Skip Navigation

Android @lemdro.id

hydroGEN @lemdro.id

1y ago

Google One VPN is 'built into' the Pixel 8 with no persistent notification

Google One VPN is 'built into' the Pixel 8 with no persistent notification

67 comments

Imagine routing all your traffic through a google server.
- well the most used custom dns is 8.8.8.8
  
  I mean this only routes a small amount to their servers, the actual data to use a website isn't sent to 8.8.8.8.

So third-party VPN apps should be able to provide a connection without a persistent notification now, right?
Right?
- If they’re root, they already can. Like Google Play and other root/system apps that can install apps without the pop-up.
  It is an obvious double measure but it’s been around for a long time, and it’s not too insecure or annoying unless manufacturers install malware as system apps and/or disallow locking the boatloader (they do, sadly).
  
  If they’re root, they already can. Like Google Play and other root/system apps that can install apps without the pop-up.
  Fun reminder that the Facebook system apps included on many phones can do that too. Look for system apps called "Facebook Bridge", "Facebook stub", "Facebook App Installer", "Facebook App Manager" etc.
  
  That's what I meant - if Google's own stuff is allowed to run in the background then third-party stuff should be allowed too.

a persistent notification is no longer required. A key icon in the status bar is the only indication you get that the VPN is enabled
You still get the key icon. Is the fuss that it now takes more screen taps to reach the on/off, rather than just using the persistent notification?
- The fuss is that 3rd party apps need a persistent notification to stay alive. But, because Google owns pixels, it can skip that step and be less intrusive/visible, which others can not.
  
  Cite your sources because that's not how persistent notification works. PIA doesn't need it. It sounds like a poorly written app.
  Edit: DNS66 as well.

Persistent notification is one of the best parts about using an always on VPN. You can check the status really quickly
- Would be better if it were optional. The little key in the status area is more than enough indication for me. A persistent notification is not a notification, it's a hack.
  
  The hack is the aggressive battery optimization in some phones that don't respect the native Android battery optimization settings and still kill apps.
  
  It is optional unless I misunderstood. You can disable the persistent notification by disabling VPN notifications in the Google One app.

I don't understand the article. They either aren't clearly explaining the issue or just heavily misinformed.
I have Google One and PIA. Both do the same thing, which is add a key to the top right of the screen. To me, that's like a persistent notification.
PIA has never needed to use the actual persistent notification API. There's no reason to. Persistent notification is for application that don't want their UI Window to terminate when Android gets memory pressured, or when wanting to use a local service (eg: Location or Orientation) when not the main foreground application. I can kill the PIA Window (swipe up from recent apps) and the VPN is still running.
If Google One were able to activate VPN without changing my status bar, that's a different story, and that's not the case.
Edit: DNS66 as well
- From what I understand, Google One had its own persistent notification (left side) when using the VPN as well as the normal key icon (right side). So now it just has the latter.
  
  Nope. I have my Pixel 7 on Android 13 and my Pixel 8 on Android 14.
  The only difference is when you activate on Android 13, you get notification it's connecting and it's connected. Neither are permanent, and I can dismiss them.
  Android 14 has no notification and just shows you on the app it's connected now (different UI).
  It never had a persistent notification, so I'd reason the author was misinformed or misunderstood the change when somebody told them.

Weird, my Pixel 6a currently doesn't have a persistent notification when I use Proton. Is this a GrapheneOS thing? Just curious.
- Have you enabled notifications for it? I use Proton with GrapheneOS. I keep the ProtonChannel notifications disabled normally as I don't need to see it. Enabling it, I see the persistent notification as expected.
  
  Can confirm. I was able to replicate the behavior. Cheers
  What reason would there be to enable notifications?

Lol that’s like saying worlds biggest virus creator which makes him billions of dollars now also providing anti virus for free.
- Exactly lmao. I don't trust Google with shit, so I'm still going to install GrapheneOS and Mullvad as soon as I get the 8.
  
  I second Graphene and Mullvad.
  
  As a Pixel owner, how much do you lose in terms of the pixel-exclusive software when using graphene?

I am on pixel 6a and using third party vpn. there is no persistent notification. only key icon. I don't see the issue here.

What if you don't want it?

67 comments