Google Account Access: Sites & Apps Permissions
Reviewing Your Google Account Permissions
During a routine security assessment of accounts associated with the HTG platform, an intriguing observation was made. Within your Google account settings, a comprehensive list of all websites and applications granted access is maintained. This list may reveal unexpected entries, prompting a necessary review.
Granting access to applications or websites, or portions of your Google account, is often a legitimate and necessary practice. Logging into external sites using your Google credentials will naturally appear on this list.
Understanding Account Access
If you utilize an Android smartphone, it inherently possesses full access to your account. Similarly, any Google application across various platforms that stores your login information requires access, which is reflected in the permissions list.
The intention of this article is not to induce alarm. However, maintaining awareness of what has access to your account is a crucial security measure.
How to Check Your Google Account Access
- Navigate to your Google Account settings.
- Select the “Security” tab.
- Scroll down to the “Third-party apps with account access” section.
- Review the list carefully, identifying any unfamiliar or unwanted applications.
Regularly reviewing these permissions allows you to revoke access from applications you no longer use or do not recognize. This proactive step enhances the overall security of your Google Account.
It’s important to remember that granting access simplifies the login process, but it also introduces potential security risks. Therefore, diligent monitoring and management of these permissions are highly recommended.
Reviewing Google Account Access Permissions
A direct route to managing your account permissions is available by entering the following URL into your browser's address bar; this will display a comprehensive list of permissions granted to various applications and websites. However, as a security best practice, it is advisable to manually type the address rather than clicking on links to your account settings.
https://security.google.com/settings/security/permissions
Alternatively, you can navigate to this section through a Google service. Begin by opening any Google website and selecting your profile picture or icon. This will reveal an "Account" link.
From there, select the "Security" tab. Should Google update its interface, locate the Security section within your settings. Within this section, you’ll find "Account Permissions," which provides control over application and website access to your Google account. Select "View All" to access the complete list.
The presented list is straightforward. Clicking on any entry reveals the specific permissions granted. If you wish to remove an application, simply click the "Revoke access" button. Pay close attention to any apps possessing "full access to your Google Account," as the majority should not have this level of privilege.
If you utilize your Google account for login purposes on other sites, such as Feedly, confirm that these applications only request "access to basic account info." This limited access only verifies the existence of your account without granting access to your personal data or files.