Google’s Project Fi is a cellular network that blurs the lines between WiFi and mobile data. If you’re at home or another place where you can connect to a WiFi hotspot, the service will route your phone calls over WiFi. But the call will automatically be handed off to a mobile network if you walk out of range of that hotspot.
In order to take advantage of WiFi as often as possible, Project Fi customers can use a feature called Wi-Fi Assistant to automatically connect to open networks whenever they’re detected.
But now Google is making Wi-Fi Assistant available to folks who aren’t paying Project Fi customers.
Google says Wi-Fi Assistant is rolling out to “all Nexus users in the United States, Canada, Mexico, UK, and Nordic countries” in the next few weeks.
So there are a few caveats. First, if you aren’t in one of those regions, no Wi-Fi Assistant for you. And second… by “all Nexus users,” what Google really means is all Nexus devices running Android 5.1 or later, including the Nexus 4 and newer.
Sorry Nexus One/Nexus S/Galaxy Nexus users.
Don’t want to connect to random WiFi hotspots? First you should keep in mind that the software automatically uses a VPN to help protect your privacy. But if you still don’t want to connect to unsecured hotspots you can disable the feature by turning it off in your phone’s Networking settings.
via CNET