5 Ways to Secure Your Google Account

Are you worried that your personal data might be at risk with your Google account? Are you concerned that Google isn't doing enough to keep you safe?

What if I told you that your security on Google is largely in your hands? Google has a lot of security tools, but it's all about the settings you choose to use and how often you review them.

Let's explore how you can take control and make your Google account as secure as it can be.

Google has many security features. Here are a few basic ones to get you started.

Find the security settings by clicking your photo, click Manage Account, and then choose Security. 

#1 Recovery Email & Phone

The first thing you should do is always add a recovery email and phone number In case you get locked out or forget your password, it will send you an email to a different email account so you can recover your password and or text you a code to your phone.

#2 - 2-Factor Authentication

Next, turn on two-factor authentication. I know all those codes coming to your phone are a pain, but that is part of what keeps your account secure so that nobody else can log in.

#3 Logout

Third, because you can be logged into your account on multiple devices, if you are still logged in somewhere else, that becomes a problem and a security risk.

Within Google's Security panel, you can see all the other devices on which you are logged in. And from that panel, you can actually log out of your account on all those other devices, if you wish.

#4 - Don't Share Passwords; Delegate Access Instead

After all of the previous tips, please understand that you should not share your password with somebody else, like an assistant or a spouse. Instead, you can Delegate your Inbox to that person. In Gmail Settings, under Accounts, you can choose to Grant Access to your account, only to somebody that you trust, and that only allows them access to your email, not all of your other apps like Drive and Calendar.

#5 - Inactive Account Manager

Lastly, there is such a thing as an Inactive Account Manager, which you can access at myaccount.google.com/inactive. Sometimes we make things so secure that others don't have access when we're gone. The purpose of the Inactive Account Manager is to notify you and, or some other people that you trust when your account has been inactive for a certain number of months.

If you are injured or pass away suddenly, a relative or estate manager will likely need access to your email and drive files for important information, emails, bills, and recovery codes for other online accounts. Therefore, it is important that you add someone else to notify when you are unable to access your account yourself.

In this Inactive Account Manager, you can decide when Google should consider your account inactive - after how many months. You can choose who to notify and which apps to share. And you can decide if you're inactive account should be deleted after three months.

REVIEW

To review, the five ways to make your account more secure are: add a recovery email and phone number, turn on two-factor authentication, log out of your account on all devices that you are not using, instead of sharing your email account with somebody, use delegate your inbox, and set up your Inactive Account Manager for when you are unable to access your account yourself.

If you want to learn more Gmail tips and tricks, register for one of my Google Core Apps Classes. If you have other questions about your Gmail or Google Workspace account, contact me for a Clarity Call to discuss how I can help you best. I look forward to helping you succeed.