As a Gmail user, you can easily access emails via a web browser or mobile app. It’s also possible to remove access to your Gmail account from your phone. In this guide, we show how to sign out of Gmail on your phone, with photos to help you along!
Sign out of Gmail to keep your emails secure
Accessing your email on your smartphone is extremely convenient, especially if you want to stay in touch when away from your desk. However, leaving your email on your phone is not always safe or appropriate.
With Gmail open on your phone, personal or work email notifications and content are never far away from prying eyes or hackers. Anyone handling your phone may send emails inadvertently. Signing out of Gmail promptly keeps your electronic communications secure and under your control.
How to sign out of Gmail on a phone
If you’re reading this, you wondering whether you can completely sign out of Gmail on your smartphone. Yes, you can. You can log out from your web browser or the Gmail app. We’ll also show you how to sign yourself out of your Gmail account remotely, which will log you out of all devices. Just follow the step-by-step instructions and photos.
Sign out of Gmail on your phone browser
If you log into a Gmail account on your smartphone’s web browser, logging out is simple and similar to signing out on your desktop computer. This method works for Android and iPhones. Follow the steps below:
1. Navigate to the Gmail tab in your browser
Android phones often keep you signed in to Gmail on your browser, especially if you use Chrome. Just tap on your browser and navigate to Gmail to open your messages.
2. Tap on the three bars at the top left of the screen
This opens the menu for your Gmail account, with options you would normally see on the left-hand side menu on the desktop version of Gmail. If you have categorized or promotional emails, you’ll find them here.
3. Tap on the box with your email address on it at the top center of your screen
This button will take you to the page where you can switch Gmail accounts or log out of your email account.
4. Tap on Sign out to sign out of Gmail
Tapping the Sign out button signs you out of one or all your open Gmail accounts in the browser. You can no longer switch accounts. If you want to access your email again, you will have to open each account.
How to sign out of the Gmail app on your smartphone
Signing out of Gmail on your Android phone is a little more complicated as the emails are hardwired to your phone account. To sign out of Gmail, you must sign out of your Google account on the phone. Here’s how to do it:
1. Click on the Settings button among your Android phone apps
You can control the Google accounts on your phone via its settings. The easiest way to get to the settings menu is via the Settings app button. Tap it to view your options.
2. In settings, scroll down to the Users & accounts tab
This enables you to access the Google accounts set on your phone to sign out of one or all of them. Tap on this tap to see the Google accounts on your smartphone.
3. Tap on the account you want to sign out off
When you tap on the Google Account, you will get options for logging out. This screen also has some additional settings for data syncing between the devices where you are logged in.
4. On the account page tap on the REMOVE ACCOUNT tab
Tapping on the REMOVE ACCOUNT tab will immediately remove the credentials for that Google account from your phone. You will no longer receive or be able to access emails automatically via the Gmail app.
Sign out of Gmail on your phone remotely via your Google Account
You can use your Google Account settings to sign out of Gmail on your smartphone remotely. This is handy if you are away from your phone and world on any device signed into Google. Here are the steps to do this on a desktop computer.
1. Open the Gmail account you want to close on your desktop
Open the Gmail account you want to sign out of on your smartphone on your desktop computer. You can sign out of this account on your mobile without affecting your laptop or other devices.
2. Click on your account icon in the upper right-hand corner of the screen
Click on your account’s photo or the image icon to open up the sub-menu you need to access your Google account settings.
3. Click on the tab that says Manage your Google Account
This opens your Google account with all its options and settings across all the Google products, apps, and services you use. You can also manage essential security and privacy settings and see which devices you are signed in to.
4. In your Google Account, go to the Security tab
This tab is one to remember as it shows you the devices and locations where you are logged in to your Gmail account. If your account is hacked, you’ll see where the culprits are logged in on this page.
5. Click on your Android phone session
If you are signed into Google on an Android phone, you will see it listed in the security section under the Your devices tab. Google records the device type and its last known location so you can confirm where you are logged in. Tap on the smartphone session to sign out of that device.
6. Click on Sign out
Click on the Sign-out button to end your Android phone session. Confirm your choice in the lightbox pop-up that appears to sign out of your Google account on your phone completely.
For a helpful walkthrough of these steps you can also refer to this video:
Rounding up
Signing out of Gmail on your phone is straightforward, but if you want to sign out of the Gmail app, you’ll have to follow the steps to sign out of the Gmail account. Knowing how to sign out of your Google account on devices remotely is extremely useful to ensure your email and data stay secure.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Ascannio/Shutterstock.com.
