Google to Discontinue VPN Service for Google One Subscribers and Pixel Owners
In a surprising move, Google has announced that it will be discontinuing its VPN service for Google One subscribers and Pixel smartphone owners. The VPN service, which was introduced in October 2020, will be phased out later this year due to low demand.
Despite the discontinuation, owners of Pixel 7 and newer phones will still have access to the VPN service even after it is no longer available for other subscribers. Google One, a subscription service that offers cloud storage for files, Gmail, and photos among other things, cited low demand as the reason for ending the VPN service. The company mentioned that they are refocusing their efforts on more popular features for Google One.
Initially, the VPN service was only available to users on the $10-a-month Premium plan but was later added to the $2 monthly Basic plan in an effort to attract more users. At the time of writing, the Google One website still lists the VPN service under the benefits section, with no indication that it will be going away.
Despite this, VPN by Google One is not prominently featured on the website and is overshadowed by features such as cloud storage and photo editing. This discontinuation marks the first product cancellation the company has announced this year, ending a 197-day streak of no cancellations.
As Google shifts its focus towards other features within the Google One subscription service, it will be interesting to see how this decision impacts current subscribers and whether they will seek out alternative VPN options in the future.
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