Google is announcing a few security-related updates today, including new cross-app alerts that will tell you when there’s a security issue with your Google account. The idea is that you’ll be notified when Google detects a potentially serious security issue with your account no matter what Google app you’re using at the time.
Here’s a GIF provided by Google to give you an idea of what the new alert looks like:
The alerts are rolling out on a limited basis in the coming weeks, but they’ll only be on iOS at first, Google tells The Verge. The company plans to expand them more broadly early next year, according to a blog post.
The company is also adding a guest mode to Google Assistant, which won’t save any requests to your Google account while it’s on. Once it’s rolled out, you’ll be able to turn it on by saying “Hey Google, turn on Guest mode.” The new mode is rolling out in the coming weeks to Nest smart speakers and displays, Google tells The Verge.
And if you want a simple way to see your Google Account’s security and privacy settings, Google says that starting today, you can search for phrases like “Is my Google Account secure?” to see a summary of your settings. Here’s a screenshot to give you an idea of what that result will look like.
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Google is also updating its Safety Center website, which has information about privacy and safety tools in Google’s products. The refreshed page has details about 13 Google products, including Gmail, Chrome, YouTube, Android, and Pixel, and more products will be added in the future, Google tells The Verge. The new site is live today in the US and will be available globally soon.
