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Since 2020, Google One subscribers haven't needed to look elsewhere for a VPN to protect themselves online, as the company includes a VPN service as part of the subscription. For the past year, this VPN was included in any Google One plan, so whether you paid Google $9.99 a month or $1.99 a month, you got the VPN.
If you're one of the Google One users who relies on this VPN, bad news: Google is killing it, like so many other products and services it's rolled out over the years. The company tells 9to5Google they're discontinuing the VPN mainly because, well, people weren't using it. So, if you are a fan of Google One's VPN, you might just be one of the few.
The VPN servicewon't disappear overnight, however. Google says they'll wind the feature down "in the next few months," although there's no definitive deadline. Pixel-based VPNs, however, will still be supported. If you have a Pixel 7 or newer, you'll be able to use a VPN built right into your phone instead of the one through Google One. (Pixel 8 devices had this feature already.)
But for anyone else, you won't be able to rely on this VPN for that much longer. Once Google removes it, you'll still be able to use all the other Google One features included with your plan, just without the virtual private network. (At least, until Google kills another feature.)
Which VPN should you switch to?
All it takes is one Google search to see there are plenty of alternative options on the market. Unless you're cancelling your Google One subscription outright, you probably aren't thrilled by the idea of spending more money to get another VPN: If you're looking for a VPN specifically for your Android device, you can find David Nield's list of free recommendations here. This includes options like PrivadoVPN, TunnelBear VPN, and Proton VPN.
Free VPNs, however, aren't particularly ideal: Either the experience is more limited than you'd like, or the service itself isn't quite as private as a VPN should be. Instead, you may want to look at paid options for your next VPN: You could upgrade to Proton VPN's paid tier for $10 per month to get features like multiple devices and faster speeds. If unlimited devices is your priority, you could look at Surfshark, which comes with a variety of paid plans. Mullvad is so private, it doesn't even ask for an email address.
You can find our full list of paid VPN recommendations here.
Check out these VPNs to replace Google One:
Mullvad (starting at $5.32/€5 per month)
Surfshark (starting at $15.49 per month or $41.86 per year)
Proton VPN (free, or starting at $10.63/€9.99 per month, or $76.50/€71.88 per year)
PrivadoVPN (free)
TunnelBear VPN (free)
Jake Peterson
Senior Technology Editor
Jake Peterson is Lifehacker’s Senior Technology Editor. He has a BFA in Film & TV from NYU, where he specialized in writing. Jake has been helping people with their technology professionally since 2016, beginning as technical specialist at New York’s 5th Avenue Apple Store, then as a writer for the website Gadget Hacks. In that time, he wrote and edited thousands of news and how-to articles about iPhones and Androids, including reporting on live demos from product launches from Samsung and Google. In 2021, he moved to Lifehacker and covers everything from the best uses of AI in your daily life to which MacBook to buy. His team covers all things tech, including smartphones, computers, game consoles, and subscriptions. He lives in Connecticut.
