As we reported back in April, Google has decided to shut down its VPN included with its Google One subscription for good. The alleged reason? "People weren't using it."
The Big Tech giant sent an email to One subscribers at the time warning that the service would be discontinued later this year. Now, as first unveiled by 9to5Google, we finally have a funeral date. Google One VPN is set to stop working on June 20, 2024.
While Google Fi plans and Google Pixel phones will keep offering VPN functionality (more detail on this below), other Android VPN users have about a month to find a suitable alternative. The good news is that all the best VPN providers boast reliable apps across all major operating systems. Let's look at this in more detail.
Google One VPN alternatives
Before getting into the alternative services you could use, let's see why you should use one in the first place. A VPN, short for virtual private network, is security software that encrypts internet connections and spoofs IP addresses. These functionalities enable you to bypass online geo-restrictions—whether this is a censored site or a mere foreign streaming library—while boosting your privacy along the way.
Google One VPN entered the market about four years ago—October 2020 to be exact. However, as we explain in our Google One VPN review, the service has been offering a rather limited experience when compared to many other competitors. This might be the reason that not even a price reduction—down from the initial $9.99 monthly fee to $1.99 in March last year—was able to attract more users.
Nothing to worry about too much, though, as the market is full of great VPN services that work well on Android, and it happens TechRadar experts regularly test and compare hundreds of them.
At the time of writing, NordVPN is at the top of our VPN ranking thanks to its easy-to-use apps, some of the fastest speeds I've seen, great unblocking track record, and tons of security features. Among our favorites, there are strong encryption protocols, a strict no-log policy, Double VPN technology, and an ad/malware blocker system.
NordVPN strikes the perfect balance between security, usability, performance, and unblocking capability, all while offering exceptional customization. Try for yourself with its 30-day money-back guarantee. You can also check out our in-depth NordVPN review for a closer look at the top VPN.
We must admit that the NordVPN map view interface might not be everyone's cup of tea on mobile, even though recent upgrades have made it more thumb-friendly. You can try it out risk-free for 30 days to see what you think.
In case you'd like to switch, I recommend looking at its close competitors ExpressVPN and Surfshark. Proton VPN is also a very good option, especially because it includes a free VPN version as well.
As also stated on Google's support page, Pixel 8 and newer smartphone versions still have a built-in VPN tool. Good news if you're using a Pixel 7, too, as the company is set to enable the same system on Pixel 7, 7 Pro, 7a, and Fold with the update on June 3, 2024. US-based Google Fi Wireless subscribers also continue to have a VPN service included as part of their phone plans.
In its announcement, the Big Tech giant also shared some details on how to uninstall the VPN from your desktop devices. On Windows, all you need to know is to head to Settings, click on the Apps tab, click on VPN by Google One, and then the Uninstall button. While on macOS you'll need to drag the VPN by Google One app to the Trash bin.
The tech company gave some guidance on how to delete your VPN profile on Android and iOS, too. On both types of devices, you can easily do this directly from the VPN By Google One's app setting.
