Google to shut down Google One VPN on June 20

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall reaction to Google One VPN shutdown

  • Many see it as “another one” in Google’s long list of discontinued products, often referenced alongside killed-product trackers.
  • Some users are annoyed because they actively used it (e.g., to avoid employer monitoring) or expected it as part of a paid Google One bundle.
  • Others say almost nobody will care, arguing VPNs are better run by specialized providers and that the service was marginal anyway.
  • A few only learned it existed from this thread, reinforcing the perception it lacked adoption and visibility.

Trust in Google and product longevity

  • Frequent shutdowns are seen as eroding trust; some say they now avoid integrating any new Google product into their workflow.
  • There is concern about what this pattern implies for other non-core products like Keep, Scholar, Finance, or even long-term pillars like Gmail.
  • Some argue ruthless pruning is rational business (avoiding sunk-cost fallacy), but others counter that short notice and abruptness are harmful.

Google One value proposition

  • Users note that VPN removal and AI features gated behind specific tiers make Google One feel increasingly “useless” or inconsistent.
  • Questions raised whether the subscription will remain at the same price despite feature cuts.

Internal incentives and strategy

  • Several comments attribute launches to internal promotion incentives and KPI-chasing rather than coherent long-term strategy.
  • Others argue such products are serious, cross-team efforts that later lose executive sponsorship once they miss targets.

Technical and quality issues

  • Multiple reports describe the VPN as unreliable, especially on Android and hotel/captive Wi-Fi, with flaky connections and DNS behavior.
  • Some mention alleged Windows client issues (DNS hijacking, routing problems) and speculate that supporting Windows isn’t worth the effort.

VPNs, privacy, and comparisons

  • Skepticism about using a Google-run VPN for privacy; some see VPNs partly as a way to reduce Google’s visibility, not increase it.
  • Discussion notes user misconceptions fueled by VPN ads promising total anonymity.
  • Comparisons are drawn to Apple’s Private Relay and Chrome’s upcoming IP protection, which target tracking/censorship more than full VPN use cases.