macOS wants access to my Google Account

[return2sendai]

I am not able to access my .gmail emails, using the generic macOS Mail app and/or my Airmail.app, from my iMac (running Mojave) unless I agree to allow macOS to do nasty things (see attachment).

This is ONLY from my iMac, when using the Mail app and Airmail app. When I access my .gmail emails from my iPad, using the iOS Mail app, I have no such issues.

Is this a Google thing?

Is it time for Google to follow Facebook into my Trash box?

Or are we all agreeing to let Apple do this?

And Airmail too?

 

[nvarga]

So do you want to use this gmail acc or not? If you do, grant access to apps.

 

[return2sendai]

Yes, I want to use the account. But this is new. I've never had this redirect before. I've been using Airmail for years, and the Mail app for decades. But in the last few weeks, whenever I boot my Mac, I receive a little pop up in the top right corner saying I need to verify my account with Google. When I click on the pop up, I am redirected to the above page. My concern is that this is a new issue. I've never had these pop ups before.

 

[0388631]

This is a Google safety prompt, not a Mac one. And it's completely normal. If you're using a third party to access your G account, you need to authorize its use. You can revoke it at any time.

 

[return2sendai]

Cheers.

 

[lec0rsaire]

You have always allowed your Mac access (and Apple if you believe they look at people's e-mails, I don't) to Gmail. With Apple you are not the product. They make money from you buying their hardware and software unlike Google and FB. Same thing when Google is asking permission for access to your calendar, camera, microphone, etc. when you first fire up some of their apps.

The reason you're seeing this prompt now is because of the privacy scandals and new EU laws. The only thing that's happening here is that Google is asking you if you want to allow macOS to have read/write access to your Gmail account. They want people to know exactly what is going on so that they don't get sued later on.

I tend to delete my entire browsing history and cookies after each session. Privacy is very important to me. I had to go through this prompt twice before Mail wouldn't ask me to sign into Google again. But after that it worked just like it did before.

 

[return2sendai]

Thank you lec.

Privacy is a minefield. I concur that I tend to trust Apple more than Google.

I use a VPN these days. Nevertheless, deleting cookies and browser history is a good move too.

 

[lec0rsaire]

Thank you lec.

Privacy is a minefield. I concur that I tend to trust Apple more than Google.

I use a VPN these days. Nevertheless, deleting cookies and browser history is a good move too.

I do it more because I don't want anyone to snoop at my history if they have access to my devices for any reason. It's not because of porn lol. It's just an old habit going back to when I first got internet over 20 years ago. On iOS I always use private/incognito even though it's not really private. I should use a VPN. I pay for them whenever I'm abroad and need to bypass geoblocks or if I want to watch European TV channels for example.