Google Launches Its 'Project Fi' Wireless Phone Services

ronjor · Apr 22, 2015

By Todd R. Weiss Posted 2015-04-22

Google's rumored "Project Fi" cell phone services are a rumor no more. The search company today announced the new service, which will charge smartphone users $20 a month for cellular access, plus data fees of $10 per GB only for the data that is consumed each month, in an effort to try a new idea for providing mobile phone services.
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http://www.eweek.com/mobile/google-launches-its-project-fi-wireless-phone-services.html

guest · Nov 13, 2018

Google's Project Fi automatically puts you on a VPN for every connection
That means extra privacy and security
November 13, 2018
https://www.cnet.com/news/googles-project-fi-automatically-puts-you-on-a-vpn-for-every-connection/

On Tuesday, Google announced its new "enhanced network" for Project Fi.

Now, with its new "enhanced network," Project Fi automatically puts you on a virtual private network (VPN) for every connection. That means you're using a VPN whenever you connect to Wi-Fi or mobile data. This gives you an extra layer of security when you're online and keeps your browsing information private. Google also says VPN traffic isn't tied to your Google account.

Google says it's rolling out these features over the next week to Project Fi-compatible phones running Android Pie.
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Minimalist · Nov 28, 2018

Google’s cellular service gets rebranded, offers support for iPhones

Hot off the release of fully encrypted traffic earlier this month, Google's cellular service, Project Fi, is getting a new name and greatly expanded device support—although that device support comes with some caveats.
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https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...ce-gets-rebranded-offers-support-for-iphones/

Minimalist · Dec 6, 2018

5 handy Google Fi features you shouldn't forget

Got Fi? Google's unusual wireless service may have shifted its name from Project Fi to Google Fi this fall, but its core proposition remains the same: Pay only for the data you use, and avoid all the traditional carrier gotchas and nonsense.

For the right kind of person, especially among those of us on Android, Fi can be a real cost- and hassle-saver. And aside from its most prominently promoted perks — the seamless network-switching, the public Wi-Fi use, the fee-free roaming and hotspot capabilities, and so on — Fi has some pretty interesting out-of-the-way options that can really elevate your experience.
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https://www.computerworld.com/article/3325750/mobile-wireless/google-fi-features.html

lolnothankyou · Dec 7, 2018

Interesting choice for a brand name. English is not my first language, but "Project Fi" sounds to me like "Project Spy".

mirimir · Dec 7, 2018

Maybe wifi without the wi?

Also see https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/19501/what-does-the-phrase-fee-fi-fo-fum-actually-mean

Floyd 57 · Dec 7, 2018

VPN ran by google? Might be safer not using it

AutoCascade · Dec 8, 2018

I ordered this on November 28th and they shipped the sim card on November 29th. Still haven't received it.

guest · Feb 11, 2019

Best Buy now sells Google Fi SIM cards
They cost $10, but you get it back as a service credit
February 11, 2019
https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/11/18220481/google-fi-sim-cards-best-buy-now-available-price

Google Fi is taking a big step into retail today, with Best Buy now selling SIM cards for the MVNO at over 500 of its stores. The Fi SIMs cost $9.99 each at purchase, but you’ll be credited $10 toward your service within a week of activation.

For now, Best Buy is only selling the Talk and Text SIM cards.
Both new and existing Google Fi customers can purchase a SIM, though there’s a limit on the rebates existing customers can get. (They’re always available for free from Fi’s website, but this might be faster if you can’t wait for shipping.)

Moving into brick-and-mortar retail is yet another sign of continued growth. Strangely, Google Fi’s Reddit post about the news notes that Best Buy employees will not be able to assist with customer activations, so the retailer seems to be taking a bit of a hands-off approach. But Google’s got a step-by-step tutorial on that process should you need it.
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guest · Sep 17, 2019

Google Fi gets an unlimited plan
September 17, 2019
https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/17/google-fi-gets-an-unlimited-plan/

For the longest time, Google Fi didn’t play the unlimited calls, text and data game and instead focused on offering pretty affordable and flexible plans with a price cap of $80 (before taxes and government fees). Today, however, Google is introducing Fi Unlimited, which, as you’ve probably figured out from the name, is more akin to a traditional ‘unlimited’ plan from other carriers.

Fi Unlimited plans start at $70 for the first line. For families, you can also opt to pay $60 per line for 2 lines, $50 per line for 3 lines or $45 per line for 4 to 6 lines (excluding taxes and fees).

“As we’ve grown, we’ve heard that many of you want the simplicity and predictability that comes with paying the same price each month. So today, for the first time ever, Fi is adding a second plan: our Google Fi Unlimited plan.”
A Google spokesperson has told us that Google will continue to offer the existing flexible plan, too.

Unlimited, of course, is never quite unlimited, so Google will cap your speed after you use 22GB of data in a given month (only 1% of Fi users currently do so, the company says) and it ‘may’ cap video quality at 480p. Like with the company’s other Fi plans, there are no contracts or activation fees.
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guest · Oct 23, 2019

Google Fi will soon connect you to two LTE networks at once
Quickly hop between your top two MVNO networks thanks to dual SIM support
October 22, 2019
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/10/google-fi-will-soon-connect-you-to-two-lte-networks-at-once/

Google Fi is getting an upgrade today with what Google is calling "Dual Connect" technology—the ability to connect to two of Google Fi's licensed mobile networks at once for faster switching.

With Google Fi, Google is operating as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO)—a company that doesn't build its own networks but instead resells network access owned by one of the big carriers. Instead of doing this for one network, Google does it for three. Google Fi gives you access to Sprint, T-Mobile, and US Cellular, picking the fastest network available at any given time.

Getting this feature to work on a smartphone is a bit of a hack, and for now it will only work with the freshly released Pixel 4. Google is using Dual Sim Dual Standby (DSDS) hardware to connect to two networks at once, which isn't that crazy of an idea, but it's using DSDS to connect twice to the same network, that network being Google Fi.
As the name suggests, "Dual Sim Dual Standby" only allows you to listen to two networks at once for incoming messages; you can't actually use both networks at once.
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Google says dual connect will be ready for the Pixel 4 as usual as part of a slow rollout that will take weeks to hit everyone. Google says it will "expand dual connect technology to more Designed for Fi devices" at some point in the future. A good bet for future support is the Pixel 3a, which already supports DSDS, just not on Google Fi. Another possibility is the Pixel 3, which supported DSDS during the Android 10 Beta, but the feature was cut for launch.
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guest · Feb 12, 2020

Google Fi SIM cards are now available at Amazon
February 12, 2020
https://9to5google.com/2020/02/12/google-fi-sim-amazon/

After expanding to Best Buy, Target, and even international airport terminals in the past year, Google Fi SIM cards are now available at Amazon. This continues the MVNO’s push to lower the barrier to switching.

New and current Fi subscribers can buy a “Google Fi SIM Card Kit” online to take advantage of Amazon’s speedy shipping. It costs $9.99 — instead of free from Google directly — but it includes a $10 credit that will be applied on your first bill. It provides both cellular and data connectivity, unlike data-only variants.
Google warns on the package that service “Must be activated in the US.” This warning also appears in airport kiosks.

Fi’s Unlimited plan starts at $70/person — going down to $45 for 4-6 members. A pay-as-you-go option is also available with unlimited talk/text costing $20 and $10 per gigabyte of data.
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guest · Apr 2, 2020

Google Fi is relaxing data limits temporarily
April 1, 2020
https://www.slashgear.com/google-fi-is-relaxing-data-limits-temporarily-01615222/

Google Fi’s Flexible and Unlimited plans normally offer 15 GB or 22 GB of data, respectively, per month at full speeds. Once you hit those volumes, that data speed is throttled down to 256 Kbps, something that might be barely usable in this day and age.
That’s especially true with the increased use of the Internet for the coming days.

Google Fi is now raising the data cap to 30GB of full-speed data per user. Once you hit that mark, you can opt to retain that full-speed access by adding $10 per GB used during that billing cycle. That will, of course, increase your bill but, fortunately, Google Fi eased up on that as well.
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Last month, Google Fi extended the grace period for late payments up to 60 days after the due date. This reprieve comes at a time when people might be having problems making ends meet, let alone pay bills on time. All of this is temporary, of course, but there is no word on when things will get back to normal.
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guest · Apr 17, 2020

Google Fi enables iPhone eSIM on latest models
April 16, 2020
https://www.slashgear.com/google-fi-enables-iphone-esim-on-latest-models-16617086/

New customers to Google Fi from this point forward will be able to work with an iPhone eSIM system. Users with an iPhone XR, XS, XS Max, or 11 series device will be able to work with an iOS eSIM in place of a physical SIM card for use with Google Fi. This system was previously enabled for some newer Android devices, and was just enabled for some iPhone devices this week.

Users that use Google Fi on their iPhone will need the official Google Fi iOS app. With the Google Fi app, the user will be able to perform both device and iOS compatibility checks. If both are compatible, the user will select “Get started” and their eSIM activation will be initiated. The user will then go to Google Fi iOS Quick Setupgpo “on a separate device” to bring up a QR code that’ll then be scanned with the iPhone.
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guest · May 19, 2020

Google Fi iPhone eSIM support starts rolling out to existing customers
May 19, 2020
https://www.slashgear.com/google-fi...s-rolling-out-to-existing-customers-19621298/

The technology has been around for quite some time but it was only recently that eSIM has been more widely adopted, thanks again in no small part to Apple.

To be clear, Google Fi already started supporting the iPhone’s eSIM last month but it carried one heavy requirement. It was only available for new subscribers, leaving dozens of Google Fi iPhone users out of the eSIM party. Fortunately, that seems to be a temporary arrangement only.
Some users are now reporting on Reddit that they are finally able to use their iPhone’s eSIM using an existing Google Fi account.

For now, those interesting in testing the waters will have to uninstall the Google Fi app first and then reinstalling it and signing in. They will then be prompted about switching to an eSIM and guide the user through the process of activating it. It should be noted that it doesn’t work yet for all subscribers who’ve tried it.
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guest · Jun 25, 2021

Google Fi’s built-in VPN starts iPhone rollout
Gradually rolling out to subscribers over the coming weeks
June 25, 2021
https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/25/22550048/google-fi-vpn-iphone-subscribers

Google Fi’s VPN service has started rolling out to subscribers on iPhone, the company has announced. The feature, which routes your phone’s internet traffic through an encrypted connection to protect your privacy, has been available on Android since launching in beta in November 2018. The launch comes a little later than Google’s previously announced “spring” release date, but it’s close.

In a followup tweet Google says not all iPhone users will have access to the feature straight away, but that it will be widely available “over the coming weeks.” To turn the feature on, 9to5Google notes that you should make sure your Fi companion app is updated to the latest version, and then head to “Phone Settings” in the main Account tab. From there go to “Privacy & security,” where there’ll eventually be a “Protect your online activity” option to enable.
The VPN is included with all Google Fi plans.
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guest · Aug 21, 2021

Google Fi brings its built-in VPN to iPhone users [Update: Now available]
August 21, 2021
https://9to5google.com/2021/08/21/google-fi-vpn-iphone/

For the past few years, Google’s MVNO has long offered a built-in virtual private network as part of its monthly subscription. The Google Fi VPN is now rolling out to iPhone users.

Update 8/21: As of this week, the Google Fi VPN is widely available for iPhone users. Once rolled out, there is a new “Privacy & section” menu under Phone Settings in the main Account tab.
The VPN is enabled by toggling “Protect your online activity” at the top. A dialog box then explains how you should tap “Allow” on the system-level prompt asking if Fi can add VPN Configurations. This is followed by Touch/Face ID confirmation in Settings.

After that, you’ll see a VPN icon in the status bar. Users can enable/disable from either the Google Fi app or Settings app > General > VPN.
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guest · Oct 31, 2021

Google Fi gets end-to-end encryption for phone calls, but there's a big catch
October 29, 2021
https://betanews.com/2021/10/29/google-fi-end-call-encryption-android/

Google Fi is the search giant's affordable MVNO cellular service, where it piggybacks off of the T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular networks. Despite being a Google service, it is actually compatible with Apple iPhone devices too. In other words, it is not an Android-only affair. While Google Fi is not wildly popular, many of its users speak favorably of the service -- it is apparently quite good.

And now, Google Fi is getting even better. You see, the search giant has introduced end-to-end encryption for phone calls -- a huge benefit for privacy. Unfortunately, there are some caveats here.

"End-to-end encryption is a complex term for a simple idea: that no one besides you and the person you're talking to should be able to hear what you're saying over the phone. End-to-end encryption has become an industry standard for real-time communications such as messaging -- and now, we're bringing it to phone calls, right from your Phone app," says Daniel Chak, Product Manager, Google Fi.
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Ready to start making phone calls with end-to-end encryption? Well, you may not be able to do so today. Google says the feature will be rolled out "in the coming weeks," so you will need to be patient. It is unlikely that Apple iPhone users will ever get this functionality with Google Fi.
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Google: Protecting your Google Fi calls with end-to-end encryption

What you share with friends, family and others on phone calls is your business. Google Fi has always been committed to keeping your personal information safe, and we want to help you keep your personal conversations private, too. That’s why today, we're announcing end-to-end encrypted calls, starting with Android phones on Fi.
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