Google One Surpasses 150 Million Subscribers, Driven by AI Features

Google hits 150 million users for subscription service with help of AI

SAN FRANCISCO, May 15 (Reuters) - Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Google One subscription service, which charges consumers for cloud storage and artificial intelligence features, recently crossed 150 million subscribers, the company told Reuters. That represents a 50% increase since February 2024, when Google One crossed 100 million subscriptions nearly six years after the service launched. The same month, Google introduced a $19.99 a month plan with access to AI capabilities unavailable for free users. The company continues to offer Google One subscription tiers for file storage, but without most AI features, at lower prices. The new AI tier accounted for "millions" of subscriptions, according to Shimrit Ben-Yair, a vice president at Google in charge of the subscription service. Google One is part of Alphabet's effort to diversify beyond advertising, which accounted for more than three-quarters of its $350 billion in overall 2024 revenue. Alphabet's success with subscriptions could play a key role in its long-term financial outlook as it grapples with the threat of AI chatbots, like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's own Gemini, to its search engine stronghold. AI offerings caused a decline in searches on Apple's (AAPL.O), opens new tab Safari browser for the first time ever, an Apple executive said during court testimony last week. The iPhone maker is looking to introduce AI-powered search options, a blow for Alphabet, which lost $150 billion in market value that day. Unlike with search engines, AI interfaces have yet to find a seamless way to incorporate ads. Many companies are instead charging users through subscriptions or based on product usage. Investors have questioned how Google will adapt. "Just like you've seen with YouTube, we'll give people options over time," CEO Sundar Pichai said in February when asked efforts to monetize Gemini during an earnings call. "For this year, I think you'll see us be focused on the subscription direction." Reporting by Kenrick Cai in San Francisco; Editing by Stephen Coates Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Suggested Topics:Artificial Intelligence Kenrick Cai Thomson Reuters Kenrick Cai is a correspondent for Reuters based in San Francisco. He covers Google, its parent company Alphabet and artificial intelligence. Cai joined Reuters in 2024. He previously worked at Forbes magazine, where he was a staff writer covering venture capital and startups. He received a Best in Business award from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing in 2023. He is a graduate of Duke University.

Google One subscriber base grows 50% in 15 months, driven by AI

YouTube's fake movie trailer conspiracy deepens as more channels suspended Summary Google One has surpassed 150M paid subscribers. This is a 50% growth in 15 months, as the subscription service crossed 100 million users last year. Google One offers an AI Premium Plan with Gemini Advanced, costing $20/month, which has attracted millions of subscribers. Google One reached 100 million paid subscribers in February 2024, within days of YouTube crossing a similar milestone. Now, 15 months later, the service has grown by 50%, surpassing 150 million subscribers. That's impressive considering the service took almost six years to reach the 100 million mark. Related Google One: Every benefit ranked from worst to best Google One has lots of features, but is it worth the monthly fee? Posts 2 When Google One breached the 100 million subscriber base last year, Google announced a Google One AI Premium Plan to celebrate the occasion. The plan costs $20 per month, with access to Gemini Advanced across various Google services and 2TB of storage. Despite the steep price, the expensive tier seems to have worked with consumers, attracting "millions" of subscriptions since then, revealed Shimrit Ben-Yair, VP and GM of Google One, to Reuters. Paid Google One tiers provide extra storage space, family sharing, priority support, and additional features across various Google services. In recent years, Google has locked many of Google Photos' advanced features behind paid Google One tiers. The subscription does not include access to YouTube Music or YouTube Premium. Instead, Google sells them as a separate subscription, which also crossed the 100 million paid subscribers mark last year. Earlier this year, though, Google did a YouTube Premium add-on for Google One's 2TB and higher tiers, allowing users to add a YouTube Premium subscription to their plan at a discounted rate of $12 per month -- saving $2. Google also launched its cheapest Google One tier last year, dubbed Google One Lite. It's available only in select countries like India for Rs 59 ($0.70) and provides only one perk: an additional 30GB of storage space. Google can't match Apple's subscription empire YouTube TV is the only other notable subscription service from Google. As of May 2023, it was reportedly the largest live TV streaming platform in the US, with over 6 million paid subscribers. Even after totaling the paid subscribers across all three platforms -- Google One, YouTube, and YouTube TV -- Google should have an estimated paid subscriber user base of around 275 to 325 million right now. While impressive, that's still nowhere near Apple, which had over 1 billion paid users across all its services in 2024.

Google One now has 150 million subscribers, 'millions' with AI Premium

Google One now has 150 million subscribers in a 50% increase from February of last year. The subscription offering dates back to May of 2018. According to Reuters today, Google One "recently crossed 150 million subscribers," with the AI Premium tier ($19.99 per month in the US) accounting for "millions" of subscriptions. (It's unclear if free year-long trials are included in that.) The company last reported 100 million subscribers in February of 2024, with AI Premium to access Gemini Advanced and other features announced at that time. Overall, Google is currently looking at subscriptions as a way to monetize Gemini. Google One "Basic" starts at $1.99/month for 100 GB of storage across Photos, Gmail, and Drive. "Standard" is $2.99 for 200 GB and adds 3% back for Google Store purchases. "Premium" is the next tier at $9.99 for 2 TB, while you get 10% back at the Google Store and Unlimited Google Photos Magic Editor saves. There's also premium Google Workspace features like longer Meet calls that can be livestreamed to YouTube and Calendar appointment scheduling. Google One AI Premium is next with Gemini Advanced, NotebookLM Plus, and Gemini (side panel) across Gmail, Docs, and Workspace. It also provides early access to experimental AI features, like Search AI Mode and other Labs. At $24.99 per month, you get 5 TB of storage and all the other benefits. From there, it's just more storage: Google One offers annual plans for 100 GB ($19.99) to 5 TB ($249.99) with some savings by paying monthly, but AI Premium is curiously excluded. We'll probably see some more developments for AI Premium next week, while Google One last year started offering Fitbit Premium and Nest Aware in the UK. That has yet to expand, while what people really want is YouTube Premium bundled in. The closest we've gotten to that so far is a slight discount.

Google One hits 150 million subscribers as AI features gain traction

Alphabet's GOOGL.O Google One subscription service, which charges consumers for cloud storage and artificial intelligence features, recently crossed 150 million subscribers, the company told Reuters. That represents a 50% increase since February 2024, when Google One crossed 100 million subscriptions nearly six years after the service launched. The same month, Google introduced a $19.99 a month plan with access to AI capabilities unavailable for free users. The company continues to offer Google One subscription tiers for file storage, but without most AI features, at lower prices. The new AI tier accounted for "millions" of subscriptions, according to Shimrit Ben-Yair, a vice president at Google in charge of the subscription service. Google One is part of Alphabet's effort to diversify beyond advertising, which accounted for more than three-quarters of its $350 billion in overall 2024 revenue. Alphabet's success with subscriptions could play a key role in its long-term financial outlook as it grapples with the threat of AI chatbots, like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's own Gemini, to its search engine stronghold. AI offerings caused a decline in searches on Apple's AAPL.O Safari browser for the first time ever, an Apple executive said during court testimony last week. The iPhone maker is looking to introduce AI-powered search options, a blow for Alphabet, which lost $150 billion in market value that day. Unlike with search engines, AI interfaces have yet to find a seamless way to incorporate ads. Many companies are instead charging users through subscriptions or based on product usage. Investors have questioned how Google will adapt. "Just like you've seen with YouTube, we'll give people options over time," CEO Sundar Pichai said in February when asked efforts to monetize Gemini during an earnings call. "For this year, I think you'll see us be focused on the subscription direction."

Google One Hits 150 Million Subscribers With Help of AI

AI offerings have caused a decline in searches on Apple's Safari browser Alphabet's Google One subscription service, which charges consumers for cloud storage and artificial intelligence features, recently crossed 150 million subscribers, the company told Reuters. That represents a 50 percent increase since February 2024, when Google One crossed 100 million subscriptions nearly six years after the service launched. The same month, Google introduced a $19.99 (roughly Rs. 1,710) a month plan with access to AI capabilities unavailable for free users. The company continues to offer Google One subscription tiers for file storage, but without most AI features, at lower prices. The new AI tier accounted for "millions" of subscriptions, according to Shimrit Ben-Yair, a vice president at Google in charge of the subscription service. Google One is part of Alphabet's effort to diversify beyond advertising, which accounted for more than three-quarters of its $350 billion (roughly Rs. 29,93,350 crore) in overall 2024 revenue. Alphabet's success with subscriptions could play a key role in its long-term financial outlook as it grapples with the threat of AI chatbots, like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's own Gemini, to its search engine stronghold. AI offerings caused a decline in searches on Apple's Safari browser for the first time ever, an Apple executive said during court testimony last week. The iPhone maker is looking to introduce AI-powered search options, a blow for Alphabet, which lost $150 billion (roughly Rs. 12,82,864 crore) in market value that day. Unlike with search engines, AI interfaces have yet to find a seamless way to incorporate ads. Many companies are instead charging users through subscriptions or based on product usage. Investors have questioned how Google will adapt. "Just like you've seen with YouTube, we'll give people options over time," CEO Sundar Pichai said in February when asked efforts to monetise Gemini during an earnings call. "For this year, I think you'll see us be focused on the subscription direction." © Thomson Reuters 2025

Google hits 150 million users for subscription service with help of AI

Google One has surpassed 150 million subscribers, a 50% rise since February 2024, driven by a new AI-focused plan. The service supports Alphabet's shift from ad reliance, as AI disrupts traditional search. With ads harder to integrate into AI tools, Google is emphasising subscriptions to monetise its AI offerings.Alphabet's Google One subscription service, which charges consumers for cloud storage and artificial intelligence features, recently crossed 150 million subscribers, the company told Reuters. That represents a 50% increase since February 2024, when Google One crossed 100 million subscriptions nearly six years after the service launched. The same month, Google introduced a $19.99 a month plan with access to AI capabilities unavailable for free users. The company continues to offer Google One subscription tiers for file storage, but without most AI features, at lower prices. The new AI tier accounted for "millions" of subscriptions, according to Shimrit Ben-Yair, a vice president at Google in charge of the subscription service. Google One is part of Alphabet's effort to diversify beyond advertising, which accounted for more than three-quarters of its $350 billion in overall 2024 revenue. Alphabet's success with subscriptions could play a key role in its long-term financial outlook as it grapples with the threat of AI chatbots, like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's own Gemini, to its search engine stronghold. AI offerings caused a decline in searches on Apple's Safari browser for the first time ever, an Apple executive said during court testimony last week. The iPhone maker is looking to introduce AI-powered search options, a blow for Alphabet, which lost $150 billion in market value that day. Unlike with search engines, AI interfaces have yet to find a seamless way to incorporate ads. Many companies are instead charging users through subscriptions or based on product usage. Investors have questioned how Google will adapt. "Just like you've seen with YouTube, we'll give people options over time," CEO Sundar Pichai said in February when asked efforts to monetize Gemini during an earnings call. "For this year, I think you'll see us be focused on the subscription direction."

Google One Surpasses 150 Million Subscribers Amid AI Push

Generative AI and digital assistants are disrupting traditional search and ad models. Alphabet's Google One subscription service has recently surpassed 150 million subscribers, marking a 50 percent increase since February 2024, when the platform reached the 100 million mark, the company told Reuters. The surge comes months after Google introduced a new premium plan priced at USD 19.99 per month, offering artificial intelligence (AI) features previously unavailable to free users. Also Read: AI: Nvidia AI Factories in Saudi Arabia, DataVolt-Supermicro Deal, AWS-Humain AI Zone and More Launched nearly six years ago, Google One initially focused on cloud storage. The recent addition of AI capabilities has significantly boosted its appeal. While lower-tier plans remain available for users seeking storage without AI, the new AI-focused tier has already drawn "millions" of subscriptions, according to Shimrit Ben-Yair, Vice President overseeing the service, the report said. Google One is part of Alphabet's effort to diversify beyond advertising, which still accounted for over 75 percent of its USD 350 billion in revenue in 2024. With increasing concerns about the future of ad-supported models, particularly as AI reshapes how users search for information, subscriptions are emerging as a critical revenue stream. Alphabet faces mounting pressure as AI-powered tools begin to erode its dominance in search. An Apple executive recently testified that search volumes on Safari declined for the first time, driven by the rising use of AI assistants. That same day, Alphabet lost USD 150 billion in market value, underlining investor concerns about the long-term impact of generative AI on its core business. Also Read: Nvidia Announces USD 500 Billion Investment in US for AI Chip Production As traditional search advertising faces disruption, monetising AI remains a challenge. Unlike search engines, AI interfaces have yet to find an effective model for integrating advertising. Many companies are instead charging users through subscriptions or based on product usage, the report noted. "Just like you've seen with YouTube, we'll give people options over time," CEO Sundar Pichai said in February when asked about efforts to monetise Gemini during an earnings call. "For this year, I think you'll see us be focused on the subscription direction."

Google hits 150 million users for subscription service with help of AI

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Alphabet's Google One subscription service, which charges consumers for cloud storage and artificial intelligence features, recently crossed 150 million subscribers, the company told Reuters. That represents a 50% increase since February 2024, when Google One crossed 100 million subscriptions nearly six years after the service launched. The same month, Google introduced a $19.99 a month plan with access to AI capabilities unavailable for free users. The company continues to offer Google One subscription tiers for file storage, but without most AI features, at lower prices. The new AI tier accounted for "millions" of subscriptions, according to Shimrit Ben-Yair, a vice president at Google in charge of the subscription service. Google One is part of Alphabet's effort to diversify beyond advertising, which accounted for more than three-quarters of its $350 billion in overall 2024 revenue. Alphabet's success with subscriptions could play a key role in its long-term financial outlook as it grapples with the threat of AI chatbots, like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's own Gemini, to its search engine stronghold. AI offerings caused a decline in searches on Apple's Safari browser for the first time ever, an Apple executive said during court testimony last week. The iPhone maker is looking to introduce AI-powered search options, a blow for Alphabet, which lost $150 billion in market value that day. Unlike with search engines, AI interfaces have yet to find a seamless way to incorporate ads. Many companies are instead charging users through subscriptions or based on product usage. Investors have questioned how Google will adapt. "Just like you've seen with YouTube, we'll give people options over time," CEO Sundar Pichai said in February when asked efforts to monetize Gemini during an earnings call. "For this year, I think you'll see us be focused on the subscription direction." (Reporting by Kenrick Cai in San Francisco; Editing by Stephen Coates)