How the Google Fi virtual private network protects your online activity

The Google Fi virtual private network (VPN) increases your protection from third-party monitoring. With the VPN, you can:

Stream, browse, and download on an automatically encrypted, private connection.
Shield against hackers on unsecure networks like public Wi-Fi.
Prevent websites from using your IP address to find your location.

How the Google Fi VPN works

While you’re online, your browser and your apps frequently communicate sensitive information. Some websites and apps use outdated or weak encryption, or no encryption.

While data is in transit, hackers and third parties can intercept or modify unsecured data. This can put your privacy and security at risk.

When you use the Google Fi VPN, your online activity has increased protection from hackers and other third parties. The Google Fi VPN increases protection for your online activity. The VPN:

Encrypts your online activity between your phone and the Google Fi VPN servers.
Hides your IP address.
Uses a one-time token so that your online activity isn’t tied to your Google Account or phone number.

How we protect your data

Google Fi doesn’t tie your online activity to who you are

Your VPN session is established with a one-time token that’s not linked to your Google Account or your phone number. When you turn on the VPN, Google Fi confirms with one of our servers that you’re a valid user.

The server sends back a one-time token, which has no information about you. The server just verifies if you can use the VPN. With this token, the VPN establishes a connection with our VPN server. Our VPN servers make sure that the token is valid, which allows you to use the VPN.

Because the server we use to make sure that you’re a valid user is separate from our VPN servers, our VPN servers only know if you can use the VPN. Our VPN servers can’t tell who you are.

Your online traffic travels through a strongly encrypted tunnel

Your online activity is encrypted between your phone and our VPN servers. Encryption keeps your data safe in transit, which means third parties and hackers can't see your data before your traffic reaches our VPN servers.

Your real IP address is hidden

Once your traffic reaches our VPN servers, we replace your real IP address with a Google server IP address that is not connected or linked to your Google account. This changes your IP-based location to that of the Google server instead of your real location. This prevents your IP address from being used to track your location when you go to websites. Google Fi retains traffic metadata, like connection speed, without your IP address for 14 days, but Google Fi doesn’t retain your online activity.

Tip: Your browser may have cookies that could be used to personalize your website experience. To prevent cookie-based tracking, you can clear your cookies.

Google Fi prevents abuse while you maintain your privacy

Google Fi may take actions to prevent abuse over the VPN, but we do so in a way that still maintains your privacy. Because we don’t tie your Google Account to your VPN connection, we can’t tie this traffic back to who you are.

With or without a VPN, Google Fi doesn’t sell your personal information to anyone.

How Google Fi's VPN handles your data

Google Fi collects certain information to provide the VPN service. Some of this functionality uses Google Play services.

Crash logs and other performance data are collected for analytics and troubleshooting purposes.
Personal and device identifiers, such as user IDs and device IDs or other identifiers, are collected for app functionality and analytics purposes.

Data is automatically encrypted in transit.

You can request deletion of collected data from My Account.

You’re in control

Turn the Google Fi VPN on or off

Check if your phone is designed for Fi or compatible with Fi.

For phones designed for Google Fi:

Important: Your phone must use Android 9 or higher.

Open the Google Fi app .
Scroll to “Phone settings.”
Tap Privacy & security.
Turn Protect your online activity on or off.
In the pop-up, tap Got it OK.
When the status bar shows , you're connected.

For phones compatible with Google Fi:

Open the Google Fi app .
Scroll to “Phone settings.”
Tap Privacy & security.
Turn Protect your online activity on or off.
On the dialog that pops up, tap Got it OK.
When the status bar shows , you're connected.

For iPhone:

Important: Your iPhone must use iOS 13 or higher.

Open the Google Fi app .
Scroll to “Phone settings.”
Tap Privacy & security.
Turn on or off Protect your online activity.
In the pop-up, tap Got it Allow.
Enter your device passcode or fingerprint.
When the status bar shows , you're connected.

Manage exempt app settings

Most apps connect through the VPN. However, some apps may bypass the VPN to work correctly, such as smart home device apps. You can manage this setting in the Google Fi app. Apps critical to Google Fi service are always exempt from the VPN. Learn which apps are exempt.

Change back to Wi-Fi from mobile data

VPNs use mobile data for automatic encryption and network optimizations. To make sure that you don’t lose connectivity when your Wi-Fi connection is unusable, the VPN moves to a cell network. If you're in the middle of a download, it might continue to download over mobile data. To go back to Wi-Fi, move closer to your router or access point or pick a different network.

Use the VPN with a hotspot

To use the VPN with a Wi-Fi hotspot, you must use a VPN on the device that receives the hotspot.