Key Takeaways

  • Google’s VPN by Google might be expanding to the Pixel Tablet.
  • The built-in VPN service, initially exclusive to Pixel 7 and later released smartphones, has begun appearing for users running Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1.
  • VPN by Google will likely be widely available on the Pixel Tablet with the March 2025 Pixel Feature Drop.



Google’s Pixel-exclusive VPN, aptly named VPN by Google, is available on Pixel 7 and later released smartphones. Instead of being offered through the Google One app like the tech giant’s previous VPN offering, VPN by Google is built into Android, accessible by heading to Settings → Network & internet → VPN → VPN by Google.

As part of the built-in VPN’s initial rollout with the December 2022 Pixel Feature Drop, Google omitted support for the Pixel Tablet, but it looks like the tech giant is now changing course.

Google account and One logo overlayed on laptop hero image

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As highlighted by Mishaal Rahman in a report for Android Authority, with last week’s Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1, users have begun spotting the built-in VPN landing on the Pixel Tablet, and it is fully functional, suggesting that the tool will likely be available to all Pixel Tablet users in stable with the March 2025 Pixel Feature Drop.


Further, according to a separate report from 9to5Google, the app was “briefly” installable on the Pixel Tablet when the tool first began rolling out back in 2022. Of course, since the tablet didn’t receive support, the tool couldn’t be used — however, those who kept the app installed on their device (or have recently sideloaded it) are also now reporting the tool being functional.

A screenshot of VPN by Google in a Pixel Tablet's app list.

Source: Android Authority

To further confirm that the development isn’t unintended, Rahman suggests that the app’s Play Store listing has been updated to remove the Pixel Tablet’s incompatibility. It’s worth noting, however, that the tech giant’s official support page for the tool still has no mention of Tablet support. This will likely change as we approach the tool’s stable release for tablets with the March 2025 Pixel Feature Drop, giving Pixel Tablet users a built-in and free way to enhance their online privacy and security.


In other Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1-related news, the beta update surprisingly brings expedited access to Priority Modes, Pixel’s supercharged version of DND. Initially expected to roll out with Android 16, Priority Modes are now expected to also roll out in stable with the March drop, allowing users to create custom DND profiles for different scenarios. With the tool, for example, you’ll be able to create a custom work mode that only lets notifications from family members and colleagues pass through, and a different sleep mode that blocks all interruptions outright.

Screenshots of the Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1-released Priority Modes.

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