Suspicious about an email program’s activity on your Gmail account? No longer using an app to read your emails? Find out here how to remove a Gmail application password and revoke all access for that key at once.
First, the Bit of a Key
The bit of a typical key that is in fact called “bit” goes by the descriptive name of “Bart” (“beard”) in German.
So, if a password is a key and the “beard” the bit that makes the key open the lock, how do we shave those crucial bits off a Gmail application-specific password, so it no longer unlocks the account?
Here’s the metaphorical razor:
How to Remove a Gmail Application Password
Time needed: 5 minutes
To remove a Gmail application-specific password so its key no longer works to access your messages and labels:
- Click the Google Account avatar or your initials near Gmail’s top right corner.
- Select Manage your Google Account on the sheet that has appeared.
Account shortcut: You can also open your Google Account directly, of course, and log in if prompted.
- Open the Security category.
- Now click 2-Step Verfication under How you sign in to Google.
- Select App passwords.
- Enter your Gmail password if a prompt for it appears and click Next.
- Click the trashcan icon (
) next to the Gmail app-specific password you want to delete. Spot unused passwords: Look in the Last used column to find out when a Gmail application-specific password was last used. If a password has been unused for 6 months or more, it is best to remove it.
Important: If a password you set up for an email program or service that you no longer use and do not expect to access your Gmail or Google account any more has been used recently, this is reason for concern: do delete that Gmail application password immediately to revoke access!
No confirmation: Clicking the trashcan icon will immediately delete the password without further confirmation.
How to Remove a Gmail Application Password: FAQ
When should I delete an application password?
Delete an app password for Gmail any time you have the slightest doubt you still need it or it is still safe.
Typically, you would revoke a password
- when you no longer use the application for which you created it,
- when the application or device has had any security problems (a reported vulnerability, malware installed, a lost phone, etc.) or when
- you have noticed any spurious activity with your Gmail or Google account (Google will often alert you of those, such as unrecognized log-in attempts or access from a new and remote location, for instance).
Can I restore a revoked Gmail app key?
No.
To set up the same email program or service for accessing Gmail account, do create a new app key.
(How to remove a Gmail application password tested in a desktop browser; first published January 2019, last updated June 2024)