New Update Makes Google Fi The Most Private Network For Pixel Users

Google is making Fi service more lucrative than ever. The company announced major upgrades to the Google Fi service – most of which focus on the privacy and security of the users. Some of these updates will make cellular service more secure for Pixel users. Other brand smartphone users should be disappointed because Google has some updates for them as well.

Today onwards, mobile data traffic on the Fi cellular network is automatically encrypted and private for all Pixel users. There is a catch, though – it is only available till Pixel 4. So, Pixel 7 to Pixel 4 series users can now use Google Fi without worrying about their security.

What’s new in the Google Fi update?

The primary update is that calls, messaging, and the internet will be encrypted by Google. You don’t need any separate app for that. However, this feature will be available from the Pixel 4 to the Pixel 7 series. Google further clarified that all Pixel phones running Android 12 will get the auto-encryption feature.

While the cellular data is secured, you still have to take additional steps to safeguard Wi-Fi data. Fi Virtual Private Network (VPN) is available in select plans, which will mask your activity on the internet, and when you connect to public Wi-Fi. Voice calls between Android phones on Fi already come with automatic end-to-end encryption. Even if you use the official Messaging app for Android on Google Fi, your conversations are always protected.

All this sounds very fancy and a little unbelievable for a company that extracts user data to sell ads. In a recent report, people were asked if they would move to Google VPN. The answers weren’t surprising. Very few agreed to trust Google to safeguard their data. Google recently announced that all Pixel 7 users will get lifetime access to their official VPN service.

Earlier, the VPN was only available with the Google One cloud storage subscription plans, which were very expensive. Still, it is good to see Google stepping up and trying to build a secure connection network for Google Fi users. However, the cross-app-tracking problem on Android is still left unaddressed.