Automatic privacy protections with Google Fi and Pixel

Whether you’re shopping for your family or sending emails for work, getting stuff done online can sometimes involve sharing personal information, like your credit card number or address. It’s important that this information is protected and kept private, no matter what network you’re connected to.

Every day, our teams help protect your personal information, working to ensure all Google products are secure by default, private by design and put you in control of your data. That’s why all Google Fi phone plans come with privacy and security features at no extra cost. And in honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, in addition to other announcements Google is making, today we’re sharing an update that makes it even easier to protect your personal information online when browsing.

Easier online protection if you’re a Pixel user on Fi

Starting today, we’re providing an added layer of protection: If you are a Pixel user, your mobile data traffic on the Fi cellular network is automatically encrypted and private. This feature is now available for the recently introduced Pixel 7, and earlier models down to Pixel 4, so long as they're running Android 12 or above. That means you don’t have to take any additional steps to keep the content of your web browsing private on the Fi network — your mobile connection is private by design. You can learn more about this automatic cellular data encryption on Fi in our report and our Help Center.

And if you want protection for your Wi-Fi connections as well, you can still choose to enable the Fi Virtual Private Network (VPN) for an encrypted and private data connection on all networks — no matter what type of phone you have. Whether you’re using cellular data or Wi-Fi, once you enable the VPN, it encrypts your browsing and data activity, shielding you against attackers on unsecure networks (like public Wi-Fi) and preventing websites from using your IP address to track your location.

Privacy and security for data, calls and texts on Fi

The new privacy protection for your mobile data traffic that we’re announcing today is just our latest effort to help keep your personal information private and secure. It joins other privacy and security features already included in all Fi plans.

For example, with the Fi VPN for all phones, it's easier to privately browse online. Plus, voice calls between Android phones on Fi already come with automatic end-to-end encryption, so the contents of your verbal conversations stay between you and the other Fi user you’re talking to. And when you and the person you’re text messaging use the Messages app and enable chat features, what you share via text — including photos and video — is kept private, too.

If you have a family or group using Android phones on Fi, this means the content of your communications with each other can be kept private, whether you’re browsing online, calling or texting each other.

These features are enabled by Protected Computing — a growing toolkit of technologies that transforms how, when and where data is processed to technically ensure the privacy and safety of your data. With Google’s continued investment in Protected Computing, we’ll work to continue delivering even more private experiences across our products.

Other ways we’re keeping you and your family safe

We’re committed to keeping your family’s personal information safe, no matter what plan or phone you choose. So all Fi plans come with privacy and security features such as spam call detection and blocking to stop identified robocalls and scams, all included at no extra cost. You also get extra layers of protection by default, including a robust account recovery process and notifications for suspicious activity. And family features allow you to block contact from strangers, set data budgets and share your location with family members.