There are always software-related risks and potential pain points when running preview software. Not everything works perfectly but the latest issue means that the Google One VPN for Pixel 7 is unavailable when running the Android 13 QPR2 Beta.
Google offers a free VPN for Pixel 7 that provides an extra layer of security when on mobile and Wi-Fi networks. This began rolling out shortly after the Pixel 7 series started shipping in late-December 2022. Since then, it has become a neat extra function that gives you that added peace of mind on potentially insecure networks.
Undoubtedly a great addition, those running the recent Android 13 QPR2 Beta may be experiencing issues when trying to activate the Google One VPN on their Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. When trying to activate the option from within the Google One app, toggling the “Enable VPN” option will be temporary and instantly disconnect or fail to start. You’ll hit a roadblock as your Pixel will incorrectly indicate that you need to “sign in” and “check your subscription status.”
It’s likely that Google has disabled the VPN for Pixel 7 users with Android 13 QPR2 Beta, but it appears that even some that have subscribed to the 2TB storage tier have encountered problems. Some complaints on the /r/Android_Beta subreddit suggest that they too haven’t been able to connect even despite having a paid plan and older Pixel such as the 6 series.
In those instances, a supposed solution requires you to “Force stop” the Google One app within Settings. You may also need to clear the app cache and data, then reboot your phone. Logging back into the Google One app, in some instances, lets you access the VPN service. We can confirm that this process does not work for those with the Pixel 7 attempting to access the free VPN. When re-launching into the Google One app, the VPN function will be listed as a “Premium feature.”
Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a catch-all solution that works for everyone save returning to stable Android 13 builds. This certainly indicates that Google has disabled VPN access at least for now. If you’ve had this annoying bug, at least you know it’s not your device and is down to the software build. Creating a bug report via the Beta Feedback application might help get this resolved quickly when the next Beta update arrives.
More on Pixel:
- Pixel 3a postmortem: Reassessing the birth of the budget Pixel [Video]
- Pixel’s Security & privacy showing erroneous ‘Add a screen lock’ alert
- Android 13 QPR2 Beta 2.1 rolling out with Bluetooth and 5G fixes for Pixel
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