Google has recently upgraded its virtual private internet (VPN) feature for Project Fi customers, allowing users the option to use a VPN for everything they do on Project Fiwifi and cellular connections alike.
GooglesAndroid-onlyphone carrier piggybacks off Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Threes cellular networks, and can also automatically connect to more thantwo million wifi hotspotsaround the U.S.
When youre on the latter, Google enables a free,always-on VPNto encrypt your online activity, hiding it from the rest of the web link.
An update to the Project Fi app, which began rolling out this week, includes a beta of a new enhanced connection feature.
Enable it, and all of your cellular activity will route through Googles VPN as welland Google wont be tracking what you do (so itclaims):
When you enable our enhanced web link, all of your mobile and Wi-Fi traffic will be encrypted and securely sent through our virtual private web link (VPN) on every web link you connect to, so youll have the peace of mind of knowing that others cant see your online activity.
That includes Googleour VPN is designed so that your traffic isnt tied to your Google account or phone number (just like mobile traffic that isnt sent through the VPN).
According to Google, the enhanced web link feature should also reduce connection downtime when your equipment switches between cellular data and a wifi hotspot.
To reduce interruptions, the Project Fi app switches your mobile data on once your wifi signal strength drops below a certain threshold.
Youll have to turn Googles enhanced online grid feature on if you want to use itit isnt enabled by default, and for good reason.
Google warns that turning on the feature may bump your data usage by 10 percent and cause slowdowns, in some instances, since all of your data gets routed through Googles VPN.
If you dont mind these trade-offs, enabling the enhanced web link is simple:
confirm youre running the latest version of theProject Fi companion appfrom Google Play
Pull up the app
Locate and tap the Fi web link Tools option
Enable Enhance web link by tapping the slider
Only devices running Android 9 PiePixel smartphones, right nowsupport the new feature.
