If you want more protection from hackers and online monitoring, you can make your connection more secure with a virtual private network (VPN) by Google One. On your device, in the Google One app, you can encrypt your online activity for an extra layer of protection wherever you’re connected.
After you turn on the VPN, you can:
- Shield against hackers on unsecure networks, like public Wi-Fi.
- Hide your IP address. When you hide your IP address, others can’t use your IP address to track your location.
Where the VPN by Google One is available
The VPN by Google One is available in select countries and is included for Google One members with plans of 2 TB of Google storage and up. This feature is available in these locations:
- Austria
- Australia
- Belgium
- Canada
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- United States
If you have the VPN by Google One turned on and your home country is listed above, the VPN by Google One still works when you travel internationally to many countries.
While online, your browser and your apps frequently communicate sensitive information. Some websites and apps use outdated or weak encryption, or none at all. While in transit, unsecured data can be intercepted or modified by hackers, which can compromise your privacy and security. Your online activity can be accessed by your network provider and the sites that you visit might be able to track you based on your IP address.
When you turn on the VPN, your online data is protected by traveling through a strongly encrypted tunnel. To allow websites to show you the right content for your region, the VPN by Google One will assign you an IP address based on your current country, so that websites can show you the right content for your region. But websites can't use this IP address to determine your precise location.
Learn more about what makes the VPN by Google One different from other VPNs.
If you’re on an eligible Google One plan, you can use the VPN on up to 6 phones per plan. You must install the Google One app on each device.
If you share your Google One plan with other family members, they can use the VPN too. Family members must download the Google One app on their own devices and then turn on the VPN. Learn more about how to share your plan with your family.
Set up the VPN by Google One
- To use the VPN by Google One, you must install the Google One app.
- Make sure you have the latest version of the Google One app. Learn how to update your apps.
Turn on the VPN by Google One
- Make sure you're logged into your Google account.
- On your Android device, open the Google One app
.
- At the bottom, tap Benefits.
- Find the VPN benefit and tap View Details.
- Turn on Enable VPN.
.Stay more secure if the VPN disconnects
For extra security, you can set up your phone to only use the internet when the VPN is on. If your VPN is disconnected, internet access is blocked until the VPN reconnects.
- On your Android device, open the Google One app.
- At the bottom, tap Benefits.
- Find the VPN benefit and tap View details.
- Tap Manage VPN Settings.
- Turn on Block internet if VPN disconnects.
If your device restarts, the VPN tries to automatically reconnect. Before it reconnects, your internet connection isn't blocked or protected. Once the VPN reconnects, you'll find a key in the top right of your screen.
You can disable this setting at any time in your VPN settings.
Add or remove from Quick Settings
For easier access, you can add the VPN by Google One to your Quick Settings. You can remove it from the menu whenever you like.
- From the top of your screen, swipe down twice.
- At the bottom left, tap Edit
.
- Scroll until you find the VPN by Google One
.
- Touch and hold VPN by Google One. Then drag the setting to where you want it.
- To add a setting, drag it up from "Hold and drag to add tiles."
- To remove a setting, drag it down to "Drag here to remove."
.Snooze VPN
You can temporarily turn off the VPN by Google One with the Snooze feature:
- From the VPN by Google One screen, tap Snooze for 5 minutes.
- The Snooze feature is pre-selected to last 5 minutes. You can extend the snooze 5 minutes at a time.
- The VPN by Google One automatically turns back on after Snooze finishes.
- To reactivate the VPN immediately, tap End snooze.
Allow apps to ignore the VPN
When the VPN is connected, you can still allow traffic from some mobile apps to route over your regular internet connection instead of the VPN's encrypted tunnel. This is useful for some situations, such as:
- If you need to use websites and services that block VPN usage.
- If an app needs to use your mobile wireless provider network to find info that relates to your account (for example, to check if you’re a customer).
- If you can’t use a device in your local network while the VPN is connected.
- If you want to stream content and privacy doesn’t concern you.
Important: It’s not recommended to bypass the VPN in the following apps:
- Apps in which you want your browsing activity encrypted (for example, web browsers like Google Chrome and Safari).
- Apps you don’t trust which can put your data at risk of being intercepted or leaked.
- On your device, open the Google One app
- At the bottom, tap Benefits.
- Find the VPN benefit and tap View details.
- Tap View settings
Allow apps to bypass VPN.
- Select the app you want to bypass and tap Add
.
- To remove an app from the bypass list, tap Remove
.
- To remove an app from the bypass list, tap Remove
- At the top, tap Save.
Allow apps to bypass VPN.Tip: If you don’t tap Save to restart the VPN by Google One, your changes won’t save. If the VPN is disabled, the changes will apply the next time the VPN is enabled.
Frequently asked questions
Does this prevent third parties or Google from saving my browsing history or personalizing my experience?No. Third-party sites and apps may still save information about your browsing or personalize your experience in other ways. Some examples include cookies or other technologies, or moments when you sign into an account on another company’s website.
Also, while VPN by Google One secures your device connection, it does not affect how Google collects data when you use our other products and services. For example, depending on your sync settings, Chrome will continue to store your Chrome browsing history to your Google Account. To manage the kinds of data saved to your account, you can review your Google Account’s privacy controls.
On your phone lock screen, you'll see a notification that says "VPN is connected." When your phone is unlocked, you’ll see the Google One logo in your notification tray. To see the status of the VPN connection, pull down the notification tray.
You'll also see a small key in the top right corner of your screen. This tells you that the VPN is connected and your network is secured.
Because of the extra step of encrypting your data to keep it private, VPNs inherently use more battery. This extra encryption also means about 5-10% more data is consumed. So you may notice a little more battery drain and data usage while the VPN is running and you use the internet.
The permanent notification ensures that the Android operating system keeps the VPN process running at all times to keep your network secure. This lets VPN users know when the VPN is active and when it's not. Unless you turn the VPN off, you can't swipe the notification away via the notification tray or the Google One app.