Over the past day, some users could not get certain big websites to load when VPN by Google (on the Pixel 7-8a) or the soon-to-be-deprecated VPN by Google One was enabled. In the latter case, the issue applied to all form factors (Android, iOS, Mac, and PC). 

Apparently, disabling the VPN fixes the issue. I wasn’t able to replicate this issue on the Google One VPN, nor the Pixel VPN as my Pixel 6 does not support the new “app” for some probably stupid reason.

The post The Pixel/Google One VPN is making some things unusable appeared first on Slade Watkins.

This news comes after Google announced they’d be killing off the Google One VPN (but keeping it around for Pixel 7 and later users, but not Pixel 6 for some reason…) It feels wrong to do this to their paying customers, but unfortunately, it is all too normal for Google.

RELATED: I’ve written about the company’s reputation & Pixel update promise(s) before, which you can read here.

Google needs to understand that Google One needs perks to be successful. I’m saying this as a Google One subscriber. My family pays a pretty penny for increased storage and benefits because we’re Google users. We use Pixels, Google TV, Nest Minis, etc. and we’re very deep in the Google ecosystem. And we have been for years.

Personally, I believe Google “One” should include the best of Google services in one package, similar to Apple One. Google needs to increase One’s worth, in both senses of the term! That’s my take.

The post Google, I’m Sorry, But Google One *Needs* Perks appeared first on Slade Watkins.

“While VPN by Google One is going away next month, the company will continue to offer a virtual private network for Pixel owners. Ahead of that, the service is now called ‘Pixel VPN by Google.’ […]

That new version shown in those screenshots is not yet available, so Pixel 8+ owners should also expect an update. Meanwhile, VPN by Google One is installed on a 7 Pro running Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.2, but there’s an account error when attempting to enable it.

We’re presumably waiting for that app or stable system update.”

Check out the article to see the screenshots of the app listing on the Play Store.

Listen, I personally believe they should enable this feature on Pixel 6 and later, and even Pixel Tablet. It’s possible for them to do, and frankly, they should. Especially with how they’re marketing the service to users.

That’s just my take, though.

The post Google’s Rolling Out “Pixel VPN” App, But I Think They Should Enable It on Pixel 6 and Later appeared first on Slade Watkins.

There’s no excuse.

I don’t know how Google has managed to fail so spectacularly at literally anything they do. The fact that Samsung is way ahead of Google on Android updates and feature releases that lay underneath One UI is a kick in the balls for Google. Samsung are a third-party that builds on top of Android Open Source Project (AOSP) code, they have no reason to be so far ahead of Google. I cannot understate how bad this is for Google as a company.

They have no credibility. They consistently shut down services with no recourse and little notice. If they want to fix this problem, I think they need to get aggressive and do the following two things:

1. Google must match software and hardware support for the Pixel 6 and 7 series, as well as the Fold and Tablet, to that of the Pixel 8. 7 years total, across the board, from the original launch date. They need to prove their commitment to their Tensor hardware and software experiences, this is how they do that. I’m not saying they need to bring every feature (that’s certainly not feasible), but if some Pixel 8 features can run on Pixel 7, there’s no reason they can’t run on Pixel Tablet or even Pixel 6 depending on complexity.
   • Pixel 6 has barely received any new features besides OS updates since launching in October 2021. It is planned to be barred from feature updates in October 2024. That is unacceptable.
2. With Android 15, non-Tensor Pixel devices will be unsupported on Google’s own flavor of Android (“stock” as it’s commonly called). This is the perfect opportunity to reimagine feature drops. Put more in there for those on older devices! Keep them alive and kicking. Not forever, but at least until the end of their limited shelf life. Less e-waste is a great thing for the environment, you know!

Google has a bit of a reputation problem. I don’t know if they have a team in charge of killing services or something, but it seems to happen a lot, and there’s a graveyard dedicated to them at this point.

I hold Rick Osterloh and Dave Burke, who essentially lead Pixel and Android respectively, in high regard. They’re awesome to the Android community and always have been! But, they need to get on their A-game if they want to restore their reputation. Articles like this one from Android Authority, which accuses Google of breaking their promises, shouldn’t be cropping up. It’s time to take control and do right by their consumers and community.

The post Google Needs to Get It Together and Fix Their Reputation appeared first on Slade Watkins.

Honestly, they look pretty good, although the battery icon needs some love (it doesn’t look amazing.) They’re not enabled by default, but Mishaal was able to get them enabled manually for his article.

I wish I could enable them now, honestly… I strongly prefer segmented icons, and I feel that’s a place where Apple and Samsung have always done it better.

The post Google Might (Finally) Be Redesigning Android’s Status Bar Icons appeared first on Slade Watkins.

If you want to learn more about what’s new in this update, 9to5Google has a running guide here.

The post The Android 15 Developer Preview 1 is Available Now appeared first on Slade Watkins.