Frequently asked questions
Who are you, and why should I trust you with this?
SecBird is a small, independent project. The guide is free and needs no account. We never see your passwords, your messages or your photos: every step opens the real settings page on the service itself, and you do the work there. Our code is public, and so is what we store (for the guide: nothing).
Do you need my passwords?
No, never. A password manager holds your keys; we only show you where the settings are and what to change. If a page asks for a password, look at the address bar: it is the service's own site, not ours.
Why does Google (or another service) ask me to sign in again?
Because you are on their site, not ours. Services ask you to confirm it is really you before showing security settings. That is normal and a good sign.
Will I lose my emails, photos or files?
Only if you choose to close an account, and the guide asks you first. Step 1 is a question — keep it or close it? — and the close path starts with saving a copy of your data.
Will "sign out other devices" log me out of this phone?
No. It signs out every other device, so a stranger who got in is out. The device you are using stays signed in.
What is two-step sign-in? Do I need an app for it?
A second check when you sign in, so a stolen password alone gets nobody in. The simplest version is a prompt on your phone; you do not need a separate app to start. Passkeys and backup codes are better, and the guide shows them as "better, if you have five more minutes".
I removed the wrong app or site. Did I break something?
No. Signing in to that app or site with the account again restores the connection. Nothing is deleted.
The page looks different from your instructions.
Services move their menus around. Look for the words in quotes in our instructions; if you cannot find them, press "Skip for now" and tell us on the step so we can fix the text.
How do I get back to your page?
The guide stays open in its own tab. Close the service's tab, or tap the tab with "SecBird" in its name.
Can I do this on my phone?
Yes. On a phone, each step opens the setting right there. On a computer, you also get a QR code to open the page on your phone.
Where is my progress saved? Why is it gone on my other device?
In this browser only. Nothing is sent to us, so another device does not know about it. Clear the browser and it is gone; the report page has a download button if you want a copy.
How long does it take?
About ten minutes for one account. Start with your email account: it can reset all the others.
What does the share card show about me?
Counts only: how many accounts you reviewed and how many steps you did. Never which services you use.
Who is speaking in the guide?
Narrated by a synthetic voice, with generated sound cues. The words are ours: every line is written and approved by us, and the voice only reads them. The cues are short generated sounds, never music that tells you what to feel. Narration is off until you turn it on, and it never plays by itself.
Does AI see my answers?
No. AI helps us build the catalog and the site, at build time, on public documents and our own code; nothing you type or pick in the guide reaches a model. Catalog facts an AI drafted are labelled as such until a person checks them. The models, the bill and what AI is not allowed to do are on How we use AI.
Who made the pictures?
A model drew them, in one fixed style, from short briefs we wrote: a door in the grass, a ring of keys, the bird walking on. They are decoration, never a picture of a real settings screen, and no image goes live before a person on the team has looked at it and said yes.
Where do the ready-made setups come from?
The cards under "Start from a card" are community setups: a care level and a list of accounts for a situation such as a first phone or a breach notice. People propose them from their own report, two reviewers check every one against our catalog, and the contributor's handle stays on the card. A setup never contains a person, only accounts and how careful to be. We count how often each is used, nothing more, so the most useful come first.
How do you make money?
Right now we do not. The guide is free, there are no ads, and we do not sell data. If we ever charge for something, the guide stays free.
I found a security problem. Where do I report it?
Thank you! See our security policy — we acknowledge reports within 3 business days and offer safe harbor for good-faith research.