Remove Old Devices From Your Apple or Google Account
Matthew Mbaka · September 15, 2026 · Guides
Your old phone may be in a drawer, sold to someone else or wiped months ago. That does not mean every account session tied to it has disappeared.
Apple and Google both let you review devices remotely. The useful part is knowing whether you are looking at an old device, a recent session or evidence that someone else signed in.
Before you remove anything
If a phone or computer is lost and you still hope to recover it, use Apple's Find My or Google's Find Hub first. Removing a device from an account can take away services you need to locate, lock or erase it.
If you are selling or giving away a device that is still in your hands, sign out on the device and erase it properly. Remote removal is a safety net, not a replacement for a factory reset.
Check devices on your Apple Account
On an iPhone or iPad:
- Open Settings.
- Tap your name at the top.
- Scroll down to the device list.
- Tap a device to see its model, serial number, software version and whether Apple treats it as a trusted device.
- If it is an old or unrecognized device, tap Remove from Account and confirm.
You can also sign in at account.apple.com from a Windows PC, Android phone or any browser. Open Devices, authenticate if asked and select the device.
Apple says a removed device loses access to iCloud, Find My and other Apple services. It also stops displaying two-factor authentication codes. It can reappear if someone signs in to your Apple Account on it again.
Do not confuse Apple's two device lists
Apple also has a list of devices associated with purchases in the App Store and other media services. Removing a device from that purchase list is not the same as signing it out of your Apple Account.
For an account-security check, use the Apple Account device list described above.
Check devices and sessions on your Google Account
- Go to your Google Account.
- Open Security & sign-in.
- Under Your devices, choose Manage all devices.
- Select a device or session.
- Choose Sign out if you no longer use it or do not recognize it.
Google may show more than one session with the same device name. That can happen when different browsers, apps or sign-ins create separate sessions. If the device is unfamiliar, Google recommends signing out of every session with that name.
Why the location may look wrong
A location in an account log is often approximate. Mobile networks, internet providers, VPNs and nearby routing points can make a legitimate sign-in appear in another city.
Check the device model, browser, time and recent activity together. One odd city name is not proof of a break-in. A device you have never owned, combined with activity you did not perform, is much more serious.
If you recognize the device but no longer own it
- Sign it out remotely.
- Remove it from trusted-device or two-factor authentication lists where applicable.
- Check whether it still has access to email, cloud storage, photos or password syncing.
- Remove old app passwords and connected applications you no longer use.
If you sold the device without erasing it, contact the new owner only if it is safe and practical. Do not give them your password or verification code.
If you do not recognize the device
Treat an unfamiliar device plus unfamiliar activity as a possible account compromise.
- Sign out the suspicious session.
- Change the account password from a device you trust.
- Review recovery email addresses, phone numbers and two-factor authentication methods.
- Check recent security activity and connected apps.
- Look for changes inside important services, including email forwarding rules and cloud-file sharing.
Do not reuse the new password on another site. If the same password was used elsewhere, change those accounts too.
Check again after the cleanup
Refresh the device list, then sign in again only on hardware you still use. Some recently reset devices or stale sessions may remain visible for a while, so the list may not become perfectly tidy immediately.
The goal is not an empty list. It is a list you can explain.
Sources: Apple's guide to checking and removing Apple Account devices and Google's instructions for reviewing devices and signing out sessions.
Tags: account security, Apple Account, Google Account