How to see and remove third-party app access to your Google, Apple or Facebook account

Tapping "Sign in with Google" when you register somewhere is the fast option: no new password to invent, no email address to type. But that single tap creates a link, and the link stays until you remove it. Look at your permission list years later and you may find dozens of apps whose names mean nothing to you. Some know only your name and email address; others still hold permission to read your contacts, your calendar or the files in your cloud drive.

This guide walks through all three main doors: the connections page in your Google Account, the "Sign in with Apple" list in your Apple Account, and the app permissions in Facebook. It also explains the distinction that matters most: revoking a permission sometimes only cuts a data flow, and sometimes closes your only way into a site. To avoid mixing the two up, there is one small preparation step to do first.

1. List the accounts you use as a sign-in door Before you clean anything, write three lines on paper or in a notes app: Google, Apple, Facebook. Search your inbox for "welcome" and "your account has been created" messages; those usually reveal which door you used for which site. This list is what answers the later question: if I remove this, what can I no longer get into?
2. Open Google's connections page In your browser go to myaccount.google.com/linkedapps and sign in to your Google Account. You will see the list of third-party apps and services connected to your account. Read it from top to bottom and mark the names you do not recognise; where dates are shown, the oldest connections are usually the most pointless ones.
3. Tell the connection types apart: sign-in or access? Google groups these links under three headings. "Sign in with Google" means you use your Google account to log in to that app. "Access to your Google Account" means the app was granted permission to your data, such as Drive, Calendar or Contacts. "Linked account" means the two accounts are tied to each other. Do not remove anything before you know which type it is; the outcome differs.
4. Set your own password on the site before removing anything Skip this step and you will be locked out. An account you opened only with "Sign in with Google" has no password that you know. Go to that site's own login screen first, use the "Forgot password" link or set a password in its account settings, and confirm that the email address on file is one you can actually reach. Once you hold a password, revoking the permission becomes safe.
5. Delete the link or remove access in Google Pick the app from the list and open "See details". If it is only a sign-in link, use "Stop using Sign in with Google"; if it holds data permission, use "Remove access"; if it is a linked account, use "Delete link", then confirm. Google's own wording is clear: deleting a link does not delete your data in the app, it only stops automatic sign-in and access.
6. Open the "Sign in with Apple" list on the Apple side On iPhone or iPad open the Settings app, tap your name at the top and go into "Sign in with Apple". On a Mac follow Apple menu → System Settings → your name → "Sign in with Apple". If you are working from a computer you can also go to account.apple.com and use the "Sign in with Apple" section under "Sign-In & Security". The list shows the apps you have signed in to with your Apple Account.
7. Remove the Apple link for apps you no longer want Tap the app in the list, then use the delete option and confirm. Once the link is gone you are signed out of that app immediately; next time you open it you will either sign in with your Apple Account again or create a separate account. One Apple note matters here: if a developer publishes several apps, removing the link applies to all apps from that developer.
8. Review Apple's hidden forwarding address If you used "Hide My Email" while signing in with Apple, that app sees a random @privaterelay.appleid.com address instead of your real one, and its messages are forwarded to your inbox. You can view those addresses under Settings → your name → iCloud → iCloud+ Features → "Hide My Email". When you cut an app's link, you can deactivate the now-useless forwarding address from the same place.
9. Clean up app and website permissions in Facebook In Facebook click your profile photo at the top right, follow "Settings & privacy" → "Settings", and open "Apps and websites" from the left menu. Use "View and edit" next to an active app to see what information you share with it, and press "Remove" to take it off the list entirely, confirming once more in the dialog. After removal the app can see only your publicly available information.
10. Close the account itself, then set a reminder Revoking a permission does not delete your account on that site; the data stays on their side. If there is a service you genuinely want to be rid of, send an account deletion request in that site's own settings too. Then put a yearly reminder in your calendar to review these three lists; while you are there, also check the "devices where you are signed in" section of each account.

⚠ This guide is general information. Yudum cannot be held responsible for the outcome of following it; for official procedures always rely on the institution's own statement. Steps and fees change over time.

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