Google One VPN is shutting down for good because no one uses it

Date:
Fri, 12 Apr 2024 11:03:34 +0000

Description:
Googles VPN service, bundled with its Google One subscription, is being discontinued later this year.

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Do you use Google Ones VPN service ? If so, weve got some bad news: Google is about to shut it down for good.

In fact, you might be one of the few people who actually are using it. We werent very impressed when we reviewed it , and Google has told the news site 9to5Google that it's discontinuing the VPN feature as [it] found people
simply werent using it. The company followed up by saying the cancellation would allow it to refocus and support more in-demand features with Google
One.

According to 9to5Google, theres no specific timeline for when Google Ones VPN will be shuttered, but an official email seen by Android Authority says that it will happen later this year. That means youve got a little bit of time to find an alternative among the best VPN services .

The move is a disappointing one, as it removes a handy feature for any Google One subscriber who wants an extra tool to protect their privacy. Fortunately, there are still plenty of other choices out there, although opting for one of them requires an additional subscription, whereas Google Ones VPN came
bundled with your membership at no extra cost.

Other Google One features remain intact. It still offers storage for photos, files and emails, device backups, dark web security reports, and more. Google also hasnt changed the pricing (despite removing its VPN) and plans still start at $1.99 / 1.59 per month. Just the latest Google cancellation (Image credit: Google)

Google One VPN was introduced in October 2020. Originally it required you to sign up for a $9.99 / 7.99 premium plan, but it later became available on all Google One plans, meaning you could pay $1.99 / 1.59 a month and still have access to it.

The removal of the Google One VPN is just the latest product cancellation by Google, which has a habit of launching interesting features and then dropping them further down the line. In just the last year, Google has discontinued Play Movies & TV , the classic Gmail interface , its Nvidia-powered gaming Chromebooks , and more. Its such a well-known phenomenon that heres even a dedicated website cataloguing all the Google products that have been killed off by the company.

The good news is that Googles free Pixel VPN service isnt going anywhere.
This was introduced in 2022 , and at the time Google guaranteed its availability for five years. It does, however, require a recent Pixel phone , something that not every Google One subscriber will have. Considering that earlier this year Google announced it had reached 100 million Google One subscribers , thats a lot of people who might be on the lookout for a new VPN service. You might also like 7 things you need to know about Google VPN
Google One VPN review The best VPN service in 2024



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/google-one-vpn-is-shutting-down-for-good-beca use-no-one-uses-it


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