Google One

Google One has been downloaded over a billion times

Kyle Bradshaw | Jan 9 2023 - 11:17 am PT

The Google One app for Android, used to manage your Drive storage, access a free VPN, and obtain other benefits, has been downloaded over one billion times.

Google One initially started as a subscription to gain additional Google Drive storage space and access to premium help from Google Support. With time, the company added more benefits for its higher tiers, including 10% Google Store credit back on purchases, a VPN for all your devices, and even the occasional offer of free hardware.

In terms of core functionality, though, the Google One app on Android is a barebones experience that you won’t often need to interact with. In it, you can manage your Android device backups and see where your Google Drive space is being used. There’s also a dedicated tab for getting access to Google Support through phone, chat, or email. For the most part, the real key feature that will keep people returning to the Google One app is the VPN.

More recently, that VPN has been made available for free to those who own the Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro, making the app nearly essential for owners of those devices, even without a subscription. Google has also opened Google One’s VPN to more devices, including Chromebooks, PCs, and Macs. While the latter two use new native apps, Chromebooks use the same Android app as you’d install on a phone.

With Google One steadily becoming a more essential application, it comes as no surprise to learn that the app has been downloaded a whopping one billion times, according to its Play Store listing. In doing so, it joins the league of other Google apps in the billion plus club, including Google Docs, Translate, Lens, and many more. Considering the app does not come pre-installed, even on Google’s own Pixel phones, it’s a pretty strong accomplishment.