Pixel VPN sheds Google One naming ahead of shutdown for non-Pixel phones

Google is making changes to its virtual private network (VPN) offering as it prepares to discontinue the service for non-Pixel smartphone users. In a move foreshadowing the shutdown, the VPN has dropped the “Google One” branding from its name.

Originally introduced in 2020 as part of the Google One subscription service, the VPN allowed users to encrypt their internet traffic and hide their IP addresses. However, Google has decided to refocus on “more in-demand features,” citing low usage as the reason for discontinuing the VPN for general subscribers.

While non-Pixel users will start losing access to the VPN from June 20, 2024, according to Google, the service will live on exclusively for owners of Pixel 7 and newer Pixel smartphones. This Pixel-only VPN offering has now been rebranded from “VPN by Google One” to simply “Pixel VPN by Google.”

The renaming is reflected in an updated Play Store listing, which has swapped out the Google One icon for a new blue shield logo with a “G.” Screenshots have also been updated to show the streamlined “Pixel VPN by Google” name.

For Pixel owners, Google promises an “integrated experience” with the VPN optimized for performance on Pixel devices. Instead of a separate app, the functionality will be built into the phone’s settings. This integrated VPN experience is already available on the recently released Pixel 8 series, with older Pixel 7 models set to receive it in an upcoming update.

P.S. this new rebranded VPN update is not yet live. That said, the company maintains that refocusing on more popular services will help “keep our subscription service fresh.”