Having to constantly sign in to websites and apps is a major inconvenience, even if you employ a password manager, as I do. This is why companies like Microsoft, Facebook, and Google provide consumers with a sign-in feature that uses their credentials on these sites. For many people, having these options available makes it much easier to log in to sites regularly. Additionally, since they use the same set of credentials, there is no need to remember or store tens of password/username combinations, reducing the risk of forgetting them. Clearly, “Sign in with Google” has its benefits, but it also comes with risks, as my colleague Rita El Khoury points out in this comprehensive explainer.
Given these advantages and disadvantages, how many of our readers use Sign in with Google? Well, we really wanted to know, so we ran a poll on Rita’s article. After more than 11,000 votes, the data is now available.
Andy Walker/Android Authority
Most respondents still use the service either “everywhere” (42.5%) or “sometimes” in conjunction with a standalone login (39.5%). Combined, this means that more than four out of every five readers polled use Sign in with Google for at least one login. He is very big.
Look, I also use Sign in with Google, and in fact, I’m probably voting with the “sometimes” camp. However, as Rita says, putting all your “digital eggs in the Google basket” is a significant security and accessibility risk. If you ever lose access to your Google Account, you will no longer have access to these websites. That being said, I have no problem using Sign in with Google for a few select unimportant accounts. Sometimes convenience outweighs complete security.
More than four out of five readers who voted use Google Sign in for at least one login.
It’s worth noting that signing in with Google isn’t the only authentication method. Much of the criticism of Google’s version can be leveled against the likes of Microsoft. Here’s reader NetMeetMe’s experience using the latter: “I had all my stuff set up on Hotmail. I lost access, so what’s the difference?”
As commenter Keith admits, using Sign in with Google isn’t always a conscious thought:
I will admit to some degree of ignorance. I’ve used that shortcut on more than a few occasions. But making a mental list of sorts, the apps I use most are definitely the ones I used my primary email for (not Google).
So what about users on the other side of the fence? Well, 6.9% of readers have “switched everything to a standalone login” after using Google’s system, while 11.1% said they had never used it before and wouldn’t start anytime soon.
Whether you decide to rely solely on it or spread the risk across multiple logins, it’s fair to say that Google’s single sign-in mechanism is extremely popular among our readers.
Where do you stand in this regard? Do you use Google entirely, use multiple logins, or something else entirely? Let’s continue the discussion below.
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