Looping arrow around broken cookie trail on gradient background
When Google sign-in keeps bouncing you back to the login screen on an iPhone, it’s rarely “your password.” Most of the time, the login cookie (or the handoff cookie between pages) isn’t sticking, so Google can’t keep the session alive.

Think of it as getting a wristband at an event, but it keeps falling off before you reach the door.

Below is a practical if/then decision tree: first the “why,” then the smallest fix that matches your exact symptom.

1. Why this happens (quick mental model)

Google sign-in is a chain of pages: account selection → authentication → consent → redirect back to Gmail/YouTube/Drive (or a third-party app). Cookies are what prove you already completed the previous step.

If iOS privacy settings, content blockers, or a browser/app handoff blocks one of those cookies, you can get stuck in a loop: you sign in successfully, but the next page can’t see the cookie, so it sends you back.

2. If the loop happens inside an in-app browser (not Safari/Chrome), then switch the sign-in method

Phone with inset panel and link icon showing app handoff
If you started sign-in from inside another app (a “Continue with Google” button in a shopping app, a game, an email app, etc.), you may be in an embedded web view with stricter cookie behavior.

  • If you see a mini browser inside the app, tap any option like Open in Safari or Open in browser.
  • If there’s no button, copy the sign-in link (or the page URL) and paste it into Safari.
  • If the app offers “Continue with Google” and “Sign in with email”, try Google once in Safari first, then return to the app and try again.

If it works in Safari but not inside the app, the fix is usually the app’s embedded browser behavior, not your account.

3. If it loops in Safari, then check the 2 cookie-related switches that most often break Google

These are the iOS settings most likely to prevent the sign-in cookie from persisting across Google’s redirect steps.

  • If you use iCloud Private Relay or VPN and the loop started recently, temporarily pause the VPN/Relay and try sign-in once. (Some setups rotate IP/location mid-flow, which can invalidate a session.)
  • If “Prevent Cross-Site Tracking” is on (Settings → Safari), leave it on for normal browsing—but for troubleshooting, toggle it off, attempt the sign-in, then turn it back on afterward.

After changing a setting, fully close Safari (swipe it away) and try again so you aren’t reloading the same broken sign-in state.

4. If you use a content blocker/ad blocker, then disable it just for the sign-in attempt

Shield and cookie icons with toggle switch indicating blockers
Content blockers can block specific Google endpoints used during redirects (or strip parameters that help the session finalize).

  • If you have a Safari content blocker enabled, disable it briefly (Settings → Safari → Extensions / Content Blockers), then retry.
  • If you use a DNS-based blocker (like a “family filter” or tracker blocker profile), pause it for one attempt.

If disabling the blocker fixes it, re-enable it and then add an allowlist exception for Google sign-in domains in your blocker (the exact steps depend on the blocker).

5. If the loop persists, then clear only the site data you need (not a full wipe)

A full cookie wipe is sometimes overkill, especially on iPhone where it can sign you out of many sites. Try targeted cleanup first.

  • If you can reach Google at all, go to myaccount.google.com in the same browser and sign out, then sign back in.
  • If you’re in Safari, try removing website data for Google-related sites only: Settings → Safari → Advanced → Website Data → search for “google” and remove entries you recognize (Google, accounts.google.com, etc.).

If targeted removal doesn’t help, then consider clearing all Safari history and website data as a last resort (it’s effective, but disruptive).

6. If Safari fails but Chrome works (or vice versa), then keep the working browser and fix the handoff

On iOS, all browsers use Apple’s WebKit, but they can still differ in how they store site data, handle extensions, and perform “open in app” handoffs.

  • If Safari loops but Chrome succeeds, complete sign-in in Chrome, then go back to the original app/site and try again. Sometimes the session is now “warmed up.”
  • If Chrome loops but Safari succeeds, check Chrome’s content blockers/managed profiles (if it’s a work phone) and try without any “safe browsing” or filtering profiles temporarily.
  • If the final step opens a blank page, disable “Request Desktop Website” (if enabled for that site) and retry.

This is also a strong hint that the issue is local cookie storage, not your Google account security.

7. If it only fails on Wi‑Fi (but works on cellular), then your network may be rewriting or filtering

Some Wi‑Fi networks (work/school/hotels) add filtering that can interfere with redirects or block tracking/cookie endpoints.

  • If it works on cellular data, restart Wi‑Fi router (if it’s yours) or try another network.
  • If you use a “security” DNS profile on Wi‑Fi, switch DNS back to automatic for a test.

If the loop is network-specific, you can usually keep your browser settings as-is and focus on the network filter.

Final thoughts

Login loops on iOS are usually a cookie persistence problem: something prevents Google from placing or reading the cookie that confirms you already signed in.

If you want the least disruptive path: try switching out of in-app browsers, pause blockers/VPN for one attempt, then do targeted site-data cleanup before wiping everything.