Pixel VPN by Google going live for 7/Pro, 7a, and Fold owners on beta

With VPN by Google One shutting down starting June 20, Pixel 7, 7 Pro, 7a, and Fold owners are starting to see their intended replacement go live. 

With Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.2 or Android 15 Beta 2.2, the required “VPN by Google One” app/service — which is now referred to as “Pixel VPN by Google” on the Play Store — is already installed. 

However, when you launched that app last week, Google returned a “Can’t use this VPN” error: “VPN by Google One isn’t available for this account.” 

Pixel 7/Pro

As of this morning, we’re now able to complete the sign-in and set-up process. This updated VPN on the Pixel 7-Fold works exactly like on the Pixel 8, 8 Pro, and 8a. There’s no longer a persistent notification, with just the VPN key appearing in the status bar. [Update: A new “VPN” Tile will be added to Quick Settings. It replaces the old “VPN by Google One” shortcut that you manually have to swap out.]

Old vs. new

Officially, the company says: “This version of VPN by Google One is optimized for the best performance on Pixel and provides a fully integrated experience in your phone’s settings.”

Visiting the Play Store listing on an Android 14 QPR2 phone today returns a “isn’t compatible with this app” message that prevents you from downloading. Google previously said that a “system update on June 3, 2024” would be rolling out to those older phones. As of Monday afternoon, that has yet to occur.