the Pixel 6 line should be able to run this stuff just fine.
Inb4 complaining about Google’s zero data collection VPN stealing your data while using Google Wallet to store your credit card info and Google Photos to store all of the picture you take…
“Workspace […] accounts […] aren’t eligible.” FFS, Google. Give us custom-domain Gmail for family/personal use without all the Workspace restrictions! Heck, make it a Google One tier/perk or something.
A VPN made by the company that is the reason I want a VPN…
This doesn’t make any sense. If you’re completely deGoogled then it doesn’t make a difference, if you use any Google products then your data is still going there.
All this does is obfuscate your traffic through whatever carrier or WiFi you’re using but doesn’t actually alter the location it’s destined to.
Google is the largest data collection company around. Sure, any VPN keeps your traffic secure when using public Wifi, but that isn’t why many use it. Reality is google makes billions, with a B, dollars through targeted ads. Am I to believe they are going to give that up to provide a small if no profit service? Google claims all data is secure and it acts as a traditonal VPN, but Google is also notorious for violating user privacy and harvesting data they claimed originally not to. And even if we take google at their work on tracking, they openly admit that aggregate data is logged, even if Google claims it will not be tied to a specific user. Also, independent analysis shows google is entirely able to tie this data to a user if it was so inclined or directed to by a government.
Again, I’d still trust Google over an open WiFi network or even my ISP (Which is truly saying something). Yes a more private VPN will help with privacy but that isn’t the argument here, if you’re strictly looking at doing nothing versus using Google’s “free” VPN, theirs provides more privacy and security than doing nothing.
You mention Google giving up this service for “free” as well, which isn’t true really. You’re either buying one of their phones (And having this feature for a finite amount of time) or tying yourself into their storage service. Either way you are paying something to use it. Not to mention, this is a highly marketable bullet point that beefs up the “our phones are secure” argument they’ve been pushing ever since they started with their Titan chips.
In the end, if you truly care about your data enough, then you aren’t using Google’s services to begin with and this is entirely irrelevant.
No VPN vs. Google VPN
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/001ba468623bcb21cdbd35b159fb2c23156b4e4271715ea53926ad15223f06cd.png https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/576ecd2954463dc591eda93095a5bbd47a957c85c9bfe81e9f7386bdefcb0568.png
Same for me too. I thought it was just me. Only time I’ll actually go on VPN is if I’m at a hotel and their wifi speeds are better than my VZ speed, which unfortunately is more often the case nowadays.