How To Remove Connected Apps From Google Account

There's an easy way to prevent apps and services from gaining access to your Google Drive cloud account.

I test a lot of services, some of which wind up getting access to Google Drive. There are instances, where I start testing a service only to wind up questioning the validity or security of said service. When this happens, I need to remove the service (which usually includes an app) from gaining access to my Google Drive cloud account.

But it doesn't always have to come down to a lack of trust. You might have an app or app service you no longer use. If that's the case, why allow it to remain connected to your Google Drive cloud account?

Fortunately, it's quite easy to remove an app from your Google Drive account. Let me show you how.

SEE: Vendor comparison: Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS, and Google Cloud (Tech Pro Research)

What you need

The only things you need to make this work is a Google account (for which you use Drive) and an app, which you've allowed access to that account. This task can be taken care of from within any browser supported by Google Drive (Chrome, Chromium, Firefox, Safari, etc.).

Let's get to work.

Disconnecting apps

Open your web browser and go to Google Drive. Once there, click on the gear icon in the upper right corner (Figure A).

From the drop-down menu, click Settings. In the resulting window (Figure B), click Manage Apps.

In the Manage Apps window, locate the app you want to disconnect and click the associated OPTIONS drop-down (Figure C).

From the drop-down menu, click Disconnect From Drive and, when prompted, click the DISCONNECT button. The app in question is now disconnected from your Drive account. Continue combing through your account, to disconnect every app you no longer use (or you suspect might be less-than trustworthy).

Better safe than sorry

Considering how many apps we install (on our desktops or mobile devices) the number of connections made to Google Drive can quickly grow beyond what you might deem reasonable. It is always wise to keep tabs on this, so that the amount of connections made to your account doesn't get out of hand. Remember, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

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Also see

How to drag and drop notes from Google Keep into Google Docs (TechRepublic)
How to re-enable quick access to Google Photos in Google Drive (TechRepublic)
5 Google Drive tips you'll kick yourself for not knowing (TechRepublic)
How to sync from Linux to Google Drive with rclone (TechRepublic)
Google opens document editing to users without Google accounts (ZDNet)
What is cloud computing? Everything you need to know about the cloud, explained (ZDNet)
Best cloud services for small businesses (CNET)
Microsoft Office vs Google Docs Suite vs LibreOffice (Download.com)
Cloud computing: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)