We Know that It’s important to sign out of Chrome and other programs, like Gmail, when using a public computer or even a friend or family member’s since the browser stores an array of private information which can include credit card numbers, passwords, browsing history, and more.
You might also want to log out of Chrome before letting someone else borrow your device since the autofill on the browser search bar can also be revealing, showing your search history. Just type “what is” into your search bar and see what it fills in (it’s likely to be at least a little embarrassing).
Finally, since you can log into multiple devices at once, it’s good to do an audit of where you’re signed in, such as an old work computer or a device you no longer own.
Here’s how to sign out of Chrome whether you have access to the device or not.
You can sign out of your Google Account from Chrome.
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- At the top right, click Profile
Sign out.
If you have sync turned on, you can turn it off. This will also sign you out of your Google Account services, like Gmail.
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- At the top right, click Profile
- Under “People,” click Turn off
Note: If you turned sync on in Chrome and sign out of a Google service, like Gmail, you’ll also be signed out of Chrome. This will pause sync until you sign back in with the same account.
Turn off Chrome sign-in
When you sign in to your Google Account, through a service like Gmail, you’ll be automatically signed in to Chrome. If you don’t want to ever sign in to Chrome or turn sync on, you can change your settings.
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- At the top right, click More
- Under “Privacy and security,” turn off Allow Chrome sign-in.
- If you turned sync on in Chrome, turning off this setting will also turn off sync.
Sign out remotely
You can remove your account from one of your devices, even if you don’t have that device with you. You’ll be signed out from any computer you’ve used before, including the one you’re using now.
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- Go to your Google Account to manage apps with access to your account.
- Under “Google apps,” click Google Chrome
