You can now sign in to Gmail without linking it to Google Chrome: Here's how

Breaking away from the worry of having Google websites linked even after logging out on shared devices, the company has announced nifty new features for Chrome 70. Google announced through a blog post that the way Chrome handles sign-in has been simplified by turning off web-based sign-in with browser-based sign-in. When you sign into any Google website, you will be automatically signed into Chrome with the same account. 

This also means, when you sign out directly from Chrome, or any other Google website, you are completely signed out of your Google account, saving you the task of manually exiting other websites. However, Google clarifies that with the seamless sign in process, the Chrome syncing does not get triggered by default. If you want your browsing history, passwords, and bookmarks available on other devices, you will be required to turn on sync on the right panel in the Chrome UI. Chrome 70 will further delete all cookies when you sign out. 

alphabet's Google gave details about its policies for third-party Gmail add-ons but stopped short of fully addressing questions from U.S. senators about developers who break its email-scanning rules. How user data flows between big technology platforms such as Google and Facebook and their partners has faced scrutiny around the world this year since Facebook revealed it had done little to monitor such relationships.

Google said in a letter to U.S. senators made public that it relies on automated scans and reports from security researchers to monitor add-ons after launch, but did not respond to lawmakers' request to say how many have been caught violating the company's policies. Senators may seek further clarity on Gmail's operations at a Commerce Committee hearing about privacy practices scheduled for September. 26 with officials from Google, Apple, AT&T and Twitter.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Gmail users must give their consent to activate extensions, which can help them send emails on a time delay, get price-match rebates from retailers and remove unwanted mailing lists. Under Google's policies, software firms that create these add-ons must inform users about how they collect and share Gmail data. The lawmakers' inquiry came after the Wall Street Journal reported in July that some add-on makers did not make clear to users that their employees could review Gmail messages and that their data could be shared with additional parties.

With inputs from ANI