Xbox gets trio of new account security features

Microsoft today announced a set of new security features to help you keep the account you use with your Xbox console safe. Taken together, the trio of features aim to make dealing with security-related issues easier to accomplish directly from your console, all without having to move to a second device. Here's a look at what's new.

First up, the sign-in process on a new console can now assist you in remembering your account name. That may sound simple enough to figure out, but it people who may only remember their Xbox Gamertag, but not the account it's associated with, would previously have to call Xbox support to resolve the issue. Now, you can select the "Forgot your account?" option when signing in to get things squared away.

Perhaps the biggest addition involves the actual recovery of your account after an unauthorized person gains access. When Microsoft detects suspicious activity on your account, it automatically locks it down to secure things. Usually, you'd then have to go through the process of recovering your account on your phone or computer. However, the whole recovery process can now be completed from your Xbox console, including verification, selecting a new password, and reviewing your security information.

Lastly, Microsoft will now occasionally prompt you to double check that your recovery information is current if you haven't checked it in a while. This ensures that your alternate email and phone number are accurate should you need to go through the above recovery process.

Account security is important no matter the service, but that's especially true if the account you're looking to protect is tied to potentially hundreds or thousands of dollars in digital purchases and achievement points you've gathered over the years. It's certainly not as exciting as the new features announced today for the next Xbox update, but these new features are a solid step forward at keeping your Xbox account locked down.