Google Fi

Google Fi: The complete FAQ

Google's wireless service can salve yous coin and provide some pretty appealing perks, but there's a lot to wrap your head effectually before deciding if Fi is right for you.

Google Fi may sound like some weird sort of initiation ritual ("Whoa, what happened to Rick? I heard he got Googlefied!") — but if you tin get by its silly-sounding name, the Google-owned wireless service can both relieve y'all money and step upwardly your smartphone security situation.

Make no fault well-nigh it: Google Fi — known equally Projection Fi upwards until 2018 — is a pretty unusual proposition. And it absolutely won't make sense for everyone. If you fall into a sure style of smartphone usage, though, information technology tin eliminate a lot of the downsides that typically come with a traditional wireless program.

So how does Fi really piece of work, and could it exist right for you? Let'due south tackle it question by called-for question and figure that out together.

What exactly is Google Fi — or Project Fi, or whatever you want to phone call it?

Google Fi is technically what's known equally an MVNO, or mobile virtual network operator. That'due south a fancy proper noun for an entity that provides wireless service — y'know, the affair that allows you to make and receive calls and use mobile data from that shiny rectangle in your pocket — without actually owning the network infrastructure backside it.

In other words, it's kinda similar a high-tech landlord. It doesn't accept its own network similar AT&T or Verizon; instead, it has an arrangement with those same sorts of carriers that allows information technology to tap into their networks and repackage admission to those pipes under its own brand and system.

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What networks does Google Fi actually use, so?

In the U.Southward., Fi uses a combination of T-Mobile, Dart, and U.S. Cellular (so eventually but T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular, since Sprint and T-Mobile are in the process of becoming one and the aforementioned). That's one of its distinguishing features, in fact: When you use Google Fi with a phone that'due south designed for the service, it's able to seamlessly switch you lot betwixt those networks based on which one has the strongest service at any given moment.

Ooookay. How does this network switching mumbo-jumbo even piece of work?!

Automatically and silently; on a mean solar day-to-day basis, you lot'll never even think most it or be aware that it'south happening. Your phone just shows that you lot're connected to Google Fi — but behind the scenes, the device continuously seeks out the all-time possible network for your location and bops you around as needed.

Volition I get good coverage, and so? How will it compare to what I have now?

That's an important question — and unfortunately, in that location'southward no unproblematic nor universal answer, as information technology ultimately all depends on where you are and how Fi'due south networks perform in your expanse.

And so where to begin in figuring that out? Well, you can start past checking Google'southward official Fi coverage map. It lets you put in specific addresses and see what kind of combined coverage you can expect for any given urban center or neighborhood. (Don't forget to check any places where you travel in addition to your home forepart, particularly if you visit sure regions regularly for work.)

If you lot want to get even more specific, snag the free OpenSignal app for your telephone. The app can testify you detailed coverage maps for whatever prepare of networks in any area — based on user-submitted data — and even rank overall connectivity forcefulness for unlike networks where you are (or where you might be).

Or, heck, you can simply ask around — or mull over your ain past experiences. Call back of information technology this way: If you know you tin can get solid service with, say, T-Mobile in your expanse, then Google Fi should be fine for you; the addition of the Sprint and U.Due south. Cellular networks as possibilities will only flesh out that coverage further and fill in any gaps. As long equally at least one of Fi's networks is a feasible option wherever you are, you're good to go.

Is in that location 5G? Delight tell me there's 5G. WHAT ABOUT 5G?!

Sheesh — calm down there, Paco. I don't know if yous've heard, but 5G is currently an overhyped mess that's more than virtually marketing than any meaningful, existent-globe value for most of us.

That being said, yeah, yous tin go 5G with Fi (Fi-Thou?). As of this moment, Google says any unlocked phone that's uniform with T-Mobile'south 5G network in the U.S. volition take access to 5G with Fi — at least in theory, in the tiny and extraordinarily limited neighborhoods where 5G is actually now available.

What most the Wi-Fi part of the process? Doesn't Fi also connect to public Wi-Fi networks sometimes?

Well, I'll be. Get get yourself a cookie, yous brilliant little koala. You're on the ball today!

Google Fi does indeed incorporate public Wi-Fi networks into its coverage, provided you're using a telephone that was designed explicitly for Fi use. That'due south another unusual and noteworthy function of its proposition. And just like with the mobile network switching, it all happens automatically and without any effort on your behalf.

Here'due south how it works: Someday you're in range of a publicly available Wi-Fi network that Google has determined to be "high-quality and reliable" (a phrase you should probably not borrow for your next dating app profile), your Fi phone will switch over to that instead of using your regular mobile network. You'll see it happen in retail establishments with open Wi-Fi networks or anywhere else that has Wi-Fi available without the need for whatever sort of sign-in.

Fi automatically encrypts your information anytime it's continued to a network in that manner, using a special Google-provided virtual individual network (VPN) — which means no 1 else on the network could snoop on your connection and see what yous're doing (in the way you oft hear described equally a risk of using public Wi-Fi networks).

But but similar with the service's mobile network switching, you lot don't really call back about any of that stuff in day-to-day use. With the Wi-Fi stuff, you do see a special icon in your condition bar showing that you're connected to a network with the Google-provided encryption enabled, simply other than that, things just work — and you don't put much thought into what network or type of network your phone has attached itself to at any given moment.

Is in that location any way I can get that same VPN encryption all the time?

Why, yes, my insightful amigo! Google added a feature into Fi in 2018 that enables always-on VPN protection for phones that (a) were designed explicitly for Fi and (b) are running Android nine or college. (Go get yourself another cookie. I'll await.)

Information technology's a pretty powerful perk, too, especially for anyone serious nearly Android security — which, ahem, we all should be. Just if you ever transmit sensitive visitor information, always-on encryption is non simply smart; it's practically a necessity. And unless your company provides its own custom VPN service, you typically terminate up having to rely on a third-party service for said protection — something that's costly, complicated, and difficult to evaluate and remain fully confident in over fourth dimension.

With Fi'southward congenital-in encryption option, that claiming is no more: Your VPN is provided straight by Google and bundled into your basic wireless service. All yous do is flip a trivial toggle in the Fi app on your phone to plough it on, and yous can so rest piece of cake knowing all your data will e'er exist encrypted, no affair where yous are or what sort of network you're using.

What about cost? Will I actually save coin with this Google Fi service?

Once more, in that location's no simple universal answer, as anybody's needs and habits are different — and the competition from other carriers is constantly evolving. There are, however, some good general guidelines that can help yous figure out if Fi might make financial (get it — fi-nancial?!) sense for you.

Most broadly, I'd say this: Fi tends to be best for people who utilize a relatively pocket-size corporeality of mobile data. If you lot fire through gigs upon gigs of mobile data each calendar month, yous'd probably do better with a different sort of setup.

At present, specifically, here's how it works: For an individual user, Fi charges y'all 20 bucks a month for your basic service, which gives you unlimited calling and texting. On top of that, y'all pay $ten for every gigabyte of mobile information y'all utilise each month — or whatever percentage of that number ends up being relevant, all the way down to the third decimal. And then if, for case, you used two.202GB of mobile data in a month, you'd pay $22.02.

And crucially, yous pay only for the amount of mobile data you actually utilize, without any sneaky fees or obnoxious add-ons other than the unavoidable taxes and government-mandated surcharges. In that two.202GB case, so, your total bill would be $22.02 plus the $20 base of operations price and tax — so probably somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 or a little less, all combined. (Google says the taxes and surcharges vary by state but are by and large between ten and 20%.)

At that place are a couple of noteworthy asterisks hither. Get-go, remember that automatic Wi-Fi connexion part of Fi's service? Go on in listen that that actively works to help you use less mobile data all throughout the day. In assessing your typical monthly mobile information utilize, think well-nigh whether you tend to be in or near places with public Wi-Fi that might aid reduce your regular usage, as you currently know it.

Second, Fi will charge yous only up to the 6GB marker with an individual account. If you lot manage to get over 6GB of mobile data in any given month, you'll still pay just $60 — $ten per gig times six — for that month's usage. You tin become all the fashion up to 15GB without paying another dime; once yous hitting that 15GB marking (something Google says less than i% of individual Fi users ever practice), you'll have the choice to get slower than usual mobile data speeds at no extra cost or to start paying $10 per gig over again for regular mobile information speeds from that signal forward.

So, yeah: If you're routinely using 25GB of mobile information each month, you lot'd probably come out alee with a dissimilar sort of arrangement. (You lot might also want to think virtually means to cut back on your data use!) But if you lot tin keep your monthly usage in the lower to mid-unmarried-digit gigabyte count, on average, you could terminate upwards saving quite a flake of dough with Fi's pay-but-for-what-you-use setup.

Does Google Fi offer whatever group plans or anything like that?

It does! Fi rolled out a grouping programme choice back in 2016, and it'south actually a no-brainer if you have family members or employees or co-workers (in a relatively small arrangement) who are using the service and might want to combine.

The Fi group plan has the same core setup equally the regular plan, just each boosted person on the plan has a discounted base fee — $xviii per person with two people, $17 per person with three, and $xvi per person with four or more homo mammals on the plan. Then you still pay that same per-gigabyte charge per unit for however much data is used, collectively. And your "max payment" amount bumps up to 10GB for 2 people, 12GB for three, 14GB for four, 16GB for five, and 18GB for half-dozen people — so any usage past that point doesn't price y'all any boosted coin (though your speeds will withal be slowed downwards if you go considerably over that mark).

The Fi app fifty-fifty has an option to prepare information technology up so that members of your plan get "billed" for their portion of the total each month and can pay you back with a couple of taps using Google Pay. As the primary business relationship-holder, you also have the power to pause whatever member's service or data at any betoken in a billing bike, should the need or inspiration (bwah hah hah) ever strike.

What about a large-group, enterprise-mode option?

Curiously enough, no such option exists — not yet, anyway. As of now, Google'due south Fi grouping setup goes upwards only to a six-person max, and then it might work for a small business but wouldn't be well-suited for a larger company, at least non in any traditional organization. The one exception might exist if an arrangement is doing a bring-your-ain-device-style setup in which employees pay for their own service and so get reimbursed; in that situation, it might actually be an interesting and potentially advantageous option.

All of that being said, it sure seems like it'd make an awful lot of sense for Google to bring Fi more wholeheartedly into the enterprise environment, especially now that the visitor's actively developing its Google Voice service, making Voice piece of work more harmoniously with Fi, and positioning Voice largely every bit an enterprise-friendly G Suite add together-on (more on that in a infinitesimal). With more and more accent existence placed on G Suite and the scope of the G Suite services constantly expanding, you'dthink Fi coming into the fold would be the next logical move to make.

Peradventure one of these days?

Fi(ne). But does Fi have an "unlimited" option, too?

My, you're astute. Information technology does! Google added an "unlimited" option into Fi just last year, in fact. And it admittedly adds another (slightly overwhelming) variable into the equation for you to consider.

For an individual user, Fi's "unlimited" plan runs 70 bucks a month. For a group plan with two people, it'southward $60 per person per month; for 3, information technology's $50 per person per month; and for 4 or more than, it's $45 per person per month.

The "unlimited" organisation also comes with 100GB of extra storage space for each person through Google One, which would typically price you $twenty a year — and then that's certainly something, though not a massive amount of added value.

Oh, and the reason why I keep putting "unlimited" in quotes? The plan, similar almost such offerings, isn't actually unlimited in the fullest sense of the word; rather, it gives you lot up to 22GB of high-speed mobile information per person per month. If you become over that amount, you'll still be able to use mobile data — but but at reduced speeds and with scaled-back video resolution.

All correct, now I'yard actually confused. Should I do the "unlimited" plan or the pay-for-what-y'all-employ option?

It ultimately just comes down to a thing of math — but unless you lot're using a lot of mobile data in whatever given month, the pay-for-what-y'all-use choice is probably gonna be your amend bet. (It's besides the more infrequent option, whereas the "unlimited" setup is more traditional and similar to what other carriers offer.)

So let's crisis some numbers: If yous're looking at Fi as an private user, you'd have to plow through more than than 5GB of mobile data on average per calendar month for the "unlimited" plan to be the meliorate bargain. Once y'all hit 5GB of data, you'd exist looking at a $seventy monthly bill — with the $20 base fee and and so $10 per gig times v — at which point y'all could have just paid the flat $seventy fee for the "unlimited" selection and gotten even more information for your money.

With 2 people in a plan, meanwhile, the "unlimited" plan would run you $120 full — and then in the pay-for-what-you-use organization, you'd accept to burn through 8.5GB of mobile data collectively to reach that same cost ($35 combined base fee plus $ten per gig times eight.5).

For perspective, my wife and I have a group program together. If I expect back over a recent 12-calendar month period (before the pandemic, since things have been a fleck odd as of late), our boilerplate monthly mobile data use, collectively, is just shy of 2GB per calendar month. Nosotros have the occasional month where nosotros go higher — say, if one or both of united states is traveling and abroad from Wi-Fi networks and thus doing more mobile-data streaming than usual — simply it all comes down to averages: If you use an boilerplate of 2GB of mobile data per month, your beak comes out to virtually $55 for two people. Even at 5GB in a calendar month, you'd exist looking at simply $85 total for those same ii people compared to $120 on the "unlimited" path.

And consider, too, that with the current pandemic situation, a service like Fi could salve you lot some serious dough, since you lot're probably using a lot less mobile data than you ordinarily do. The very nature of Fi's setup means you pay less when you lot use less, and thus this atypical period of usage will result in lower monthly bills — potentially muchlower bills, if you're mostly staying at home these days. (To wit: With no mobile data usage, your Fi neb would basically be twenty bucks a month for a single person.)

Everyone's different and only you can do the math for your own specific needs, but realistically, I'd say that even in more normal times, the vast majority of folks probably aren't gonna become through enough mobile information on average (or demand to get through enough mobile data, peculiarly with Fi's Wi-Fi-connecting feature in the picture) to make the "unlimited" pick worthwhile.

What nearly roaming? Surely Fi screws you when you go out of the land, similar every other carrier — right?

Amazingly, no; this is another one of the service's exceptional features, particularly if you travel internationally with whatever regularity (yous lucky son of a dolphin, y'all).

Then hither it is: Fi charges you the same standard per-gigabyte rate all over the earth — in 200-plus countries. You lot get free texting in all those places, too. You do end up paying for cellular voice calls, but even those rates aren't generally that bad, relatively speaking.

What if I alive exterior of the U.S.? Can I even so sign upwards for Fi?

As of now, Google's making Fi bachelor only in u.s.a. — which technically means you have toactivate the service within the U.South., using a U.S. address and credit card. Pitiful, international pals.

Tin I use my phone every bit a mobile hotspot?

Yes, indeedly. And there's no extra charge for doing so; you just pay that same standard flat per-gigabyte rate for any data you use, regardless of how you're sharing it or what device is actually tapping into information technology.

What if I want to put a SIM card into a tablet, laptop, or other connected device? How much does Fi charge for that privilege?

Nada — goose egg, zip, aught, zebra. (That last word was a test to see if yous were still paying attending. If yous noticed it, congratulations. If non, WAKE UP!)

Google Fi lets you claim up to four data-only SIMs for your account and use them in any devices you want. You can order the SIMs free from the Fi app or website, and all you pay is the same per-gigabyte rate you lot'd pay for mobile information utilise from your phone. That means whatsoever extra devices essentially become extensions of your main Fi phone — which is another powerful perk that opens up plenty of interesting possibilities.

Contracts? Commitments? Counterfoil fees? At that place's gotta be some way this matter is out to get me...

Your skepticism is understandable, Mr. and/or Mrs. Crankypants, merely I'chiliad telling you: Fi doesn't play those typical carrier games. Other than the fact that if you lot utilize a ton of mobile data per month, it probably won't make financial sense to you — and that the "unlimited" option comes with a max-out point in terms of the truly unlimited, highest-possible-speed data — in that location actually aren't any subconscious fees, asterisks, or other "gotchas" to report. (I've been using the service myself since 2015, then if there were whatsoever such catches, I'd certainly take noticed 'em past now.)

Will any telephone work with Fi?

More or less — and kind of.

Let me explain: Fi has a small number of phones that are explicitly designed for its service — including Google'south ain Pixel devices, as you'd expect, and a scattering of other specially adapted handsets. Those phones give you the full Fi experience, with the multi-network switching, the automatic public Wi-Fi connecting, and the always-on VPN protection choice.

You can, yet, also use Fi with near other reasonably recent Android phones or even iPhones. As long equally a device is unlocked and compatible with T-Mobile's network, information technology'll almost certainly work on Fi — at to the lowest degree, from a technical perspective. That's always been true, despite the fact that Google just recently started promoting information technology and officially supporting such widespread compatibility.

But take note: With a phone that isn't designed explicitly to be used with Google Fi, you won't go that same total Fi experience. That means no multi-network switching — instead, your device will connect only to T-Mobile, in the U.S. — plus no automatic public Wi-Fi connecting and no always-on VPN protection.

What y'all will become is the pay-only-for-what-you-use, hidden-fee-free billing setup, if you and so cull, along with the standard-rate international data price. Just you're substantially getting that just with regular T-Mobile service here in the States, which takes a flake of the smooth off of Fi's appeal.

Too, with new accounts, Google Fi is currently limiting you to a certain subset of canonical devices. (You can search the full list here.) Even if an older telephone is technically compatible with Fi — and would work with it, if you were to slap an active SIM card inside — Google won't activate an account unless you have ane of those officially supported models.

Practice I have to buy a Fi-designed phone from Google Fi directly in order for it to work right?

Nope — you could buy a Pixel phone, for case, from Google, Best Buy, or wherever, and it'd still work fine and requite you the total Fi feel as presently as you lot slide that SIM menu inside (or actuate it electronically). The aforementioned applies for most other Fi-designed phones, too, though if you're thinking of getting annihilation other than a device's unlocked model, y'all may want to check the Fi compatibility site just to make sure it shows up as having full "designed for Fi" back up.

Fi does sell all such devices directly through its website, with options for financing, trade-ins, and device protection plans. Information technology too tends to run a fair amount of deals — including dropped prices and bundled-in Fi credits with new device purchases. And then information technology'south certainly worth shopping around a bit and so seeing how Fi'southward ain offerings compare to what yous find elsewhere.

Can I port in my existing number to Google Fi?

Yup — whether it'southward a cell number or even a landline number. Nothin' to it.

What if I'm using Google Voice now?

You've got a couple of options. First, you tin can simply transfer your Google Voice number over to Fi when you sign upward — and you'll still go virtually (but not all) of the meaning Voice features, albeit in slightly different Fi forms (fo, fum). You tin also ever transfer your number dorsum out later, if yous make up one's mind to stop using Fi and want to go back to Google Voice downward the road.

As of but this month, you can also take a split Fi and Voice number on the same Google business relationship, so you could keep your electric current number connected to Google Voice, sign up for anew number with Google Fi, and then use the Voice app on your Fi phone to make and receive calls and letters from your existing Voice number. (My head hurts.) I wrote a lot more on this discipline and the intriguing possibilities it presents in this column, if y'all want to explore the surface area with me further.

Can I use any texting app I want with Google Fi?

Sure can. Officially, Google suggests using its own Messages app (naturally) or Hangouts (at least, for the moment), but any Android texting app will work just fine.

This all sounds slap-up, Randy, but what if I need some help along the mode?

Well, Gilby, lemme tell ya: Google Fi doesn't accept whatever physical retail stores (nevertheless, anyway), but information technology does have 24/7 phone, conversation, and e-mail back up — which has generally been relatively decent in my experience and far less likely to make me want to gouge my optics out than most other carrier back up systems I've had the displeasure of using.

Okay, I think I've got this. Very important query earlier nosotros wrap up, though: Does Fi ever make yous crave pie or rye?

Aye.

And mai tai? Eh, guy?

I won't dignify with a reply.

What near Thai? Or craven thigh (after a fry)?

Sigh. Goodbye.

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Contributing Editor JR Raphael serves upwards tasty morsels about the man side of technology. Hungry for more? Join him on Twitter or sign up for his weekly newsletter to go fresh tips and insight in your inbox every Friday.

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