Alex Ruben
How To Delete Old Devices from Your Google Account
Managing your Google account sometimes feels like herding cats — especially if you’ve got devices scattered everywhere. Maybe you bought a new phone, or just forgot about an old tablet hanging around. Whatever the reason, it’s kinda necessary to clean house every once in a while. Leaving old devices linked can be a security risk, especially if someone else gets a hold of them or if you no longer use them. This walk-through should make the process less annoying, and hopefully, you’ll get rid of all those inactive gadgets clogging your account.
How to Fix Old Devices Still Showing Up in Your Google Account
Ensure you’re prepared: what you’ll need
- A computer, tablet, or smartphone with internet access — whatever works for you
- Your Google login info (email + password, yes, that old combo)
- A decent browser — Chrome is what I use, but honestly, Firefox or Edge work fine
Not much fuss here, but make sure your credentials are handy. Sometimes, these devices hang around because of “ghost” sessions lingering, so it’s good to be able to log into the real deal.
Accessing your Google Account
Open a browser and go straight to https://myaccount.google.com. Log in if you’re prompted. If you’re on mobile, using Chrome’s desktop mode or the Google app works too, but the web version is smoother for managing devices. Sometimes, it’s weird, but resetting your password or logging out on other devices beforehand can make the process more reliable.
Navigate to the security settings
Once inside, find the sidebar — it’s usually on the left — and click on Security. This is like the control room for your Google safety stuff. Scroll down a bit, and look for a section called Your devices. On some setups, you’ll see a button or link called Manage all devices. Click that. If it’s not there, double-check you’re logged in with the right account.
Review and sign out of unwanted devices
This part’s kind of frustrating because Google sometimes shows devices you forgot about. They might still be showing up if they’re old, unused, or even if you’re logged into Chrome on a device you no longer have. Look for the device that’s no longer yours or that you just don’t recognize. Clicking on the device will bring up options — one of which is Sign out. Hit that button. It’s basically telling Google, “Yeah, I don’t want that device anymore.”
On some machines, this fails the first time, or you get a weird delay. Just try again, or refresh the page. Also, some older devices might not be listed if they’ve already been cleaned up or if they’re offline.
Verify everything’s cleaned up
After signing out, go back to the Your devices section to check if the device is gone. If still there, refresh and try again. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of waiting a few minutes. Also, don’t forget to sign out of other browsers or apps on those devices, or they might still access your account.
Oh, and if there’s a device you really can’t access anymore — like a lost phone — consider changing your Google password. That should force a logout on all devices, including ones you can’t get to anymore. Because of course, Google has to make it harder than necessary sometimes.
Extra tips & common hiccups to watch for
- Review your linked devices often, especially after big purchases or if you start noticing odd activity.
- If a device is stubborn and doesn’t sign out, changing your password usually kicks it off everyone and everything.
- Some devices might show “inactive” but still remain listed — no need to panic, just make sure you’re aware of what’s safe to remove.
Wrap-up
Getting rid of old devices from your Google account isn’t exactly a walk in the park every time, but it’s worth the effort for peace of mind. Just keep tabs on the devices, do a quick review every few months, and you’ll hopefully keep unwanted visitors out of your digital space. And yeah, sometimes signing out is a little funky, but with patience, it works.
Summary
- Visit https://myaccount.google.com and go to Security
- Click on Manage all devices
- Select unwanted devices and click Sign out
- Confirm cleanup by refreshing the device list
- Change your password if needed to force logouts on stubborn devices
Fingers crossed this helps
Hope this shaves off a few hours searching for solutions. Managing devices can be a pain, but once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty straightforward. Good luck cleaning your account, and remember: regular checkups keep everything safer.