Google is a company that probably doesn’t need an introduction. It is known worldwide for its search engine, but it also provides various other internet tools that few people are aware of. Google one is a membership service that provides various benefits and features within the Google environment. It debuted in 2018 and has since grown in popularity among users.
What will you see here?
Plans and pricing
It is available in three pricing tiers: Basic, Premium, and Standard. The other is the free plan for which you don’t have to pay price. The Basic plan is $2 per month, the Standard method is $3 per month, and the Premium plan is $10 per month. The Basic plan contains 100GB of cloud storage, the Standard plan includes 200GB of storage, and the Premium plan includes 2TB of storage. After subscribing, you may share the benefits of each method with up to 5 other users.
Features: Google One
The primary feature is the cloud storage it provides. This storage includes all of your Google services, such as Gmail, Photos, Google Docs, and Google Drive. Google One storage space may be shared with five other people, enabling your friends and family to profit from your Google One membership.
Virtual Private Network
It comes with a VPN service that you may use. This service, however, is only accessible in the Premium plan, which costs $10 per month. Furthermore, it is not available in every country.
A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your online activity and conceals your identity online. This is accomplished by routing your IP address through a specially modified remote server. If you use a VPN, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and other third-party cannot intercept your browsing data.
Its VPN is accessible for both Android and iPhone devices, and it may be installed on up to six devices.
We discovered that the Its VPN is essential, lacking several capabilities you’d expect to see in a standalone VPN. We believe this is because it is an add-on function rather than an independent one. Therefore it is not obligated to make it competitive with competitor VPN services. Because Its VPN is a single toggle with no settings, it has limitations.
This is a helpful tool given Google’s reputation for delivering poor customer service for consumer-facing services. It gives you access to support professionals for a variety of Google products. Usually, the only way for users to seek help is through forums and FAQs rather than through immediate communication with support workers, but it changes that.
The chat function is equally simple to use. The app connects you with a support specialist who can address your questions about Google products. After you finish the session, you’ll see a record of your talk just at the bottom of the help page. This form provides Google with feedback on its customer service.
Mobile App
Its (Android-only) mobile app is handy. It allows you to back up your phone automatically and recover it when needed. Backup is a crucial function because your phone might be lost at any time due to damage, theft, or accidental loss. You won’t be able to recover your vital data and files, such as photographs, movies, contacts, and so on, if you don’t have backups.
The Google One mobile app also assists you in managing your phone’s storage capacity. For example, the app alerts you when you’ve reached your storage limit and advises applications and files to delete to make room.
The program also contains a VPN service, securing your internet activities and protecting your personal information.
Google Photos Perks
The Google One membership level adds extra capabilities using the Google Photos app. It includes AI-powered filters such as Dazzling, Airy, Luminous, Ember, Portrait Blur, Portrait Light, and Color Pop.
Google One customers also access Google Photos’ high dynamic range (HDR) capture function. Overall, as a Google One member, one could do more with Google Photos than a standard user.
Google Store Rewards
Google One members may also earn up to 10% back in store credit when purchasing gadgets such as a Pixel smartphone, Nest thermostat, or Google Nest Mini. However, keep in mind that benefits differ depending on the package.
Interface and Use
Google products consistently outperform usability, and Google One is no different. We found it simple to subscribe and gain access.
Google One may be accessed through the web or by downloading the smartphone app from the Google Play Store. The online interface is simple and easy to navigate, and the smartphone app is even more straightforward. The options, including the VPN service, are organized into multiple menu bars and are easily accessible.
Google One’s VPN service is straightforward, although it lacks key capabilities in competing commercial VPNs. You can’t customize the settings as you can with other VPNs for example, find the desired VPN server. You can’t even choose which VPN protocol to use.
Some services, such as Google Photos filters, are available in the Google One app but not on the online interface.
Support: Google One
As part of the membership plan, It provides appropriate customer assistance. You may contact customer service via
Competition
Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, and Apple iCloud are just a few of Google One’s cloud storage competitors. Some provide more excellent storage for less money than a membership. For example, $100 a year on OneDrive buys you 6TB of storage, but it offers only 2TB.
Dropbox also provides up to 5TB of storage, but it is limited to 2TB. iCloud, on the other hand, offers nearly equivalent space plans like this one. Like Google One, its most expensive option provides 2TB of storage for $10 per month.
Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox, for example, provide more excellent value for less money than Google One. However, we might argue that it is still worthwhile due to the added features for its ecosystem goods.
Its VPN service competes with numerous others, including NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Windscribe. Almost any commercial VPN provides more functionality than Google’s.
Conclusion
Google One is a crucial tool for all users, providing numerous functions that a standard user would not have access to. Its cloud storage package is appropriate for both individual and family use. The VPN function is suitable for regular internet users. Customer service is good, and the added Google Photos capabilities are helpful for photographers. If cloud storage is the only functionality you want, options such as Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive provide more excellent value. Several other commercial VPN providers outperform it in terms of functionality.
