NICEVILLE, Fla. — A local reader is frustrated after Yahoo keeps signing him out unexpectedly, and Jeff Werner says the culprit could be anything from cookie settings to browser updates — or even a family member unknowingly logging him out.
QUESTION:
I use Microsoft Edge as a browser and update regularly. Over the last 3-4 weeks, the home page (basically http:yahoo.com, not https:) comes up with a sign-in button. Previously, I would get the https URL with my sign-in and picture already established. I don’t like having to sign in manually, so I close the window and reopen it from the toolbar icon. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn’t. My home page settings display my preferred way of opening the window, and I haven’t found a way to override the http start. Help.
– Morris F.
Navarre, Florida
ANSWER:
In your submission, you asked if you could ask two questions, Morris. Technically, including that question, it’s three, but in trying to handle what you called Question 1 I’m finding so many nuances to what you asked that I believe it alone is several questions rolled into one.
Anyway, the answer to your actual first question is, of course, you can ask as many questions as you like. In cases like yours, I’ll just break them down over multiple issues of the column since I believe each one stands on its own merits.
The first aspect of your question I’m going to handle is stuff about http vs. https. This concept is not unique to Yahoo but applies to almost all websites. The key difference is security. In both acronyms, HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, and in HTTPS, the S stands for Secure.
HTTPS implements SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer / Transport Layer Security) to encrypt the data sent between your browser and the website. This protects you from any 3rd-party eavesdropping or tampering with data in transit. HTTP is unencrypted, leaving your data far more vulnerable.
Neither of these has anything to do with why you have to re-sign in when you hit a website.
There are numerous reasons why Yahoo might sign you out between sessions. Some of these reasons also have to do with security. Perhaps Yahoo detected unusual browsing activity, such as a new browser or device.
Other suspicious activity might be that you’re using a VPN, or logging in from a different location, or even multiple locations simultaneously. If you have an Account Key enabled, Yahoo may require you to accept and acknowledge a notification on a known device each time you sign in. Although these extra steps can seem annoying, their core purpose is to protect your data and browsing activity from being compromised.
Further reasons you might be logged out are related to your browser. You said you’re using Microsoft Edge. It’s a common occurrence for Edge to get security updates, and if you don’t keep up, your instance might be considered out-of-date.
If Yahoo detects insufficient security, at a minimum they are going to re-verify your identity. Worst case, they might block your access altogether until you update your browser.
Other issues I can think of off the top of my head include cookies not being saved properly or even deleted between sessions. It is within cookies that your login information is saved, so if they go away, so does your session.
If you use more than one Yahoo account, switching accounts might cause the one you’re switching from to sign-out. You didn’t mention it, but do you share this computer with family members? If so, do you know how they end their sessions? They might be signing you out before they shut down, thereby causing the exact problem you’re trying to avoid.
And don’t discount them using the computer even without permission.
I’ve helped out plenty of people who swore they were a computer’s sole user only to find their wife and/or kids were also using it when they aren’t around. It happens all the time.
There are a few things you can do to hedge your bets against getting logged out. First of all, make sure your browser is fully up to date. Then, try working with the browser settings that manage cookies and other site data, and configure it to not clear these when you close the browser.
The answer to your Question 2 is likely to be more discussion on security and how websites identify individual users. Watch for it in next week’s issue.
To view additional content, comment on articles, or submit a question, visit my website at ItsGeekToMe.co (not .com!)
Jeff Werner, a software engineer based in Niceville, Florida, has been writing his popular “It’s Geek to Me” tech column since 2007. He shares his expertise to help readers solve everyday tech challenges.
