Google Account sign-in notifications are now sent directly to your Android device

With the way security currently works, Google alerts users of new sign-ins to their account via email. The measure is a means of keeping users secure by informing them of what’s happening with their accounts in real-time. Starting today, users will be alerted of new sign-ins through notifications sent directly to their Android device.

Sign-in alerts are sent instantaneously after you’ve logged-in to your Google Account from a new or different device. As people’s inboxes are usually overloaded, a notification directly to the phone has a higher chance of being seen. Google reports that users are four time as likely to review Android notifications than emails. Notifications will be sent to multiple devices and features a button to review account activity.

Tapping the link will open up the Recently used devices list available from the Accounts page in a browser. There users will get the same information included in the email, including what device was used to logged in, time, location, browser, and IP address. Below, users can confirm that it was really them who logged in. If not, you can take steps to secure your account.

These notifications are likely sent via Google Play services and will rollout to all users in the next two weeks. Lately, Google has been using Play Services to replace two-step authentication over SMS and to alert users that don’t have phone numbers associated with their accounts.