Guide to securing your Google account

1. Go to myaccount.google.com in your browser.
2. If asked, enter your google username and password. Yourusername is the first part of your email before @gmail.com.

You can also log on through an android device. Open the Settings app, then tap Google, and manage your Google account.

Learn more about access logs.

1. Choose Security from the menu.
2. Find Your Devices and review the devices logged into your account.
3. Remove any unwanted devices.Caution

1. Choose Security from the menu.
2. In Signing in to Google choosePassword.
3. Verify your old password, and then set a new, strong password.Caution

You can also use Google’s security checkup tool. This might also say “Critical security issues found” or “We keep your account protected.”

1. Complete the previous step before setting up two-step verification, as other devices signed in to the account will receive notifications each time you sign in. Learn more about two-step verification.
2. Choose Security from the menu.
3. In Signing in to Google choose 2-Step Verification.
4. Verify your password.
5. Choose how you want to set up two-step verification. The most common choice is your phone, but you can also choose a text message or phone call, or a security fob (less common).
6. Choose a backup option. If you used your phone for two-step verification, the backup would be a text message or phone call. You can also use one-time backup codes which you’ll have to save somewhere safely.

1. Choose Security from the menu.
2. Go to Ways we can verify it’s you.
3. Review the recovery emails and phone numbers listed. Make sure the information is correct and remove any unwanted emails or phone numbers.
4. Next, choose Personal Info from the menu.
5. Review the emails and phone numbers listed in Contact Info. Make sure the information is correct and remove any unwanted emails or phone numbers.

1. Go to People and Sharing.
2. Go to Location Sharing and review any contacts who can see your location. Remove any unwanted sharing. You can also temporarily pause sharing your location.
3. You may also want to turn off Find my phone. In your phone / device’s Settings app, tap Google then tap Security, and then Find my device. Tap the slider until it is on the ‘off’ position.Caution

1. Choose People and Sharing from the menu.
2. Go to Your family on Google and review who is in your family group.
3. If you are the Family Manager, you can remove members. If you are the member of a family group, you can leave the group.Caution

Family link allows someone set up as a “parent” to manage members who are set up as “children.” This includes resetting passwords, blocking emails, limiting websites, and more. It does not automatically give access to emails, location, and web or YouTube history. Anyone who has the password for the “child” account can access that information.

1. Choose Data and personalization from the menu.
2. Go to Activity controls to review your history settings for location, web & app activity, and YouTube viewing history.
3. You can pause or turn each of these on or off, and you can review and delete selected items or set the history to automatically delete after a set time.Caution

You can also use Google’s privacy checkup tool, which might say “Privacy suggestions available.”

1. Choose Personal info from the menu.
2. Go to Choose what others see and review what information is visible to anyone, or just to you. Adjust any items to increase your privacy.