![]() You'd be forgiven for failing to notice, but Google Fi has offered a noteworthy option for subscribers for a couple years now: the ability to have all of your data encrypted via Google's virtual private network, or VPN, all the time - no matter where you are or what type of network you're using. Aside from the surrogate phone situation, you could use a data-only SIM for a variety of interesting possibilities - creating a functional phone for a kid (and/or parakeet) without having to pay for an extra line, creating a dedicated hotspot device that can beam out mobile data access anywhere without draining your main phone's power, or even creating an always-connected backup phone that you could keep in your car in case your regular one ever gets lost, broken, or otherwise incapacitated. And as an additional bonus, you can set the phone up to have minimal distractions and temptations for stealing away your focus in those purpose-driven moments.īut those are just a couple of ideas. Unlike with your primary phone, you can just throw the device down on the ground in any ol' place and go about your business without a worry in the world. That way, I could listen to music or my favorite casters of pod and even check in on messages without having to fret about dropping the phone or banging it against the exceptionally heavy weights I so clearly lift with vigor. It then basically acts as a backup device in that scenario: If the day turns long and the battery on my regular phone runs low, I can use the secondary one for getting online, streaming music or videos, creating a hotspot for my laptop, or even staying in touch with family and colleagues via any number of internet-based Android messaging apps - all without having to worry about replenishing my primary phone's power.īack in typical times when I was still going to an actual gym, I'd also use the Fi data SIM feature to turn an old phone into a workout phone - a device I'd carry with me whilst sweating profusely in that environment. Sometimes, I carry one with me when I'm traveling (or theoretically traveling, in current-day realities). Personally, I use the data-only SIM feature to keep a rotating roster of random old phones active and available for different types of use. ![]() And equally important, if you don't use any data in a given month, you won't pay anything unlike with most other carriers, there are no silly surcharges or fees simply for the "privilege" of having an add-on device. All you'll pay is your same standard $10 per gigabyte rate (or not even that, if you're using one of Fi's newer unlimited plans). Just pop that sucker in wherever you want, and the device will instantly be online and ready for your use. What then? Why bother? Well, lemme tell ya, you curious caribou: With that data-only SIM in hand, you can effectively turn any other device - be it a laptop or tablet with a SIM card slot or even just a dusty old phone - into an extension of your main Fi service, provided it's compatible with Fi's networks. Google will create the card, activate it, and even ship it to you for the oh-so-affordable price of $0. And it doesn't take much to take advantage of it: Just open up the Fi website or app, select "Manage plan," then look for the unassuming little option labeled "Add data-only SIM." Click or tap that, and Fi will walk you through the steps to add a data-only SIM to your account. One of Google Fi's most valuable and broadly untapped benefits is the service's free data-only SIM program. They're all there and just waiting to be embraced - and generally speaking, they won't cost you an extra dime to use. ![]() Whether you're new to Fi or a Project Fi/Google Fi veteran, take a few minutes to think through these handy hidden features and see if any might be useful to you. And aside from its most prominently promoted perks - the seamless network-switching, the public Wi-Fi use, the fee-free roaming and hotspot capabilities, and so on - Fi has some pretty interesting out-of-the-way options that can really elevate your experience. Got Fi? Google's unusual wireless service may have shifted its name from Project Fi to Google Fi a while back, but its core proposition has remained relatively constant since the start: Pay only for the data you use, and avoid all the traditional carrier shenanigans.įor the right kind of person, Fi can be a real cost-cutter and hassle-saver.
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