Can only enable via setting
And what does always on vpn mean?
Tap and hold the icon.
Hold for longer than a second.
If you have Always On VPN, it will be greyed out since you can’t pause it when Always On is selected.
It was discontinued in June. Get surf shark. It’s very cheap and works
Thank you!
Can you also tell me what I actually could use it for, is it a real VPN?
Thanks. works for me, but why need to press one second to lead to a new menu?
the service was discontinued for google one. It became free for pixel users
If it’s disabled (not deactivated), you need to tap and hold to enter the menu.
If it’s only deactivated, then you just need to tap it to enable it.
I don’t know much about vpns so is the Google inbuilt option the same as proton VPN or Nord VPN? Just as example?
Does it work the same, give you the same features?
If yes for what is it usable?
Unlike other VPNs, VPN by Google does not offer changing location, from what information is available. If you’ll notice, they also mention not working if on beta software.
Try looking here for more information: g.co/pixel/vpn
A personal Google Account or Workspace Account is required to connect the VPN. Please note that workspace administrators may restrict access to the VPN.
The VPN may not work on your Pixel device if:
- There isn’t an available internet connection on your device. Check your network settings and troubleshoot connection issues
- You’re in a country or region that isn’t supported. Check where the VPN is available.
- Your Google Account isn’t eligible. Certain supervised accounts, like a child’s account, aren’t eligible.
- Your device is rooted or isn’t up-to-date with security updates.
- Your bootloader is unlocked.
- You run a beta or other unofficial version of Android.
When you use the VPN, you can’t change your IP location to access online content that isn’t available in your region.
Okay thank you, but what do I need it for if not for location and or IP change? It’s working on my phone but for what reason do I need it
Just Google for ‘VPN’ and what it’s used for or read the Wikipedia article… (location and ip change are actually more or less side effects)
The real “use” is in the name that means Virtual Private Network and enables you to tunnel your connection from wherever/on what network you actually are safely, securely and privately. E.g. to your home network or - in it’s professional use - to a company network. Also potentially giving options to filter the traffic if you want that.
Thus it does (may) add a pretty good layer of protection when using public networks and enables tunneling to protected networks over the internet without having to expose those. With Google VPN naturally it’s mainly the first one.
It’s “better than nothing.”
It’s purpose is for you to use it while on public networks when you want to access sensitive stuff (e.g. log into your banking app) because on a gigantic public network like, let’s say, an airport, there are more than likely people sniffing on that line pulling stuff with Wireshark. So the “better than nothing VPN” helps with this as it appears as traffic routing through whatever VPN server Google has setup instead of to your banking website.
I’ve over simplified this but that’s the gist of it. It’s “better than nothing” if you’re on a large public network to use a VPN before checking out any sensitive stuff than not using one. And the free Google One VPN is “better than nothing.”
I have NordVPN so Google VON excited me at first. “ey, maybe it’ll be so feature rich I can cancel my subscription!” I thought weeks before it came out. Then it came out…yeah gotta keep Nord lol (also a fan of their encrypted storage and Password manager but that’s for another post).
Hope this ‘helped.’
Thanks for your explanation.
For sure I did research before. But I never got the point. Maybe because I don’t understand how it works.
I got the point for changing the location to watch stuff on Netflix that is not available in your location.
And I also got the point of safety if you are on strange sides but besides that I never understood what it’s useful for.
A VPN (as far as I understood the technology) won’t protect you from viruses, worms, Trojans or malware in general.
And if you can change the IP and location you can’t hide your data very well.
So I don’t get the point and never had the energy to do enough research to understand the technology. 
That’s why I asked, sometimes this leads to faster easier answers with examples so it helps.
Yeah thank you very much!
I might should use it too lol
As I said, changing location is more or less a side effect (even though that’s what most public VPN companies are selling it for, at least besides some very, very, dubious privacy/anonymity claims).
On your second point: A VPN doesn’t, can’t and won’t offer you any safety when using ‘strange sides’ [sic], as it - as you said - it ‘won’t protect you from viruses, worms, Trojans or malware’! That’s a very important point many people don’t get.
VPN (more or less) just protects your transmission and your connection, enabling you to connect private (or company) networks over public networks (the internet) in a (principally) safe way as if connecting them via LAN (or private WiFi). It may help to envision it as establishing a virtual (two way) tunnel or cable between your device (as one entry) and another one (as another entry-/endpoint), protecting botj from what it tunnels through, but not from anything else (what may happen on either end).
For some research entry points I’d recommend you the wiki article Virtual private network - Wikipedia or I believe Tom Scott did a pretty good video about it on YouTube, too.
Thanks have to check that, that’s helpful!
Just one more if you don’t mind:
So there are two key points:
A VPN protects my connection, so I guess, I’m more invisible in this case, especially my data.
And the second factor is, I can connect to other networks by going through public networks - so like I was connected via wire. This last point I heard a lot - it’s also used by universities to let people into their digital library. But the main question would be: is this not bad for the university in this case? Cause it actually protects the users, so those with bad intention are covered by the VPN. So while it’s good for the user it’s bad for the networkowners isn’t it?
Generally correct, though not invisible, but just intransparent (a properly configured network will be able to see you (the tunnel) just not it’s content. Also, I believe VPNs can be blocked).
For the university/library it’s as ‘bad’ as giving them local access and should be a restricted network anyway and should have authentication etc. (Something else most people don’t understand: With a VPN active you don’t have to trust whoever network you are on, but in exchange for that you now have to trust the VPN provider with everything you do over their network).
I see, thanks a lot still need to check out more to understand it more, I think. I’ll check out your recommendation