The online security mistake you’re making right now – and how to fix it

By Kim Komando

May 6, 2020

© Iuliia Lisitsyna | Dreamstime

If you stay logged in to your online accounts across your devices, you can access what you need quickly. Your username and password are safe if you’re signed into your own devices, right? Wrong.

You might save you a few seconds here and there, but this practice opens you up to being snooped on by a nosy friend, partner or coworker — and it could cause even more trouble if someone you don’t know gets their hands on your device. A cybercriminal can have a field day with your Amazon account, digital wallet, social media accounts or banking info.

That’s why it’s important to keep an eye on what accounts you’re signed into and on what devices. We’ll show you how to do it. Time to say goodbye to this convenient but sloppy security practice.

Facebook

How to log out of Facebook from your desktop:

1. Go Facebook.com. Click on your account, then select the Security and login option. You’ll get a list of the devices your Facebook account is currently logged into.
2. Click the three dots on the righthand side of the screen. Select the items on the list, one by one, to log out of Facebook on each device.
3. You can also log out of all sessions at once. To do this, scroll to the bottom of the list and select Log out of all sessions. You’ll be logged out on every day that was signed in — including the one you’re using to log out. Make sure you finish any posts you were working on before you click it.

Say goodbye for good: Tap or click here to find out how to easily delete unwanted online accounts.

How to log out of Facebook from the Android or iOS app

1. Open the Facebook app on your Android or Apple smartphone.
2. Click the Menu button. Hint: To find this, look for the three lines at either the top right on your Android or the bottom right on your iPhone.
3. Click Settings & privacy > Settings > Security and login, which will give you the option to logout.

Twitter

How to log out of Twitter on your desktop

1. Go to Twitter.com on your desktop and click Settings.
2. Click on Data and permissions > Apps and sessions. This will pull up a list of devices you’re logged into.
3. Choose the device one at a time and click Log out of device shown.
4. Or you can click Log out all other sessions to sign out of every device.

How to log out of Twitter on the Android or iOS app

1. Open the Twitter app on your phone or tablet and tap on your account on the top left of the screen.
2. From there, click on Settings and privacy > Account > Apps and sessions. This will bring up a list of the devices your account is logged into.
3. Log out of each device.

Instagram

How to log out of Instagram on your desktop

1. Log in to your Instagram.com account on the web and click on your account.
2. Scroll down to the Login activity page and look over the devices your account is logged in on. Choose the ones you want to sign out of, click on the name of each device, then click Log out.

How to log out of Instagram on your Android or iOS app

1. Click on the Instagram app on your phone and tap the Profile option at the bottom right.
2. Click Menu > Settings and security > Login activity. This will give you a list of devices your account is logged in on.
3. Choose the ones you want to log out of and click Log out.

Google

To log out of Google from your computer

1. Go to your Google account homepage. You should see a link to your account in the upper righthand corner of the screen. Click on your account and scroll down to the option to Manage your Google account.
2. You should see a Security option on the lefthand side of the screen. Click Security > Your Devices.
3. Select Manage Devices, which will give you a list of all of the places and devices your account is logged in to. This includes locations and information on the last time your account was used in that location or by that device.
4. To sign out, click the Menu button (three dots) next to each entry, then click Sign out.

Learn something new: Tap or click here to find out Google’s most useful security settings

To log out of Google from Android

1. In the Android Google app, tap your account avatar and choose Manage your Google Account.
2. Tap the menu at the bottom right and select Security. You’ll see what devices are logged in.
3. Choose the devices you’d like to log out of and click Sign out.

To log out of Google from iOS

1. Open the Google app on your iPhone or iPad and tap your account avatar.
2. Tap Manage your Google account > Sign-in & security > Log out on the devices you want to log out of.

Apple ID

To log out of Apple ID from your desktop

1. Visit appleid.apple.com on your computer and scroll down to Devices to bring up a list of the Apple gadgets using your Apple ID.
2. Find the devices you want to log out of and click on them. Choose Remove from account.

To log out of Apple ID from your iPhone or iPad

1. Open Settings on your phone or iPad and click on your name, located at the top of the screen. This will bring up a list of devices your Apple ID is logged into.
2. Find the devices you want to sign out of and click Remove from account.

Microsoft

Note: This can only be done via a computer.

1. Visit the Microsoft account page on the web and choose Devices. This will pull up a list of devices you’re currently logged into.
2. Find the ones you want to log out of and click Show details > Manage > Remove or unlink. Log out of the devices one by one.

Amazon

To log out of Amazon from your desktop

1. Go to Amazon.com and click on your account.
2. Choose Digital content and devices > Manage content and devices > Devices to pull up a list of devices you’re logged in on.
3. Find the devices you want to log out of and click the Menu button next to each one.
4. Choose Deregister to log out.

To log out using the Amazon app

1. Open the Amazon app on your smartphone or tablet.
2. Click on the Menu button > Your account > Manage content and devices > Login and security to pull up a list of devices you’re logged into.
3. Choose the devices you want to log out of.

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s a good place to start. It’s important to make sure you’re logged out of all of your accounts — including streaming services like Hulu, Spotify or Netflix. Protect your accounts from being used by people who shouldn’t.

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Tags: accounts, Amazon, Apple, Apple iPhone, banks/banking, cybercriminal, devices, digital wallet, Facebook, Google, Instagram, online security, security, smartphones, social media, tablet, X (Twitter)