It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize my Google Pixel 10 Pro came with a secret bonus — a free VPN.
VPN by Google is Google’s replacement for its Google One VPN, and it’s completely free to use if you use a Pixel 7 or newer.
You might expect this to be the only VPN I’d use, since it’s free. But I took one look at it and immediately installed a different one. Here’s why.
VPN by Google isn’t a product VPN lovers want to use
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At face value, VPN by Google looks great. It’s installed and ready to roll in your Pixel the moment you boot it up, and it’s completely free.
It’s simple, and it’s sleek — just toggle it on and it starts. Bam, your data is now hidden behind a VPN.
However, there are problems immediately evident here, and a large part of that is down to the simplicity.
VPN by Google is too simple. There’s no location spoofing, AES 256 encryption, or the ability to stretch your protection to other devices you own.
These aren’t additional fripperies; they’re absolutely vital to any VPN. Let’s be clear — if you’re using a VPN, you likely care about keeping your data private, and Google’s VPN does not cater to that at all.
Besides, without location spoofing, it doesn’t even manage to appeal to the other segment of VPN users; those who want to seem like they’re in different countries.
VPN by Google very much feels like “baby’s first VPN” in its simplicity, and that’s a huge problem, because there isn’t an audience for a simple VPN.
If you want a VPN, then you should look elsewhere, because VPN by Google does not offer the tools you need for any reason why you might want a VPN.
But frankly, even if it did have all the toys, you shouldn’t really be using it anyway. And that’s because none of us is sure if we can trust Google.
Can Google really be trusted?
Google’s motto used to be “Don’t be evil.” What started as a jab against competitors and fictional companies became the search engine giant’s central ethos. At least, for a while that is.
While the phrase has never really gone away in Google’s paperwork, its centrality to the company has waned alongside trust in the company.
Google gathers data on all of us through its myriad services and apps, and that’s worth being wary by itself. But consider that data is the bedrock on which Google founded its empire.
Selling and using data is central to its operations, and while that has led to a number of genuinely great services, like Google Maps, do you really want the company that’s based around selling and analyzing to be the company you trust to keep your data safe through a VPN?
Can you absolutely trust it won’t choose to take a little peek from time to time?
It’s not as if other tech giants haven’t done exactly the same thing with their own VPNs.
Even if you trust Google with your data, there’s another problem to consider. How much are you willing to bet that VPN by Google is still here this time next year? Or two years? Or three?
Google has displayed a disturbing propensity for murdering its own products, with 2024 alone seeing eight new entries being added to the Killed by Google graveyard.
Google starts a lot of new experiments, but the upshot of that is you can’t be sure which of them will survive any length of time.
You could realistically find yourself in a situation where the VPN by Google service is just switched off one day, leaving you high and dry with no protection.
VPN by Google is the last VPN I’d rely on
Credit: Kris Henges / Android Police
Look, I’m a fan of Google. I’ve used Android phones from the moment I got my first smartphone. I use Google apps for almost everything, and if pushed to pick a favorite AI assistant, I’d pick Gemini.
Even with my clear bias, there’s no chance I’ll be using Google’s built-in VPN. It’s too barebones for a start, but when you add the general distrust of Google as a company, and the chance it could be shut down at the drop of a hat, yeah, it’s not a great outlook.
Plus, it’s not as if there aren’t some great VPNs out there, including some great free VPNs. Do yourself a favor, and, like me, choose one of those instead.
