A FAULTY new feature has sparked reactions from Google customers who fear their private data may be compromised.
Earlier this year, the tech giant announced that it would be shut down its VPN By Google One service on June 20.
A VPN, or virtual private network, establishes an airtight connection between a device and a network by scrambling your data and protecting it from prying eyes.
As promised, the service became unusable yesterday, leaving users with a replacement called VPN by Google.
First advertised as an exclusive feature for the Google Pixel 8 range, the new VPN - which launched June 3 - is also available for Pixel 7, 7 Pro, 7a and Pixel Fold handsets.
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However, issues are already cropping up, and frustrated customers are flocking to Reddit to air their complaints.
One Pixel 7 user claimed he was unable to use the new VPN due to complications with his service provider.
"The issue is the help page says the built-in VPN will be available with the June software update," the user wrote.
"Well, Google hasn't rolled out the June update to my carrier yet. They couldn't wait to shut it down until the replacement was ready?"
Even those who were able to connect to the VPN experienced issues. A Pixel 8 user claimed the new VPN was "buggy".
"I had an update this morning, the built in VPN will connect but nothing will load while it's active," another user wrote.
Yet others chimed in. "I have had intermittent problems with the VPN, but today I had to turn it off most of the day to get anything to load," one user claimed.
Based on customer responses, the issue seems to impact the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 8 series, though it will likely extend to Pixel Fold as well.
Several Redditors mentioned having to turn the VPN off completely to get their phone to load.
However, this presents a new problem. By deactivating the VPN, users may be exposing themselves to malicious actors who want their data.
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"Feeling a little scared without it," one Redditor confessed.
A VPN encrypts your data from the moment it leaves your device.
This means the information is encoded and can only be accessed by someone with the correct encryption key.
It passes through the VPN's own servers, which can hide private information including location details.
This provides an extra layer of defense against hackers, who may try to intercept traffic in what is known as a "man-in-the-middle attack".
Using a VPN is encouraged when using public Wi-Fi, which permits eavesdropping on your data by design.
Until the issues are resolved, alternatives to Google's built-in VPN are available through the Google Play store.