How to run a Google Account Security checkup from your Android phone
Review devices, recent activity, saved passwords and recovery options in your Google account, and fix weak spots in about ten minutes.
Your Google account holds your Play Store, Gmail, backups and often your Find My Device. If someone gets in, many other accounts fall too. Google has a Security checkup page that lists problems in one place, with a plain fix for each. Menu names differ slightly on Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, Realme and OnePlus phones.
Steps
- Open your Google account. Open Settings and search for Google, then tap Manage your Google Account, or open the Google app and tap your profile picture. Then open the Security tab.
- Start the Security checkup. Look for Security checkup or Recommended actions. It lists issues such as a missing recovery phone, weak sign-in and old devices. Work through each item shown to you.
- Review devices signed in. Open Your devices and look at each phone, tablet or computer. Sign out any you do not recognise or no longer use. Do the same for third-party apps with account access.
- Update recovery details. Check that the recovery phone number and recovery email are yours and current. These are how you get back in. Remove any you do not recognise, because they could be an attacker's.
- Turn on stronger sign-in. Turn on 2-Step Verification and add a passkey if offered. Also check Recent security activity for sign-ins you do not recognise, and change your password if anything looks wrong.
Menu names differ a little between phone makers and Android versions. If you cannot find a setting, open Settings and use the search box.
Why it matters
A hacked Google account can reset passwords for other apps, read your email and wipe or lock your phone from Find My Device. Many account takeovers happen because of an old recovery number or a forgotten device. A ten minute checkup now is far easier than recovering a stolen account later.
Watch out for
- Only use the checkup from Settings or the official Google app, not a link in a message.
- Never share a Google verification code with anyone.
- An email saying your account is locked and asking you to sign in is often a trap.
- If you change your password, sign out other devices as well.
How Safeavio helps
Safeavio's password-exposure check shows only the date and a rough result when you test a password. Link check helps you look at a sign-in link before you open it, and Scam check explains a worrying message you paste. It does not log in to or change your Google account.
Check it before you tap or pay
Safeavio Sentinel is a made-in-India Android app: paste a message or link, or scan a QR code, and get a plain verdict with the reasons. It helps you spot a scam; it does not promise to stop every one.
Download for AndroidWhat the app does
Google Play listing: coming soon. Today the signed APK is on safeavio.com/download. Android 7.0 or later.
Questions
How often should I run the Security checkup?
Every few months, and after losing a phone or sharing your password. It takes only minutes and shows new devices and sign-ins you may have forgotten.
What if I see a device I do not know?
Sign it out, change your password, and review recovery details. Then check Gmail for forwarding rules and recent activity. If money is involved, call 1930 quickly.