When Google keeps sending you back to the sign-in screen on Windows (even after you enter the right password), it’s rarely “the password.” Most of the time it’s a cookie check failing: Google tries to set a session cookie, your browser blocks or discards it, and the site treats you like you never signed in.
Let’s make the “why” clear first, then fix it with a two-path guide.
What’s actually happening (in plain terms)
- Sign-in needs cookies. Google creates short-lived cookies to carry you from the login page to the account session.
- Modern privacy rules can block the wrong thing. Third-party cookie blocks, strict tracking prevention, or “clear on exit” settings can prevent the handoff.
- Time, extensions, and security software can interfere. If your device time is off, or an extension rewrites pages/headers, the session can fail and restart.
Now pick the path that matches where you’re signing in.
1. Path A: iPhone/Android (Google app vs mobile browser)
If you started sign-in on your phone (or you’re approving prompts there), fix the phone side first—phone sessions often “complete” the login and reduce weird loops on Windows.
- Update the Google app and your browser. On iPhone: update Google + Safari/Chrome. On Android: update Google + Chrome.
- Turn off strict cookie blocking just for the sign-in attempt. In your mobile browser privacy settings, temporarily allow cookies (or reduce tracking prevention) while you sign in.
- Disable content blockers/ad blockers for Google pages. If you use an ad blocker or DNS-based blocker, pause it briefly and retry sign-in.
- Clear only site data for Google (not everything). Clear site data for accounts.google.com and google.com, then try again. This removes corrupted session fragments without wiping all browsing history.
- Try completing sign-in in the mobile browser, not inside an in-app webview. If an app shows a built-in login window, choose “Open in browser” if available.
If your phone sign-in works cleanly but Windows still loops, the problem is likely Windows browser storage/cookies.
2. Path B: Web on Windows (Chrome/Edge/Firefox)
This path targets the most common cause: Google can’t keep the session cookie long enough to finish the redirect chain.
- Check the address bar domain. Make sure you’re on accounts.google.com and not a lookalike or embedded login from another site. If it’s embedded, open a new tab and go directly to accounts.google.com.
- Allow cookies for Google sign-in pages.
- In Chrome/Edge: Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies. If you block them, add an exception for accounts.google.com and google.com.
- In Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security. If Enhanced Tracking Protection is Strict, switch to Standard just for the sign-in attempt.
- Turn off “clear cookies on exit” (temporarily). If your browser clears site data when you close it, Google may never keep a stable session. Disable it, sign in, then decide whether to re-enable.
- Try an Incognito/Private window. If it works there, you’ve confirmed a profile-specific issue (usually an extension, cookie rule, or corrupted site data).
- Disable extensions that can rewrite pages. Pause ad blockers, privacy tools, script blockers, “coupon” extensions, and antivirus web shields. Then retry sign-in. Re-enable one at a time afterward.
- Clear site data only for Google (recommended first).
- Clear cookies/site data for accounts.google.com, google.com, and gstatic.com.
- Retry sign-in in a fresh tab.
- Confirm Windows date/time and time zone are correct. Incorrect time can break secure sessions and cause loops. Turn on automatic time/time zone if available, then restart the browser.
If you’re on a work/school PC, device policies can force cookie restrictions. In that case, the “fix” may be getting an allowed-cookie exception added by your admin.
3. A quick decision check: what the loop usually means
Use this to avoid random trial-and-error.
- Loop happens only in your normal browser profile: extension, cookie rule, or corrupted site data.
- Loop happens in all browsers on the same Windows PC: system time, security software web filtering, VPN/proxy, or network-level blocking.
- Loop happens only on one network (office/school/hotel): captive portal, filtering proxy, or blocked Google domains.
- Loop happens only when “Continue with Google” is embedded in another site: third-party cookie blocking is very likely. Open Google sign-in in a direct tab and allow cookies for that flow.
Final thoughts
Google login loops on Windows almost always come down to a cookie/session handoff getting blocked, cleared, or rewritten mid-redirect. Start by allowing cookies for Google sign-in pages and disabling the extensions most likely to interfere.
If Private/Incognito works, you’re close: fix the profile rules (site exceptions and extensions) rather than wiping everything.