You probably forgot it was even there.
Google’s paid subscription, Google One, is much more than just extra storage on Google Drive. It has a lot of extra features, including a VPN connection. It was a pretty good basic VPN, and it’s been available on Android and iPhone for years. However, most people weren’t using it, so Google is now doing what it does best: shutting down the service.
Google has confirmed that the Google One VPN, which was available inside the Google One app and was available to any paying user, will be going away for good, with the app removing the feature sometime within the next few months. As we write this, it’s still available, but it’s supposed to be removed down the road. Once the VPN is removed, users will be directed to alternatives. More than being a “traditional” VPN that allows you to choose the country you want to connect from, Google’s VPN was a “security” focused one for the most part—it would give you an IP address from the same country you’re in, and as close to your geographical location as possible, and it’s meant to boost your online security by concealing your IP address from the web.
The reason why it’s going away? Apparently, it’s because no one was using it. That’s the reasoning Google is using, at least. Gutting it would allow the company to refocus its efforts on other features within Google One, as well as develop new features. These news also don’t affect the VPN that comes with Pixel phones—that one is separate from the Google One app and will continue to be worked on following Google’s promise to keep it running for at least five years. It also doesn’t affect the VPN offered by the Google Fi mobile network.
The good part is that, if you were using Google’s VPN on your phone, you probably now have one less reason to pay for Google One. There are plenty of alternative VPN services, though, and most of them have more features than the simple VPN offered by Google.
Source: 9to5Google
