Tech Guide

Here's how to see which apps have access to your Google info — and cut them off

Key Points
  • Third party apps can get access to your Google account info.
  • We'll show you what they can get and how to cut off access to those apps.
Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google
Denis Balibouse | Reuters

You may have seen apps and websites that offer a simple "Sign in with Google" option. Selecting it often gives those apps, websites and Chrome plug-ins access to your private information including your name, gender, e-mail address and the country you live in.

You may have long forgotten which ones you granted permission to, so it's time for you to check.

Here's how to see apps that can tap into your Google info

:

  • Navigate to https://myaccount.google.com/ on the desktop. On mobile, open the Google app and tap "Settings" then"My Account."
  • Click on "Apps with account access" under "Sign-in & security" on the Desktop. If you're on a phone, click "Sign-in & security" and scroll to "Apps with access to your account."
  • Sign in to your Google account.
  • Click "Manage Apps"

You'll see a list of "third-party apps" and "Google apps" that looks like this:

Click on any app to see more information about what they collect.

If an app says it has "full account access" that means it can view and make changes to nearly everything but Google Pay and your password. When Pokemon Go first launched it required full account access, for example.

Some might surprise you: I found an app named Wavebox still has access to my account info even though I haven't used it since I tested a free trial last June. It still has access to my mail, contacts, and calendar on top of my basic account info.

Here's how to remove their access:

  • Click on the App you'd like to remove.
  • A blue "Remove Access" button will appear.
  • Click that and a pop-up will ask you to confirm the removal.
  • Click "OK" to remove it.

That's it. Now you've regained control over the apps that have access to your account and stopped old ones from getting your info.