I’m on Google Fi because my friends wanted the group discount but it sucks. I think that’s next to go. I will be dumping it for another service soon.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Google One VPN to Shut Down Later This Year
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
They just want to throw **** at the wall and see what sticks. They've got lucky with Gmail, Chrome, Android, Nexus/Pixel phones, YouTube (well they bought that). If it's not making them money then kill it off and find something that does make money.
Using a VPN from any major company isn't a good idea. I do have Private Relay and I know it's not a "true VPN" but I don't rely on it. It can be a pain in the ass at times.
VPNs can scrub the is data as well. I use Surfshark and there is a setting to block ads and trackers that can be turned on or off.
You can do this locally via DNS (AdGuard) or in the browser itself (uBlock Origin addon of Brave browser).
If you care about privacy, you definitely wouldn't want someone to be "scrubbing" your traffic.
I know that. I use NextDns. But I was responding directly to your comment: "VPN is not going to help you to keep your data away from Google at all (unless Google is your ISP). Google trackers and ads are still going to gather data about you no matter of you using the VPN or not."
This isn't a true statement. Some VPN's CAN block trackers and ads natively.
It certainly is true. Domain blocking would not block all of Google tracking.
Also by using VPN, you give VPN provider ability to track all of your traffic, which is even more disturbing!
As I wrote before, by using VPN you give VPN provider all of your trust to the chosen VPN provider, because you route all of your traffic through them. That's hardly good from the privacy standpoint.
Just via DNS and that's hardly enough. You don't need VPN at all in order to block ads via DNS.
To play devil's advocate: Google develops an absolute truck ton of apps and tools, mostly for free. So yeah, they are into throwing stuff at a wall and seeing what sticks. Some of the stuff that slides off is still used by a small handful of users, but the dev costs to keep it maintained, especially if it is free, simply isn't worth it for them.
Personally, I use quite a lot of Google stuff, and I'm struggling to recall anything that I use being dumped. Often I've given stuff a go, haven't liked it much, and dumped it myself long before they have.
I use a MBP and a Pixel, and use a lot of the Google cloud services (e.g. gmail, docs, sheets, notes, photos, etc), which work on both devices, and any changes I make on one device, automatically update on the other almost instantaneously. I find this waaaaaay better than Apple's so called ecosystem that everyone raves about. I was very much pleasantly surprised when I moved to the Pixel 8 after 10 years of owning iPhone.
Unlike yourself, I am feeling absolutely no hurry at all to ever return to iPhones.
Why not? No VPNs prevent browser tracking, that's not the purpose of a VPN, and a VPN isn't designed for that purpose.
Which is why I use my own. I am fortunate enough to have fiber internet and a router that supports VPN's and encrypted DNS.
I get what you're saying, but it was 'free' for users of Google One, which is a subscription service you have to pay for.
The windows client works well, I honestly think it just doesn't work as well on iOS as it does on android.
The VPN service will remain available for Pixel users.
Google didn't hide the VPN feature, it's clearly visible on the google one page and app. They just didn't market google one or it's VPN like Apple markets their products/services.
Also, it was never going to be as appealing to the average apple user as icloud+ due to difference in integration.