I get these e-mails periodically (maybe when Firefox updates?) even though I’ve been using the same install for years. Today, Google also removed my other accounts (I do volunteer work for a couple of orgs so have to switch accounts a bit) and so I got multiple message like this to different e-mail addresses warning me about the “new” device when I re-added them.
Does anyone know why this is a thing on Linux, but not on Windows? Could Firefox do a better job here? Or is Google just being dumb?
Edit: I suppose this has to be “solved” since it was moved into Support, but I wasn’t asking for support. This became a significant problem yesterday when I urgently needed to use Google services away from home, but Google had decided that the Manjaro on my laptop was a new device (again) and my (dying) phone battery had just shut the phone down.
Manjaro forums would be a friendlier place if everything wasn’t seen as a nail needing a hammering. Community comes from discussion, whether it’s directly utilitarian or not.
To my understanding - the messages are sent when your device is connecting using a previously unregistered - as in connection with your device - public IP address.
Even if you do not use VPN your provider may have reset your router due to a network reconfiguration and suddenly your home network becomes unknown to google from a last seen perspective.
The change of address can be a lot things and is usually legit but in case of a stolen device - the message is highly relevant - first it makes one aware the device is not where it used to be and second it may provide a rough indication of where it is.
As already mentioned - using a VPN will likely trigger the message - especially when logging in - but as many users allow their google chrome browser to stay logged in at all times - the new network location may be important in determining if the device was nicked or you just flew across the country and logged on 400 km from home.
Many devices - especially the latest iterations of Windows 11 - offer to stay unlocked when you are within a certain geographic location or within range of a certain known wifi network - which may explain why you haven’t seen it on Windows yet.
I delete my cookies once a month and when I log in to google I get that message. I also get it from some of the sites (like my bank) after deleting cookies. If they really bother you write a rule to push these messages into a folder.
I don’t habitually delete cookies either. I don’t always accept all cookies, but if I didn’t accept any cookies these services probably wouldn’t ever recognise me.
In any case - the messages are informational - and unless you configure your google account (if that is possible - look for the security settings) to stop sending you messages - you will just have to accept it.
There’s really no need to continue this thread - apparently it leads nowhere.
A last note:
If you are in the google-sphere anyway, why not install google-chrome.
It has a unique user-id and will defenitly know it is you and give you full sync funtion back.