After making “VPN by Google One” available for mobile devices earlier this year, Google announced that it has expanded the service to Windows PCs and Mac. This service would now allow Google One Premium subscribers to use VPN on desktop computers.
What Is VPN?
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) enhances protection and offers improved privacy while you are browsing the internet. VPN works as a tunnel that directs your device’s internet connection through its private server and then transmits your data to the internet.
Further, a VPN ensures that your origin never gets revealed, and it does so by hiding your IP address. Besides improved privacy, a VPN might also help you in accessing websites and services that are blocked in your region.
VPN By Google One
Launched in 2020, “VPN by Google One” was introduced as an extra layer of online protection at no additional cost for only those users who subscribed to 2TB or higher plans by paying $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year for the Premium tier.
However, the VPN could only be used on Android and iOS devices.
By launching dedicated apps for Microsoft and Apple’s operating systems, Google has now made the “VPN by Google One” service available for Windows and Mac desktop computers.
According to Google, its VPN service keeps your web browsing secure and private, shields against eavesdropping by hackers on unsecured networks (like public Wi-Fi), and reduces online tracking by hiding your IP address.
With privacy and security at its core, the search giant promises that it will “never use the VPN connection to track, log, or sell your browsing activity” and supports this with open-sourced client libraries and an independently audited end-to-end security system.
Further, the VPN feature for the desktop client will offer the same overall experience offered by the mobile apps, which includes industry-standard traffic encryption and a backend system of checks and balances that should protect activities when using the web.
In addition, it also comes with the same restrictions as on Android and iOS devices. This means you can use the service only in one of the supported countries/regions (see below). Also, you won’t be able to use Google’s VPN freely to evade geo-restrictions on live sports or other streaming videos.
Since the VPN is available to Premium tier subscribers, you will have the ability to share VPN access with a maximum of five additional users across multiple devices, such as Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS.
Currently, VPN by Google One is available in select countries/regions such as Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
If you have VPN by Google One turned on and your home country/region is listed above, VPN by Google One still works when you travel internationally to many additional countries/regions.
How To Use VPN By Google One?
To use the VPN by Google One feature on your desktop computer, you need to firstly have the required Google One subscription. Secondly, you will need a PC running 64-bit Windows 10 or higher (there’s no native ARM support) or a Mac running macOS 11+ and Intel or Apple Silicon (M series) CPU.
The VPN feature for Mac and Windows apps can be installed directly from the Google One website by going to Benefits > VPN protection for multiple devices > and download the app. Then, click on VPNbyGoogleOneSetup.exe or VPNbyGoogleOne.dmg to start the installation process.
To know more about Google’s VPN client and download the service, you can visit Google’s official support website.
