How to check which apps have access to your Google or Microsoft account

The short answer: both Google and Microsoft provide a dedicated dashboard in your account security settings where you can view every connected app, check exactly what data it can read or modify, and instantly revoke access with a single click.

Over time, it is common to sign in with Google or Microsoft across dozens of tools: project managers, alternative email clients, games, or video calling platforms. We often grant permissions just to try out a single feature and forget to revoke them once we stop using the service. Reviewing this list regularly prevents dormant tools from retaining access to your messages, contacts, or cloud documents.

Where to find the list of apps in Google

To audit permissions on a personal or business Google account, follow these steps:

• Open your browser and go to the Google Account page (myaccount.google.com).
• In the navigation menu, click on the Security tab.
• Scroll down until you find the section called Your connections to third-party apps & services.
• Click on See all connections.

In this list, you will see two types of connections:

• Sign in with Google: these only share basic identity details, such as your name, email address, and profile picture.
• Third-party apps with account access: applications with explicit permissions to interact with specific services such as Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, or Google Tasks.

Clicking on any application reveals the exact permissions granted and the date access was authorised. If you no longer use the service, click Delete all connections to revoke access immediately.

Where to manage permissions in Microsoft

If you use Outlook, Hotmail, or a Microsoft 365 subscription, the process is straightforward:

• Go to the Microsoft account website (account.microsoft.com) and sign in.
• In the top menu, select Privacy.
• The system will usually ask you to verify your identity via a security code or prompt.
• Scroll down to the More privacy settings section and select Apps and services that can access your data.

This section displays all external platforms authorised to access your calendar, Outlook emails, or OneDrive files. Selecting any of them allows you to check the scope of their permissions and click Remove these permissions if you want to disconnect them completely.

What to consider before revoking access

Before removing permissions across the board, it is wise to distinguish each tool's purpose to avoid disrupting your daily workflow:

• Read-only versus edit permissions: some tools merely view your events to display them in a daily summary, whereas others can draft emails or modify calendars. If a simple utility requests full write access for no obvious reason, be cautious; we previously explored this risk when analysing integrations that should not exist.
• Active productivity tools: when you decide to organise email, calendar and tasks in one place using hub applications, they connect via official APIs to sync your lists or inboxes. If you revoke access to an app you use daily, it will simply stop syncing, and you will need to sign in again.

Best maintenance practices

Keeping these lists under control takes little effort once made into a routine habit:

• Carry out regular reviews: set aside five minutes every three or four months to audit both dashboards and remove tools you no longer open.
• Check the developer's name: sometimes the name shown corresponds to the parent company or registered legal entity rather than the consumer brand. If in doubt, look up the developer before disconnecting it.
• Check privacy policies: under GDPR principles, any service handling data for users in the UK or the EU must clearly state what information it collects and how it is processed in its privacy policy.