GoKawiilJoe Maring / Android Authority
As someone with thousands of photos/videos in Google Photos, and as a regular user of both Gmail and Drive, Google One has been a necessary subscription for years. When so much of my life revolves around these Google services, paying for Google One isn’t really a choice for me — it’s just something I have to do.
While I’ve been a regular Google One subscriber out of necessity, that doesn’t mean I’ve always enjoyed paying for it. For years, Google One has lacked basic features, been riddled with confusing plans/pricing, and has frequently left me wanting more.
But over the last few months, that’s started to change. Google has made several key improvements to Google One, and at this point, it’s now one of the subscriptions I can’t see myself quitting. Not because I need it, but because I genuinely like it that much.
How would you grade Google One as of May 2026? 32 votes A 38 % B 25 % C 22 % D 13 % F 3 %
Google One is finally living up to its name
Joe Maring / Android Authority
When it launched in 2018, Google One was primarily focused on cloud storage and a couple of additional perks. But as time went on, it gradually expanded to include more — such as a built-in VPN service, Google Store cashback rewards, and extra Google Photos editing tools.
These were all fine additions, but they never elevated Google One to live up to its name. Apple One is truly the “one” subscription you need to access virtually all of Apple’s paid services, but Google One never reached that point. It included more than just cloud storage, but it also didn’t bundle things like YouTube Premium, Google Play Pass, Nest Aware, or Fitbit Premium — all other Google subscriptions that existed outside of Google One.
But last October, we saw the first hint of this changing.
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