Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- VPN by Google has been available on the Pixel 7 and later devices, but skipped the Pixel Tablet.
- Access finally arrived with Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1, but so far had not been available for stable releases.
- As of now, however, Pixel Tablet users on stable Android 15 can start using Google’s VPN.
Good mobile security is rarely about big, monolithic solutions, and much more often means having to stay on top of a whole bunch of separate security priorities. You’ll want to be up to date on all your software patches, set strong passwords (and keep them regularly changed), and maybe even encrypt all data flowing on and off your device with the help of a Virtual Private Network (VPN). If you’re a Pixel user, Google’s got a free VPN you’re welcome to take advantage of, but so far access to it has involved one curious oversight when it comes to the Pixel Tablet. Now that’s finally resolving itself, ahead of our expectations.
While VPN by Google supported Pixel 7 and later Pixel handsets, it arrived without compatibility for the Pixel Tablet. There didn’t seem to be any good reason for why this was the case, but at least it looked like Google was finally getting around to doing something about it, as with the release of Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1, we discovered that VPN by Google for the Pixel Tablet was finally working. While that was great to see, it also had us thinking that we might be waiting until next year to see this support finally hit a stable, public release.
Imagine our surprise when, just a little over a week later, 9to5Google has discovered that Pixel Tablet owners can now access the VPN by Google Play Store listing and start using the service on their tablets. This is with the Pixel Tablet on regular Android 15, not needing any in-development beta builds. Users simply need to hit “open” in that Play Store listing to get started.
It’s not like Pixel Tablet users didn’t have other VPN options, and we were expecting to see this support go live eventually, but we are not about to complain about some earlier-than-expected access. Go ahead and get it set up on your Pixel Tablet now and travel safe this Thanksgiving weekend, secure in knowing that Google’s protecting your mobile data from prying eyes.
