After less than four years of service, the Google One VPN app is shutting down for good.
The Big Tech firm announced its decision in an official email sent to One subscribers—and seen by the Android Authority team—saying that the VPN service by Google One will be discontinued later this year. However, Google reassured readers that owners of the Pixel 7 (or newer models) can still access Google's VPN through the phone settings.
This news might come as a shock for One subscribers actively using the virtual private network app. Luckily, however, there are plenty of Google One VPN alternatives on the market for Android loyalists.
Why is Google One VPN shutting down?
You might be wondering why, after launching Google One VPN in October 2020, the company wants to pull the plug on the product.
While the email was deliberately vague, a Google spokesperson explained to 9to5Google that the reason for discontinuing the VPN is simple, and boils down to the simple fact that "people weren't using it."
Google is emailing Google One subscribers to inform them that the free VPN by Google One service is being discontinued later this year.Google is also discontinuing free shipping for select print orders from Google Photos in Canada, the UK, the U.S., and the EU starting May 15.… pic.twitter.com/y17wz9LJUPApril 11, 2024
The company initially asked for a $9.99 monthly fee that was lowered to $1.99 in March last year. By the look of it, a cheaper offer did not help to make the VPN apps more tempting to Google One users.
The company believes this move will allow the team to "refocus" and "support more in-demand features with Google One."
What are the alternatives?
The good news is that the market is full of reliable Android VPNs—and it also happens that our experts at Tom's Guide regularly test hundreds of apps to ensure we recommend only the best of the best.
At the time of writing, our top pick is NordVPN. The biggest name in the industry fully lives up to its fame and comes as a complete security package, thanks to built-in antivirus and ad-blocking tools. It's also a great streaming VPN—we managed to unblock everything we tried the last time we checked.
If you are looking for a VPN app simply to boost your mobile security, I also suggest looking into the best free VPNs. PrivadoVPN and Proton VPN Free offer great premium security without lengthy subscription plans.
