When you access your Google account from a new device or new location, you'll probably receive a login security alert that will ask if you just signed in. This login security alert is designed to protect your account from unauthorized access by notifying you whenever a potentially suspicious login occurs.

These alerts can be annoying if you frequently log into your account from new devices or clear the cookies in your browser, requiring you to log into your account regularly from the same machine. So, below, we'll look at what Gmail users should know about these security warning alerts.

Disabling and Changing Login Security Alert Settings

man in grey longsleeve shirt with an apple watch scrolling on a silver MacBook Air

In the past, it was possible to disable alerts or change login security settings by opening Gmail, scrolling to the bottom of the page, and clicking the Details label. Clicking this link would open an Activity Information popup with options that allow users to change or disable login security alerts.

The Details link and popup still exist, but the option to disable these alerts is no longer available. Instead, the popup will only provide you with information on recent logins, including the login device, time, and device location.

You can use this information to determine whether someone else is accessing your account, but you won't be able to disable alerts related to new logins.

Using your Google account's Security menu, Gmail users can review the devices currently logged into their accounts and activate two-factor authentication or 2FA.

Tab on Google Account with Arrow pointing towards security

However, Google no longer provides a security option that will allow you to disable the login security alerts altogether. This is likely to ensure that if a user's account is compromised, they are guaranteed to receive an alert from Google.

On Android devices, it's possible to change your notification settings so that you no longer receive push notifications when Google detects new sign-ins to your account. You will still receive email notifications about new sign-ins if you disable notifications, but you'll no longer receive push notifications on your phone or other devices.

You'll need to manually change your notification settings for each device you have logged into your Gmail account. And that's because Google generates notifications for new alerts on every device with an active Gmail session.

Why You May Want to Keep Gmail's Login Security Warning Active

woman with fuchsia nails holding an iPhone while sitting in front of a silver MacBook

While security alerts can be annoying, they serve a valuable purpose: keeping Gmail accounts safe from hackers, cybercriminals, and anyone who isn't the account owner.

Identity and access management is an important principle of business cybersecurity. In short, identity and access management mean controlling who has access to a network or account and verifying that users are who they claim to be.

Passwords are a form of identity and access management. The password ensures that only certain authorized people can use an account. In the case of something like Gmail, the authorized person is the account owner and anyone they give their password to.

Sign-in alerts are another way to perform identity and access management. By alerting the account owner to new sign-ins, you can potentially stop a hacker who knows the account password from gaining access to the account or stealing it.

Another popular form of identity and access management is 2FA. These security systems require users to provide two forms of identification when logging into an account.

For most sites and businesses, two-factor authentication means that logging in will require your password and a code sent to another account or device. Many sites and online services use codes sent to phones via text message for two-factor authentication.

Like passwords and sign-in notifications, 2FA helps ensure that you really are who you claim to be when you log into your accounts—to recover a Gmail account or make a Gmail password change.

Because cybercrime is on the rise, including an 11 percent increase in corporate cyber-attacks, as reported by CBSNews, these kinds of identity and access management techniques are likely to become more prevalent in the future.

How the Gmail Login Security Warning Alerts Keep Your Account Safe

Gmail's login alerts, which appear whenever we sign in to our Gmail accounts from a new device, are designed to protect us from potentially unauthorized account access. These alerts are Google's way of preventing account hacks.

If you're wondering how to disable Gmail login security, know that it currently can't be disabled. However, it is possible to turn off the push notifications that Google will send you with a login security warning.

Combined with another identity and access management measure, like two-factor authentication, these Gmail login security alerts can go a long way towards keeping your account safe as cybercrime becomes more common.