Google Fi’s ‘Super Network’ Hops Networks to Keep Your Pixel Phone Connected

Even in areas that seem abundant with overlapping cellular coverage, phones sometimes sputter when you’re looking up information or trying to get directions when your carrier’s signal gets weak. To avoid those annoying interruptions, Google Fi Wireless is rolling out what it’s calling a “super network” feature. It automatically switches your phone between two 5G networks to maintain the best connection. The new capability works only on Google’s phones, starting with the Pixel 9 and newer Pixel models. The super network is included free for existing Google Fi customers on all of its plans: Flexible, Unlimited Essentials, Unlimited Standard and Unlimited Premium. Google says that it’s using “two top 5G networks,” but the company is refusing to reveal which networks those are in the US. Traditionally Google Fi runs on T-Mobile’s network. The network switching also applies when you’re traveling internationally, and is included in the Unlimited Premium and Flexible plans. According to a source at Google, the phone will use two eSIM slots to switch between networks, but it will appear to only use a single eSIM on the customer’s phone. A fine-print disclaimer notes that any other eSIMs on your device must be disabled, which is worth knowing for anyone that already uses multiple carriers on a single device. In addition to the super network news, Google said its Wi-Fi Auto Connect Plus feature is available in millions of more locations across the US. If the phone is in an area where cellular is spotty and a compatible Wi-Fi network is nearby, it automatically makes an encrypted connection if the Wi-Fi network is stronger. Wi-Fi Auto Connect Plus is available on Pixel phones, but is also becoming available on Samsung phones running One UI 9 or later and “select modern Motorola phones.”