Google One's VPN service will no longer be available as of June 20, 2024; Pixel 7 devices and Pixel Fold will get a built-in VPN via an update on June 3, 2024
Ben Schoon / 9to5Google :
Context & Ripple Effects
Google had progressively broadened Google One VPN access, including opening it to every Google One tier in 22 countries, after initially tying the feature to higher-storage plans. The April decision to end the service cited lack of use; this update turns that decision into a defined migration schedule.
Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro were originally promised free VPN access as a device benefit in 2022. Keeping that capability for Pixel hardware while retiring the Google One version separates a low-use subscription perk from a handset feature.
First-order effects
- Google One subscribers lose access to its VPN on June 20 and must stop relying on it as part of their storage subscription.
- Pixel 7 devices and Pixel Fold receive the built-in VPN through the June 3 update, preserving VPN access for those named Pixel owners after the Google One shutdown.
Second-order effects
- Google One’s value proposition becomes more concentrated on its remaining storage and security features, rather than a broadly available connectivity benefit that Google had added across all plan tiers.
- Pixel’s VPN benefit becomes more clearly hardware-linked, reinforcing the distinction from Google One even though the service was first presented as free access for Pixel 7 buyers.
Third-order effects
- If Google repeats this pattern, bundled consumer services with limited use may be retired while differentiated versions survive as device features, making Pixel software benefits more selective.
- The move illustrates a broader test for subscription bundles: features that do not sustain engagement may shift from plan-wide entitlements to product-specific incentives or disappear.
The trend: Consumer tech companies are pruning underused subscription perks while concentrating select software benefits around flagship hardware ecosystems.