How Do I Get To My Google Account Settings

How To

How to Manage Gmail and Google Security and Privacy Settings

Posted on March 11th, 2022 by

Lots of people use Gmail for their email, either using Google's website in a web browser, or through an email client. You may use an @gmail address, or you lot may accept a domain hosted on Google's G Suite. When you use Google for your email—too equally for search, maps, and more—in that location are a number of security and privacy options y'all tin ready.

Google has a full set of tools yous can use to check and tweak your security settings, for both Gmail and for the remainder of its services. In this article, you lot will find how to run a Google Security Checkup, a Privacy Checkup, and how to tweak Google'south settings, so your account is secure.

Begin past going to myaccount.google.com, where you lot tin can manage many of the settings for your Google account. You'll see several sections on this page, one for Privacy & Personalization, one for Security Checkup (Nosotros keep your account protected), ane for Business relationship storage, and ane that offers to let you lot Have the Privacy Check-upwardly (Privacy suggestions available). And there are additional options in the sidebar, such as your Personal Info, Data & Personalization, Security, People & Sharing, and Payments & Subscriptions.

Google Security Checkup

Starting time with the Security Checkup, in the Nosotros keep your account protected section (this may display Security issues establish, if there are issues you need to bank check). Click Get Started in that section, sign into your account, and follow the instructions. In that location are v items in this checklist to run through.

Your devices

You tin can cheque all your signed-in devices. These are computers, tablets, and smartphones that have logged into your Google business relationship. If y'all've recently sold or given away a device, information technology's a good idea to remove it from the list. Or if y'all see an unfamiliar device in the list, y'all should remove it. Click the 3-dot carte du jour and cull Sign Out. If yous need more information, click Don't recognize a device? and follow the instructions.

Recent security events

Yous tin can now run across recent security events. This tells you when you lot logged into your account from dissimilar devices, and lists whatsoever changes yous've made, such as to your password, or to your recovery telephone number or email address. If annihilation looks suspicious, click Don't recognize an result? and follow the instructions.

2-Footstep Verification

The side by side department is for two-Step Verification. We've discussed two-step verification for a number of services, such every bit Amazon and iCloud. Google offers a similar characteristic, which protects your email and the rest of your Google account. It's a proficient thought to set information technology up if you lot oasis't already. If y'all have already gear up 2-Step Verification, you'll see your phone numbers here, and you'll also see if you take ready an authenticator app to create one-fourth dimension codes. If not, yous can turn on 2-Step Verification. (Run across this Google page for instructions on how to turn this on.) Nosotros've likewise looked at using a hardware security key to add actress protection to your account; Google has settings for this, which we explicate in this commodity.

Gmail settings

In the Gmail settings department, you'll see addresses that you lot have blocked, and you lot may see information well-nigh the fact that your name shows on your emails (rather than merely the @gmail accost), if you accept automatic forwarding on, or other features. Only almost of the settings for your Gmail account are accessible from within the account. Come across beneath for more on Gmail settings.

If yous return to the chief account page, you can access other settings in the sidebar.

Your saved passwords

This department tells yous how many passwords yous've saved, for sites and apps, and offers to do a Password Checkup. This latter feature is useful to come across if you've been reusing passwords, or if any of your passwords are weak.

Personal info

This section is where you lot update data about yourself, such equally your name, date of birth, and countersign; this is information that is visible to others in your Google profile. (Edit what is visible in the Choose what others see section at the bottom of the page.) You can edit your contact info – alternate electronic mail addresses, a recovery e-mail address, and others. You tin besides edit and verify a phone number that you use for two-factor hallmark.

Data & personalization

This section offers a number of options. You can Have the Privacy Checkup, which walks you through a number of settings about how much of your data is stored and/or shared. This covers your "Google experience," YouTube, Google Photos, information that others can see, and ad preferences.

One option available here is to enable automobile-deletion of your location history, which you lot may want to do if you lot use Google Maps.

In the Personalize your Google experience section, you lot can turn on or off the recording of certain types of information such as Web & App Activity, Location History, Device Information, Vox & Audio activity, and YouTube Lookout man History. You can so manage what you share on YouTube, command what others come across nearly you, and more.

Security

In the Security section, you'll see some settings that also show upwards in the Google Security Checkup, described above. Only there is also a Signing in to other sites department, which lists any websites where you gave signed in with your Google account. Information technology'southward a good idea to check these. The Password Managing director section lists passwords that you have stored in Google Chrome; these are contained of whatever third-political party password manager you may use. And Linked Accounts are ones where you lot accept given Google access to your information from third-party sites. Bank check those, if there are any.

People & sharing

This section gives you access to your contacts, if you are using an Android device or Chromebook, and also lets you manage location sharing and lets you cull what others see most you (which are also bachelor in the Personalize your Google experience section discussed higher up).

Payments & subscriptions

This department covers payment information, purchases, subscriptions, and reservations that you have paid for with Google Pay. If you don't use Google Pay, you won't take any data here. However, I found that I had an old, expired credit card in the Payment methods section; I don't recall ever using it, and it had expired 2 years ago, only I deleted it anyhow.

Gmail security tips

The Gmail Security tips page gives yous some communication on securing your Gmail account. The commencement step sends you to the Google Security Checkup discussed to a higher place. The second pace is a number of security tips specific to a calculator, an Android device, or an iPhone or iPad. It includes items such as creating a strong password, checking your Gmail settings (see below), updating your browser, and reporting scams, spam, and phishing.

Gmail settings

To check settings for your Gmail account, log into that business relationship. Higher up your inbox, to the right, you'll see a gear icon. Click this, so click Come across all Settings. This folio has a number of tabs, and dozens of individual settings. Almost of these affect the way Gmail displays, how it handles dissimilar types of messages, any filtered or blocked addresses, and more. If yous become to the Accounts tab, then the Google Business relationship Settings, this takes you back to the main folio where we started this commodity.

It's a proficient idea to go through all of these security and privacy checks from time to fourth dimension. Fifty-fifty if you only apply Gmail, you still demand to check your overall Google account settings to make sure your information is secure and your identity is protected. Google makes information technology fairly easy to manage security on your account, every bit long as you know where to look, just they also modify the layout and scope of the settings from time to time, so if y'all haven't checked them in a while, this would exist a good time to exercise so.

How can I larn more than?

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About Kirk McElhearn

Kirk McElhearn writes about Apple products and more on his blog Kirkville. He is co-host of the Intego Mac Podcast, as well as several other podcasts, and is a regular contributor to The Mac Security Blog, TidBITS, and several other websites and publications. Kirk has written more than two dozen books, including Take Control books about Apple tree's media apps, Scrivener, and LaunchBar. Follow him on Twitter at @mcelhearn. View all posts by Kirk McElhearn →