Google One VPN: What is it, how much it costs, and more

VPNs are very popular these days, and Google has jumped on board with Google One VPN. What exactly is it, though? We’ll explain the ins and outs of this VPN service.

What is Google One VPN?

VPN by Google One is a virtual private network, just like Nord VPN, Express VPN, and other popular options. A VPN lets you encrypt your web traffic and keep it confidential, away from the prying eyes of hackers, internet service providers, and other parties. Google One VPN is available for Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows.

Google’s VPN is part of its Google One cloud storage service. You cannot purchase it separately. This is also why it used to be more expensive than other options, but Google has since expanded its VPN services to all Google One plans, including the cheapest $1.99/month one.

As with other providers, when you enable Google One VPN, your web traffic gets redirected to proxy servers. This means that your smartphone or computer will have a secure and encrypted connection whenever you use Google One VPN. However, the service assigns you an IP address automatically based on the region of the world you’re in, so you can’t choose a server in a different country — more on this later.

Does Google One VPN work like a traditional VPN?

Google One VPN works like any other VPN in encrypting your data and rerouting your web traffic through proxy servers. However, there is one key difference that you should know about. Other VPN providers let you choose your server location to circumvent regional restrictions. This enables you to access streaming content, for example, that you otherwise could not access in your country. Google One VPN does not let you do this. Instead, you will automatically be assigned an IP address based on your location. So, if you’re in Germany, you’ll get a German IP address, and if you’re in the US, you’ll get a US IP address, for example.

You also don’t get many other bells and whistles other VPNs offer. For example, you don’t get an ad blocker. Plus, it’s not clear how many servers in total Google One VPN actually has. You do get a “kill switch” option, however. That is, in case the VPN stops working for whatever reason, you can ensure you disconnect from the internet entirely rather than continuing to browse with an unsecured connection.

Besides that, Google One VPN functions like other VPNs. Google claims it doesn’t log your data besides some minor details to help improve the service. While Google doesn’t have the best reputation regarding data privacy, it has open-sourced some reference files for Google One VPN, and third-party audits have found the amount of data logging to be in line with what Google says.

Google claims it will never log network traffic, IP addresses, used bandwidth, and connection timestamps. It does log some things, though. So, it does not have a zero-logging policy like many other VPNs offer.

Note that, like any VPN, websites can still use cookies and other methods to track you. Even Google can still collect your data through the Chrome web browser, Gmail, and other Google services, including your non-VPN Google One storage and account activities as well.

Who can use it?

You can use Google One VPN on Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac. It’s available to all paid Google One subscribers, regardless of which plan they have. Google One paid subscriptions cost $1.99/month for 100GB of storage, $2.99/month for 200GB, or $9.99/month for 2TB, and so on.

All plans come with access to Google experts, the ability to share your plan with five users, and other benefits. Premium subscribers get access to Google Workspace premium features. The Premium subscription also offers some added benefits, such as 10% back on Google Store purchases,

Furthermore, Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro users can access Google One VPN free on their phones using the Google One app without a subscription. Note that this is unavailable for Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro devices in Singapore and India. Additionally, Google has integrated its VPN services right into the Pixel 8 series software.

Google maintains a list of countries where you can use Google One VPN. At the time of writing, these include:

The VPN will continue to work if your home country is one of those listed above and you travel elsewhere.

Up to six devices can share a Google One VPN subscription (yours, plus another five devices). Furthermore, family groups can also share the VPN service. However, supervised children’s accounts aren’t eligible.

Price, availability, and instructions

To use Google One VPN, you must have a paid Google One subscription. You can purchase one from Google or upgrade your existing account if you have one. You can also save if you choose to pay annually. The yearly prices are $19.99, $29.99, and $99.99, accordingly. If you have a Pixel 7 series or Pixel 8 series device, you can access Google One VPN at no extra charge on your mobile device.

You’ll also need the Google One app installed on your Android or iOS device. To enable Google One VPN on a smartphone, follow the steps below.

How to turn on Google One VPN on Android:

1. Open the Google One app.
2. Tap on the VPN option.
3. Toggle on the Use VPN setting.

If you want to use the service on Windows or Mac:

1. On your computer, open one.google.com in a web browser.
2. Click on Benefits.
3. Under VPN protection for multiple devices, click on View details.
4. Click Download app and confirm.
5. Once it finishes downloading, open VPNbyGoogleOneSetup.exe on Windows or VpnByGoogleOne.dmg on Mac.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to install Google One VPN on your computer.

Using Google One VPN on your mobile device will use more battery and data. While it’s not extreme, you may notice the difference. Google estimates you’ll use around 5-15% more data after you enable the VPN.

Frequently asked questions