Google is adding a new privacy-related benefit to its Project Fi service: a free VPN.
The VPN will encrypt all traffic streaming through Project Fi over Wi-Fi and cellular connections. The beta service will begin rolling out to users later this week.
For those unfamiliar with the term, a VPN, or virtual private network, essentially shields your internet activity from the prying eyes of your internet service provider and anyone else on the network. It does this by rerouting your device's internet activity through a private server - in this case, one owned by Google.
That might sound a bit concerning, given the company’s history with data privacy. But in a blog post, the company said the VPN service was designed “so that your traffic isn’t tied to your Google account or phone number.”
The VPN service also promises to be fast. It will encrypt your connection as you move between networks. It can also detect when a Wi-Fi connection is weak. When that happens, your phone will automatically switch to the strongest cellular network available.
“In our testing, we improved times by up to 40 percent,” said Project Fi product manager Dak Chak.
Project Fi uses cellular networks from Sprint, T-Mobile, and US Cellular, so there’s a good reason for the VPN. The new feature will arrive as a software update for Project Fi-compatible phones running Android Pie, the latest version of the operating system. You can enable it by going to the “Fi Network Tools” option in the Project Fi app. However, Google warns that the VPN service will increase your data usage by about 10%.
Before Tuesday's announcement, Project Fi also offered customers access to 2 million Wi-Fi hotspots secured with Google's VPN technology.
If you're not a Project Fi subscriber, you can still choose one of the existing mobile VPN services.
