Google boosted privacy and security protections for its Project Fi MVNO customers, announcing users will now automatically be connected to the internet using a virtual private network (VPN), regardless of whether they’re browsing on Wi-Fi or LTE.

With the feature enabled, the company said all mobile and Wi-Fi traffic will be encrypted and transmitted over a VPN, blocking even Google from tracking user activity. It noted: “our VPN is designed so that your traffic isn’t tied to your Google account or phone number”.

Since its launch in 2015, Project Fi has allowed users to hop between Wi-Fi hotspots and the LTE networks of Google’s operator partners (T-Mobile US, Sprint and US Cellular), depending on which offers better connectivity in a given location.

Another update from the company tries to improve those network handoffs and minimise downtime by switching users to an LTE connection more quickly when Wi-Fi signals are poor. In testing, Google said the new feature reduced the time users spent without a usable connection by up to 40 per cent.

The upgrades, available in beta, are being rolled out this week to Project Fi customers with phones running Android P.