Like nearly every smartphone brand, Google offers insurance coverage for Pixel phones, watches, tablets, and Fitbit wearables to prevent costly repairs for accidental damage.
Google Preferred Care initially served this purpose, but the company introduced a new protection plan called Pixel Care Plus alongside the Pixel 10 series. As part of the move, Google Preferred Care and Fi Device Protection subscribers are being migrated to Pixel Care Plus.
Whether you’re a new or old subscriber, you may be wondering what exactly you get by paying for Pixel Care Plus, and how it’s different from older Google protection plans. This guide will cover everything you need to know, from pricing and availability to benefits and how to cancel.
What is Pixel Care Plus?
Pixel Care Plus is a device protection plan for Google hardware products, specifically certain Pixel and Fitbit models. It works like any other insurance plan, providing peace of mind in the event your phone, tablet, or watch needs an expensive repair. Pixel Care Plus covers accidental damage, but also extends the hardware warranty of your device.
A unique benefit of Pixel Care Plus is no-deductible screen and battery repairs. However, all other repairs not covered under the extended warranty or screen and battery inclusions will incur a service fee ranging from $49 to $99, depending on the device model.
Pixel Care Plus is available as an upfront purchase or as a monthly subscription, and can be cancelled at any time. You can buy it with the purchase of a new Pixel or Fitbit device, or add it within 60 days of your purchase in the Google Store or My Pixel apps.
What devices are eligible for Pixel Care Plus?
Pixel Care Plus is available for a slew of Google hardware products spanning the Pixel and Fitbit lines. It includes Pixel phones, the Pixel Tablet, and recent Pixel Watch models. This is the full list of Google products eligible for Pixel Care Plus:
- Pixel 10 series (10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL)
- Pixel 10 Pro Fold
- Pixel 9 series (9a, 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL)
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold
- Pixel Tablet (with or without Charging Speaker Dock)
- Pixel 8 series (8a, 8, 8 Pro)
- Pixel Fold
- Pixel Watch 4
- Pixel Watch 3
- Pixel Watch 2
- Fitbit Ace LTE
- Fitbit Sense 2
- Fitbit Versa 4
- Fitbit Charge 6
- Fitbit Inspire 3
It’s worth noting that Fitbit devices are only eligible for the upfront Pixel Care Plus plan with two years of coverage — there’s no monthly subscription option. While you only have 60 days after purchase to insure a device with Pixel Care Plus, older Google Preferred Care and Fi Device Protection customers will be transitioned to the new plan automatically.
How much does Pixel Care Plus cost?
Pixel Care Plus is available as a monthly subscription or an upfront purchase that nets you two years of coverage. It varies per device, with the cheapest plans costing $5 per month and the most expensive plans costing $16 per month. There’s also an optional Loss and Theft coverage plan that usually costs a few dollars more than the base Pixel Care Plus plan per month. Loss and Theft isn’t available in New York at the moment.
The chart below outlines subscription costs and fees for Pixel Care Plus for each device model:
|
Model |
Pixel Care Plus (monthly/2-year) |
Pixel Care Plus with Loss and Theft (monthly/2-year) |
Service Fee |
Loss and Theft deductible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Google Pixel 10 |
$9 per month / $179 for two years |
$10 per month / $199 for two years |
$59 |
$79 |
|
Google Pixel 10 Pro |
$13 per month / $239 for two years |
$15 per month / $279 for two years |
$99 |
$149 |
|
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold |
$16 per month / $299 for two years |
$18 per month / $339 for two years |
$99 |
$149 |
|
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL |
$13 per month / $239 for two years |
$15 per month / $279 for two years |
$99 |
$149 |
|
Google Pixel 9a |
$6 per month / $119 for two years |
$7 per month / $139 for two years |
$49 |
$59 |
|
Google Pixel 9 |
$8 per month / $159 for two years |
$9 per month / $179 for two years |
$59 |
$79 |
|
Google Pixel 9 Pro |
$12 per month / $199 for two years |
$14 per month / $239 for two years |
$99 |
$149 |
|
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL |
$12 per month / $199 for two years |
$14 per month / $239 for two years |
$99 |
$149 |
|
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold |
$15 per month / $279 for two years |
$17 per month / $319 for two years |
$99 |
$149 |
|
Google Pixel Fold |
$15 per month / $279 for two years |
$17 per month / $319 for two years |
$99 |
$149 |
|
Google Pixel 8a |
$6 per month / $119 for two years |
$7 per month / $139 for two years |
$49 |
$59 |
|
Google Pixel 8 |
$8 per month / $159 for two years |
$9 per month / $179 for two years |
$59 |
$79 |
|
Google Pixel 8 Pro |
$12 per month / $199 for two years |
$14 per month / $239 for two years |
$99 |
$149 |
|
Google Pixel Tablet |
$5 per month / $99 for two years |
$6 per month / $119 for two years |
$49 |
$59 |
|
Google Pixel Watch 4 |
$5 per month / $99 for two years |
$6 per month / $119 for two years |
$49 |
$59 |
|
Google Pixel Watch 3 |
$5 per month / $99 for two years |
$6 per month / $119 for two years |
$49 |
$59 |
|
Google Pixel Watch 2 |
$5 per month / $99 for two years |
$6 per month / $119 for two years |
$49 |
$59 |
|
Fitbit Ace LTE |
$29 for two years |
N/A |
$29 |
N/A |
|
Fitbit Sense 2 |
$29 for two years |
N/A |
$29 |
N/A |
|
Fitbit Versa 4 |
$29 for two years |
N/A |
$29 |
N/A |
|
Fitbit Charge 6 |
$29 for two years |
N/A |
$29 |
N/A |
|
Fitbit Inspire 3 |
$19 for two years |
N/A |
$19 |
N/A |
The service fees listed above will only apply in the event your device is broken beyond basic front and back glass damage. Glass replacements, as well as battery replacements when battery health is less than 80%, are completely free with Pixel Care Plus for all devices.
All the benefits you get with Pixel Care Plus
Of course, the significant Pixel Care Plus benefit is a $0 deductible for screen and battery replacements. Beyond that, other types of accidental damage require a service fee for replacement, but there are other Pixel Care Plus perks. Namely, there’s unlimited damage coverage. Most competing plans, like AppleCare Plus and Samsung Care, only let you claim a certain number of repairs or replacements in a given time period.
Additionally, the device protection plan offers priority support and next-day shipping for replacements. You can also get your device serviced at a Google Store or a certified repair shop, including Asurion’s uBreakiFix locations. Google says there are over 700 authorized repair locations that can service your Pixel or Fitbit device in a pinch with Pixel Care Plus.
Depending on your device, Pixel Care Plus may come at a higher cost than other device protection plans, but it does come with key perks like free screen and battery replacements. You can add coverage to your eligible Pixel or Fitbit device within 60 days of your purchase, even if it wasn’t bought directly from Google, so you have some time to decide whether it’s right for you.
You can cancel Pixel Care Plus at any time by signing into the Google Store with your Google account, opening the Pixel Care Plus account hub, selecting your device, and following the prompts to proceed with the cancellation.
The best Pixel yet
The Google Pixel 10 series ushered in a ton of improvements, including the Pixel Care Plus protection plan for the first time. You can buy a Pixel 10 and get great features, plus peace of mind in the event it breaks with the optional insurance coverage.
