Google Fi Expanding VPN to iPhone Users Starting This Spring

[MacRumors]

Google today announced that it will be expanding Google Fi's built-in VPN service to the iPhone starting this spring, providing iOS users with another option to ensure that their connection is secure and private on a cellular or Wi-Fi network. Google also said the VPN is exiting beta for Android smartphone users.

With the VPN, users can stream, browse, and download on an encrypted, private connection, which is especially important for unsecured public Wi-Fi. VPNs also prevent websites from tracking a user's location by masking their IP address.

Google Fi, formerly Project Fi, is an MNVO or "virtual carrier" that piggybacks off the T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular networks in the United States, providing users with talk, text, and data plans with more flexible pricing options. Last year, Google Fi rolled out eSIM support for some iPhone users, allowing it to be used as a secondary line.

Article Link: Google Fi Expanding VPN to iPhone Users Starting This Spring

 

[5aga]

Google, secure and private?

LOL

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

I hope Google has updated their privacy for Google Fi’.

 

[icanhazmac]

Wait, a VPN, for privacy, from Google? ???

LMMFAO! Hard pass!

 

[ruka.snow]

VPN's do nothing to stop websites tracking you.

 

[DinkThifferent]

Will the VPN from Google be as private and secure as the VPN from Facebook?

 

[bbplayer5]

VPN's do nothing to stop websites tracking you.

Its more so Verizon/ATT/TMo doesn't see what you are doing.

 

[IllinoisCorn]

I don't think I would trust a Google VPN.

 

[Basic75]

Using a Google VPN is a convenient way for them to know all websites that you visit.

 

[dlopan]

NO. Google is not to be trusted in way shape or form. Do lots of wrong

 

[Rokkit]

Google today announced that it will be expanding Google Fi's built-in VPN service to the iPhone starting this spring, providing iOS users with another option to ensure that their connection is secure and private on a cellular or Wi-Fi network. Google also said the VPN is exiting beta for Android smartphone users.

With the VPN, users can stream, browse, and download on an encrypted, private connection, which is especially important for unsecured public Wi-Fi. VPNs also prevent websites from tracking a user's location by masking their IP address.

Google Fi, formerly Project Fi, is an MNVO or "virtual carrier" that piggybacks off the T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular networks in the United States, providing users with talk, text, and data plans with more flexible pricing options. Last year, Google Fi rolled out eSIM support for some iPhone users, allowing it to be used as a secondary line.

Article Link: Google Fi Expanding VPN to iPhone Users Starting This Spring

I'll openly laugh at anyone telling me they use a google VPN for privacy.

 

[ruka.snow]

Its more so Verizon/ATT/TMo doesn't see what you are doing.

From what I have heard (or at least how YouTubers advertise it), VPN's seem to be most commonly used to bypass geolocation locks on Netflix. But aye a VPN means every keypress can be logged by that company and you are just as easily tracked. Now VPN are great for getting pass some simple checks the the great firewalls of the world, but they are being sold as snake-oil of late.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

A Google VPN? You buy the padlock, they keep a copy of the key.

Sounds about right.

 

[gnasher729]

The problem is that the VPN provider is capable of reading anything you send and receive from your computer. And that is necessary, because your computer encrypts everything, sends it to the VPN provider, then the VPN provider _must_ decrypt it and send it on to the required recipient. Just before the VPN provider sends the data out, it has it in clear text. (It's not quite as bad because most of the data you send is using https and therefore encrypted before it gets sent to the VPN, and the VPN can only see your encrypted messages).

But even with https, the VPN knows exactly which encrypted data you are sending, and importantly the exact amount of data, so they can find out if you are streaming video or audio and which quality, whether you are in a VoIP conversation with someone, and unless your VoIP software is clever, spoken text can be recovered from that. And they will know who is sending you messages and who you are sending messages to.

You basically swap the ability of an unknown attacker getting your traffic against the sure knowledge that Google has all your traffic. Question: Do you trust them?

PS. Facebook had a VPN that they abused, and which was thrown off the App Store.

 

[IllinoisCorn]

From what I have heard (or at least how YouTubers advertise it), VPN's seem to be most commonly used to bypass geolocation locks on Netflix. But aye a VPN means every keypress can be logged by that company and you are just as easily tracked. Now VPN are great for getting pass some simple checks the the great firewalls of the world, but they are being sold as snake-oil of late.

Not if you roll your own.

 

[ruka.snow]

Not if you roll your own.

Well rolling my own and rolling work VPN is how I know what I can monitor and collect.

 

[LeadingHeat]

Glad to see I’m in the vast majority here, completely laughable that anyone who takes privacy seriously would entertain the thought of using a VPN provided by Google.

 

[SkyRom]

Stopped reading when you said 'Google' and 'Privacy' in the same sentence.

 

[Beelzbub]

I just roll my own. My router at home has a built in Open VPN server. In those rare instances I happen to be in an area with little to zero cellular signal and all that is available is a free public WiFi, I just use my own VPN. This way I can do what I need without anyone else on the free public WiFi seeing what I am doing.

 

[Suckfest 9001]

I love that most people posting here probably use Google’s DNS without even knowing it.

hey remember that time apple got caught sending our siri recordings to a third party? pRiVaCy

 

[Beelzbub]

I love that most people posting here probably use Google’s DNS without even knowing it.

hey remember that time apple got caught sending our siri recordings to a third party? pRiVaCy

Yeah. I use OpenDNS in my home. Works fine and helps block the unwanted crap. Never had any slowdowns. But then again having fiber also helps out in a major way.

 

[Suckfest 9001]

Yeah. I use OpenDNS in my home. Works fine and helps block the unwanted crap. Never had any slowdowns. But then again having fiber also helps out in a major way.

I hope you realize that DNS has nothing to do with transfer speeds

 

[Beelzbub]

I hope you realize that DNS has nothing to do with transfer speeds

I do.

 

[Suckfest 9001]

I do.

Lucky you with those speeds though. Up in Canada I’m paying 105ish CAD for 300mbit and like 15mbit up.

 

[gammamonk]

I used Google Fi for years, and my wife still does. Unbeatable for international use, but that's about it. Last I checked iPhones only get access to T-mobile towers and that can be pretty terrible. My Android connected to US Cellular 99% of the time when I was on Fi.

I did use their VPN though. It's getting a lot of hate here, and obviously it's not for privacy from Google. My work WiFi was unencrypted so I was happy to have something easy.

That said, I'm de-googling my life as fast as I can.