How to see where your Google account is signed in and sign out of other devices

Quick answer: Go to your Google Account, open Security & sign-in, and under Your devices select Manage all devices. Pick any device or session you don't recognize and choose Sign out. If anything looks wrong, change your password, which signs you out almost everywhere at once.

Password-stealing malware doesn't just grab passwords. It also steals the sessions that keep you signed in, which is why the newly documented VOLTA infostealer, which uses AI to rank its victims, goes after Gmail access to dig through receipts. Checking where your Google account is signed in takes two minutes and is worth doing after any malware scare, lost phone or shared computer. These steps follow Google's own help pages.

Before you start

• You can do this in any browser on a computer, or on a phone. Google's help pages say "Tap" or "click" depending on the device, but the menu names are the same.
• Have your password and 2-Step Verification method handy. Google may ask you to sign in again before showing security settings.
• If you think your PC is infected, run trusted antivirus software first, and consider doing the steps below from a different device.

Step 1: See every device signed in to your account

1. Go to your Google Account (myaccount.google.com).
2. Select Security & sign-in.
3. On the Your devices panel, select Manage all devices. You can also go straight to google.com/devices.
4. Review the list. It shows devices where you're signed in now or have been in the last few weeks. Select a device or session for details such as location and browser.

You may see several sessions for one device. That's normal: Google starts a new session when you sign in on a new browser or app, re-enter your password, grant an app access to your account, or use an incognito window.

Step 2: Sign out of anything you don't recognize

1. On the same Manage all devices page, select the device or session you want to remove.
2. Select Sign out.
3. If several sessions share a device name and you're not sure they're all yours, sign out of all of them.

Do the same for devices that are lost, sold or not yours, like a work or library computer.

Step 3: Check recent security events

1. Go back to Security & sign-in.
2. On the Recent security events panel, select Review security events.
3. If something wasn't you, select No, it wasn't me and follow the on-screen steps. If it was you, select Yes.

Step 4: Change your password if anything looked off

1. In Security & sign-in, find the section How you sign in to Google and select Password. You might need to sign in again.
2. Enter a new password you haven't used with this account, then select Change Password.

Google says changing your password signs you out everywhere except devices you use to verify it's you, some devices with third-party apps you've given account access, and home devices you've linked.

Step 5: Check Gmail for forwarding and odd access

1. On a computer, open Gmail. In the bottom right, click Details to open the Activity on this account page, which lists the last 10 IP addresses and approximate locations that accessed your mail.
2. Click Settings, then See all settings, then the Forwarding and POP/IMAP (or Forwarding) tab.
3. If forwarding is on and you didn't set it up, click Disable forwarding, then Save Changes at the bottom.

Google also recommends removing any filters, labels or mail delegation you didn't create.

Step 6: Remove apps that shouldn't have access

1. Open your Google Account's linked apps page.
2. Select Access to your Google Account, then choose an app.
3. Select See details, then Remove access and Confirm for anything you don't use or recognize.

Troubleshooting

• The "last active" time is more recent than you expect. Google says the time reflects the last communication with its systems, including background sync, so a phone in your drawer can still look active.
• A location is wrong or far away. Google may show a nearby place instead of an exact one, and on a phone your mobile carrier's location can show up far from where you are. Check that the browser and device type match yours.
• A device you factory reset still appears. Google notes that reset devices can still show up. Sign it out.
• You can't sign in at all. Use Google's account recovery page.

FAQ

Does signing out of a device delete anything?
No. It removes that device's or session's access to your account. Google recommends it for devices that are lost, sold or not yours.

Will changing my password sign me out of my own phone?
Not if it's a device you use to verify sign-ins. Google says those stay signed in, along with some third-party apps and home devices.

What if I see a forwarding notice I didn't set up?
Google says to change your password immediately, then turn off forwarding in Gmail's settings.

What else should I turn on?
2-Step Verification. Google says it keeps your account secure even if your password is stolen.

Sources: Google Account Help on devices with account access, securing a compromised account, changing your password and linked apps; Gmail Help on last account activity and forwarding.