VPN by Google One is Heading to the Google Cemetery
Google will discontinue the VPN service offered to its Google One subscribers on June 10 this year, the company officially announced on the Google One Support page. Added as a bonus feature for Google One subscribers in October 2020, the service was initially available on select paid plans for Android users.
However, the company soon rolled out the feature across different platforms, including iOS, Windows, and Mac. In March 2023, it included the VPN in the cheapest monthly cloud storage plan of $1.99.
The VPN service was initially marketed as an additional security layer against online threats for Android devices. To bolster confidence in the VPN service, the company not only published a white paper detailing the VPN’s operations but also underwent a third-party audit and made the VPN’s client APIs open-source.
However, after less than four years, Google decided to discontinue the VPN service, citing non-usage as a reason. The VPN service is being shut down as “people simply weren’t using it,” the company told 9to5Google. Google now plans to focus on offering more in-demand features and benefits, including integration of Gemini AI with Google One.
The other VPN offerings via Google Fi, and as a built-in capability on Pixel devices will still be available. Pixel 7 and up users can also access Google VPN services through Pixel settings.
Despite Google announcing June 10, 2024, as the official date for the complete removal of the VPN service from Google One storage services, the product quickly found itself listed alongside numerous other discontinued Google offerings in the notorious Google Cemetery. This occurred just days after Google One cloud storage surpassed 100 million subscribers.
