I saw that I'd been signed into my google account on my Pixel Tablet... and other than Google Play Store - I didn't want it there... so I removed the account.

Went and checked my Pixel 6 Pro - and sure enough - same thing. So I removed it there also.

WHOOPS... I need to be signed in for Google FI. Or at least Google FI starts screaming at you if you aren't logged in.

Removing my google account from all my google devices created a nasty cycle of issues.
In order to restore my account on my P6P for Google FI - google kept insisting on sending my 2fa approval to my pixel tablet - but since I'd already removed my account there was no way to receive that notification on my tablet.
... so I tried adding my google account on my tablet - but of course you know what is happening! , Google sent my 2FA to my phone - which couldn't receive it because I did not have my google account on my P6P.

Google in its infinite wisdom assumed each device could still authenticate the other and as a result it wouldn't give me any other 2FA choices (e.g.: SMS or call).

I ended up getting my google account setup on my tablet (just kept trying and I'm assuming at some point Google understood the issue? honestly can't say it just worked...)

So this is just a story as an fyi...but there is a question.

Do I actually need my Google FI to be signed in on my P6P to work (or is it just the administrative side that won't work?)...
... the other rub of course is I need my google account signed in to use Google Messages/RCS (which I use with Beeper)...

Don't ya just HATE google? so on my tablet - which doesn't need Google FI and also can't do RCS - I still got rid of my account and just use the Aurora Store for apps (and NEO/Obtanium). However - IF I need some form of authentication for my P6P - then I'll be hopping again.

Any suggestions around these things are very welcome