Unbound for users
Understand what happens when an app asks you to sign in through Unbound and who controls each part of the experience.
Unbound helps you sign in to different apps using your existing accounts (like Google, GitHub, or Discord) without having to create a separate Unbound account.
What happens during sign-in
When an app uses Unbound:
- The app redirects you to Unbound's sign-in page.
- You see which app is asking you to sign in and what information it needs.
- You choose how you want to sign in (for example, with Google or GitHub).
- You sign in with your chosen provider.
- You can choose to allow or deny the app's request.
- If you allow it, Unbound sends you back to the app so you can finish signing in.
You are always in control and can always deny any request if you don't recognize the app or don't want to share your information.
Who controls what
| Party | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Your provider | Manages your account, passwords, and security settings (e.g., Google or GitHub). |
| Unbound | Securely connects you to the app. It makes sure the app gets exactly the information you approved, and nothing more. |
| The app | Decides what you can do once you're signed in and how it uses the information you agreed to share. |
Unbound proves who you are to the app, but Unbound does not make the app trustworthy or control what the app does. The app is responsible for what happens after you sign in.
Your privacy between apps
Unbound gives each app a unique, random ID for you. If you sign in to two different apps using Unbound, they won't get the same Unbound ID.
This makes it harder for apps to track you across different websites. However, keep in mind this isn't perfect anonymity. Apps and providers might still have other ways to recognize you, like your email address or device, depending on their own policies.
What Unbound is not
Unbound is not:
- a separate account you need to remember or recover;
- a system that decides your user roles, permissions, or access inside an app;
- a guarantee that an app is safe or trustworthy;
- a replacement for managing your account directly with Google, GitHub, or Discord; or
- a way to pull back data from an app after you've already shared it.