Recently, several Pixel 8 users have reported unexpected issues with their internet connection. Some websites and apps seem to not load properly. The VPN by Google app is likely the culprit behind this issue.
These issues started to surface yesterday when Google One VPN was shut down and Pixel users were told to switch to the VPN by Google app. We reported yesterday that a potential bug was delaying the rollout of the VPN by Google app on some carriers, leaving some users stranded with no VPN working. However, it now appears that some people who received the updated VPN app are also experiencing issues. This situation does not seem to be affecting all websites or apps, but rather specific ones. For example, Amazon and Prime Video are said to have issues loading, affecting both their sites and apps. Wikipedia and Google, however, were not affected.
The severity of this issue also varies from user to user: some users report being unable to access websites or apps, while others have no issues at all. The issue seems to be causing problems for users across a range of platforms, including Android, iOS, Windows and Mac.
For many people, simply turning off the VPN by Google app seems to fix their internet connection issues. Additionally, the app was updated soon after reports surfaced, and some users say the update fixed the issue. However, the update may be rolled out in stages, so it may not be available to all users yet.
For those still having issues and haven’t received the latest app update, Google’s support page points out a potential solution to VPN-related connection issues, which involves disabling the VPN directly from system settings rather than the app, and has been effective so far.
