We have been ranting about Google’s VPN offering in the past and why we think it is not a good idea to use it, despite the fact that you may get it for free with some Google One plans.
You see, a VPN is one of the very few tools we have to protect ourselves from the companies like Google, which want to track every single step we make online. And then, use that data to serve us with more ads than ever.
With a VPN, we’re equipped to fight back, making it that much harder for Google and Facebook to track us around the Internet. But if Google is providing a VPN service, well, you won’t get that privilege as it will still know what kind of sites you’re visiting, which movies you’re watching, and so on and on.
Alas, today’s story is about iPhone users…
Google’s VPN app comes to the iOS
Originally available for Android users only – VPN by Google One (which is the official name of Google’s VPN) is now also available for iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad.
Actually, the new offering is only available to Google One members on Premium plans (2 TB and higher) through the Google One app on iOS. But, members can share their plan and the VPN with up to five family members at no extra cost, so they can all use the VPN — no matter whether they’re using an Android or iOS phone.
In the blog post announcing the iOS app, Google ranted on all the effort it invests in order to protect its users’ data:
Our systems have advanced security built in to help ensure no one uses the VPN to tie your online activity to your identity. Our client libraries are also open sourced, and our end-to-end systems have been independently audited. Our VPN has the full certification from the Internet of Secure Things Alliance (ioXt) and passed all eight of ioXt’s security principles.
The search giant added that it is constantly working to add new features for Google One Premium users and that we should expect more from them in the future.
New features in the Android app
Recently, Google’s VPN app for Android got a few features that make it even easier to use:
- Safe Disconnect – Only use the internet when the VPN is activated.
- App Bypass – Allows specific apps to use a standard connection instead of the VPN.
- Snooze – Temporarily turn off the VPN.
Also recently, Google has expanded its VPN in 10 more countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland — with plans to bring it to even more countries over time.