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Don't put your data at risk – see which apps can access your Apple or Google account
Apps you connected years ago may still be able to access personal information such as your email address, photos, files or contacts
With over a decade of experience at Which?, Tom covers everything from tech advice to money-saving tips, and highlights the best deals during major sales events.
Many of us use ‘Continue with Google’ or ‘Sign in with Apple’ without thinking twice. It’s fast, convenient and means one less password to remember.
However, over time you can end up with a surprising number of apps linked to your accounts. Some will still have access to information such as your email address, calendar, cloud storage or contacts. If any one of those services suffers a data breach, your information could be caught up in it – even if you haven't opened the app in years.
Reviewing these permissions regularly can help you remove apps you no longer use, cut down on unnecessary data sharing and spot unfamiliar services. Below, we explain how to check which apps can access your Apple or Google accounts.
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Check apps connected to your Google account
Some apps use Google only to speed up sign-ins. Others may have broader permissions, such as access to your Google Drive files, calendar, contacts or Gmail.
Remember: an app that can only read your email address is low risk. An app with access to your Gmail inbox or Google Drive files is a much bigger deal – it could potentially read your emails or access documents you've stored in the cloud.
Google lets you review and update these third-party connections from your Google Account settings. It also advises checking what information an app wants to access before granting permission.
To review apps connected to your Google account, try this:
- Sign in to your Google account by visiting myaccount.google.com.
- Select Security and sign-in from the menu.
- Scroll down to Your connections to third-party apps and services, then choose See all connections.
You’ll now see a list of apps and websites connected to your Google account. This page also lets you filter connections by the type of access they have.
Use the Access to filter to quickly identify any apps with access to sensitive services like Gmail, Google Drive or your Contacts. If you want to remove an app, select it from the list and choose Delete all connections or Remove access, depending on the option shown.
Removing access stops the app from signing in through your Google account and prevents it from accessing your Google data in future.
While you’re on the myaccount.google.com hub, it’s worth checking a few other security and privacy settings, too.
- We recommend enabling the 2-Step Verification option to add an extra layer of security to your Google account.
- You should also check the Your devices section to review which phones, tablets and computers are currently signed in to your account and remove any you no longer use or recognise.
For more security tips, see our guide on 10 things every smartphone owner should do to keep their data safe.
Check apps connected to your Apple account
Apple's Sign in with Apple feature is designed to give you more control over the information you share with apps and websites. But, over time, you can still build up a long list of connected services that you no longer use.
Unlike Google, Apple limits what third-party apps can access through Sign in with Apple – at sign-in, they can request only your name and email address. That makes it lower risk than Google by default, but it's still worth reviewing, particularly to spot apps you no longer use or don't recognise.
Apple lets you review and manage these app connections directly from your Apple account settings on an iPhone, iPad or Mac.
To review apps connected to your Apple account on an iPhone or iPad, try this:
- Open the Settings app, then tap your name.
- Tap Sign in with Apple for a list of all apps and websites connected to your account.
- Tap any app to see what information was originally shared with it.
- If you no longer use an app, tap Delete and follow the on-screen steps to confirm. This signs you out of the app on your device.
To review apps connected to your Apple account on a Mac, try this:
- Choose the Apple menu, then click System Settings.
- Click your name, then click Sign in with Apple. You'll see a list of all apps and websites connected to your account.
- Select any app to see what information was originally shared with it.
- If you no longer use an app, select it and click Delete. This signs you out of the app.
While you're in your Apple account settings, it's worth reviewing a few other security features.
Check the Devices section to make sure every signed-in iPhone, iPad and Mac belongs to you – if you spot anything unfamiliar, remove it immediately. You should also confirm that two-factor authentication is enabled on your account. Most accounts will already have it switched on, but it's worth a quick check.
Why removing old app access matters
You don't need to remove every connected app. Focus first on services you no longer use, don't recognise or no longer trust.
The risk isn't just about what apps can access right now. Even if you stopped using a service years ago, the company behind it might still hold personal data it collected when your account was connected. If that company is involved in a data breach, your information could be caught up in it long after you've forgotten the app existed.
Keeping connections tidy also makes it easier to spot something genuinely suspicious. The more unused apps are listed, the harder it is to notice one that shouldn't be there.
As a general rule, it's worth doing a quick review every three to six months, and always after hearing about a major data breach involving a service you use. To get you started, check out 10 smartphone apps you need to secure right away.
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