Big G finally bought Google One VPN for iPhone and iPad after it was exclusive to Android. But is it worth getting it? I would say no – that’s why…
Google launched Google One VPN in 2020. At launch, it was only available on Android phones. But Google has now released its own VPN for iPhone and iPad. But you’ll need a higher Google One “Premium” subscription of 2TB ($9.99 per month or $99 per year) to access it.
If you have an iPhone or iPad and subscribe to google oneOn the right plan, you should see an option in the Google One app to set up a Google One VPN. All you have to do now is enable it and you will be using Google’s VPN on your iPhone and/or iPad.
What is Google One VPN?
The VPN essentially intercepts and obfuscates outgoing web data. It hides your IP address, makes your browsing anonymous and prevents your ISP from seeing what you’re doing online. VPNs are also great for protection when using free Wi-Fi, such as at a coffee shop or airport.
There are plenty of VPNs out there – some free, some paid – and now Google has decided to join the fray. But the most important thing to keep in mind when choosing a VPN is that it is 100% log-free – No logs means that the VPN provider does not keep a log of your web traffic when using the VPN.
Most Free VPNs VPNs are not without logs; It’s free because the VPN tracks and records your browsing data and then sells it to the highest bidder.
Like most other VPNs, Google One VPN encrypts your online browsing and protects you on public Wi-Fi networks by hiding your IP address. Pretty much par for the course, when it comes to VPN. Google also confirmed that it won’t sell, track, or log your browsing data – this makes Google One VPN absolutely no logs, which is a good thing.
Where is Google One VPN available?
Google has now released Google One VPN worldwide. The new VPN service is available in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States.
At the moment, Google One VPN is only available for Android and iOS, as well as iPhone and iPad. But Google says it plans to bring Google One VPN to it macOS and Windows later this year. There are no exact dates yet, but I imagine we’ll get a release sometime before the end of the year, if all goes well.
Is Google One VPN worth it?
One VPN from Google comes with most of the things you would expect from a VPN; It has 100% no logs, hides your IP address and anonymizes all your online browsing activities. But I can’t recommend it because it’s worth having since you can’t change your IP location.
Having the ability to change your IP location, for example from the UK to the US, is one of the main reasons people use VPNs in the first place – you can access different versions of Netflix, Amazon and Disney+ (and watch unavailable content in your area).
By not including this capability in Google One VPN, Google has effectively shot itself. Why would anyone use Google One VPN, when you get all the same functionality, plus the ability to change your location, With VPNs like ExpressVPN?
It’s simple, you won’t – you’ll do it Use a VPN that provided this feature.
However, as part of the tech elite, it can’t be seen that Google allows media consumption across regions. Netflix does not want its UK users to watch US versions of its service, and vice versa. Google knows this, and in an effort to stop any kind of bad PR, they have not included one of the most important features that a VPN should have.
I’ll admit that having access to a powerful VPN if you’re already a Google One user – at the right level – is definitely a nice bonus. But I don’t see anyone getting Google One to access Google One VPN. I mean, why would you do when there are vastly superior VPN services out there – Like ExpressVPN Available immediately for much less money?
Richard Goodwin has worked as a technical journalist for over 10 years. He is the editor and owner of KnowYourMobile.
“Infuriatingly humble travel fanatic. Passionate social media practitioner. Amateur writer. Wannabe problem solver. General food specialist.”