McAfee is a top-rated antivirus program that is available worldwide. It is used by lots of people to protect their computers from viruses, spyware, and other malware. But does it really work? Is it worth the price?
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Last Updated: May 27, 2023
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In this article, we will take a close look at McAfee and its features. We will also provide a comprehensive review of the program to help you decide if it is right for you.
We will also be taking an in-depth look into the company’s history, products, and services. So, if you are considering using McAfee or just want to learn more about it, keep reading!
To start off our McAfee review, here’s some general info on the brand. John McAfee established the McAfee company in 1987. McAfee has since grown to become a global leader in cybersecurity, and it has gained a lot of users throughout the years.
McAfee offers a wide range of products and services that cater to both consumers and businesses. McAfee continues to be part of the most widely used antivirus software used in 2022. However, there is more to it than just that.
Since its founding in the 1980s, McAfee has consistently ranked as one of the top companies in the cyber world.
Presently, it is a comprehensive security suite that provides all of the essential tools for Windows and Mac operating systems users, in addition to Android and iOS users.
It is also renowned as a value-for-money antivirus software provider due to the fact that several of its subscription plans, such as the McAfee LiveSafe and Total Protection. McAfee has been in operation for the last three decades.
Throughout that period, the company has broadened the use of its product by including other components, such as a password manager (True Key), a virtual private network (VPN), File Shredder and others. In addition to this, its intuitive user interface remains one of its most notable advantages.
McAfee is undeniably a product that is easy to understand and uncomplicated. The user interface is straightforward, and it provides one of the easiest and most logical navigation experiences available among all antivirus programs.
The interface is excellent for users who do not know how to navigate an antivirus program or those who do not have the time to learn it soon. In addition, it allows users to customize their online activity to varying degrees.
McAfee has quite a number of products in 2022. Some of the products are;
McAfee Total Protection safeguards all your electronic devices, including desktop computers, mobile phones, tablets, and even smart TVs. It gives your Android, MacOS, iOS, and Windows total antivirus protection against viruses and malware.
It includes a number of packages, such as McAfee premium and McAfee advanced, both of which protect an infinite number of devices. McAfee plus, which protects five devices, and McAfee Basic, which covers only one device.
The genuinely unlimited plan assures that you will only need to make a single payment to safeguard all of the devices that members of your family use.
A 30-day money-back guarantee, customer service available around the clock, and identity monitoring is part of the package.
McAfee offers total protection, and it consists of the following features;
When you need a virus eliminated, you may use the effective McAfee Virus removal service, which involves conversing with security specialists either over the phone or online.
Trojans, spyware, and many forms of malicious software can be located and removed remotely from your computer in by McAfee security professionals. They will fix your device remotely if you give them permission.
The security professionals will also install any available security upgrades to your operating system and your security software.
After the security experts have finished their job, McAfee’s Software and Virus Signature Update will continue to guard your personal computer. The service costs $89.95 per incident.
McAfee LiveSafe is a comprehensive security package that protects your PCs, mobile devices, and your identity(personal information).
When you sign up for auto-renewal service, you’ll have access to a secure VPN, which offers bank-grade encryption to protect the privacy of your personal information and the activities you engage in while using the internet.
There is no difference between McAfee LiveSafe and McAfee Total Protection; they both refer to the same product.
McAfee LiveSafe is often pre-installed on laptops, while McAfee Total Protection can be purchased directly from the McAfee website or through retail locations across the world.
McAfee developed gamer security which is an antivirus program tailored only for the gaming industry.
This program simplifies your gaming procedure so that you may have peace of mind while enjoying your favorite games. The program provides this protection without affecting the speed and performance of your device.
McAfee Gamer Security is smart enough to recognize when you are playing a game, and it will immediately halt any processes operating in the background while you do so.
It gives gaming a higher priority for system resources, mutes alerts, and eliminates anything else that may disrupt your enjoyment of the game.
McAfee provides its customers with a number of identity protection services, such as a password manager, firewall, a virtual private network (VPN), a file shredder, personal data cleaning tool, and more, in an effort to reduce the risk of their personal information being compromised.
The number of different security measures you enable on your device is one of the factors that go into calculating its Protection Score.
You also have the option to enter your email address, in which McAfee will look for information about whether it has been compromised on the dark web.
McAfee Identity Protection comes with the McAfee LiveSafe product as well as the 5-device and 10-device McAfee Total Protection subscription.
In the event that your data is stolen while using it, McAfee provides identity theft coverage of up to 1 million dollars.
It is essential to check the Terms of Use in order to see whether or not this identity theft coverage is accessible in your area. McAfee keeps an eye out for data brokers and analytics companies that could violate your privacy.
Additionally, McAfee notifies you of the locations at which your personal information was located and, depending on the package you subscribed to, may also assist you in removing the information.
Only a membership package that includes full-service removal will allow data removal to occur successfully.
Using the identity monitoring tool that is a McAfee feature, you can check to see if any of your information has been stolen through a data breach.
McAfee provides users with information on how to protect their personally identifiable information (PII) if any of the information listed above was compromised in a data breach.
McAfee WebAdvisor is a free tool that is exclusively available for Windows. It protects users against phishing websites, exploit assaults and browser-based cryptocurrency thieves. It is a program that you can use, and it is a feature on McAfee.
You can also download it independently in your internet browser as an add-on. WebAdvisor is a browser extension that you can download on various window versions using multiple browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Internet Explorer.
WebAdvisor analyzes every website that you visit to detect known exploit threats, and it also detects phishing sites using a vast database of phishing sites that are continually updated. McAfee WebAdvisor also gives security ratings for specific websites.
The McAfee TechMaster Concierge provides a top-notch service that caters to all your technological requirements; it protects your computer. It also installs, configures, and scans applications on your device.
This particular McAfee service covers a maximum of two computers and four other connected devices. It provides two different packages, which are known as the McAfee Concierge Gold and the McAfee Coincerge Platinum.
In terms of subscription, both services cover one year. The number of personal computers that each service protects is what sets them apart from one another.
With just a few clicks on McAfee PC Optimizer, your PC’s processing speed, as well as its overall performance, can be significantly improved.
McAfee PC Optimizer is an ideal addition to your existing McAfee security subscription, and it helps make your device protection even more vital.
It improves the performance of your computer in the following ways;
McAfee Optimizer cleans up your computer by getting rid of unused applications, garbage files, and temporary files, among other things.
After freeing your computer from unwanted files that take up quite an amount of space on your PC, this provides extra space on your PC.
When you use your computer, some applications run in the background, which might cause it to be rather sluggish.
McAfee PC Optimizer terminates background processes and applications that are not used in order to optimize the overall performance of the computer and make it start up more quickly.
In order to browse the web, play online games, or stream content without interruption, McAfee PC Optimizer helps users to free up bandwidth.
Freeing up bandwidth is necessary because applications or services running in the background make use of it.
McAfee Optimizer turns off the background services in your PC for a short period. McAfee also provides an additional performance boost that is on-demand and available whenever you require it.
Each McAfee product has a variety of different price tiers, which comes with its own set of complications. Before you choose a plan, you can go through the features attached to each plan and the difference between available plans.
When it comes to selecting the McAfee product of your choice, it is crucial that you weigh your options well. All the plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee—so you can explore to see which one best suits your needs.
In the following part, we will provide a rundown of the various price tiers in order to make it easy for you to zero in on the option most suited to meet demands.
This is a relatively short time frame compared to the rest of McAfee’s products. The reason being McAfee doesn’t often provide month-to-month billing options.
Some McAfee products need a one-year commitment from subscribers in order to have access to all of the software’s functionality.
If you know for sure that the McAfee service or product you selected will adequately protect all your devices, you can purchase it for two years.
The majority of McAfee programs allow protection for two, five, ten, or an infinite number of devices. Make sure you have everything you need before you join up.
The majority of the available security measures are included in the single-device plans; thus, the primary motivation for purchasing a higher tier is to protect multiple devices.
McAfee boasts one of the most advanced sets of security features available, making it one of the top antivirus programs worldwide. In addition to providing continuous protection for your computer against viruses, cryptojacking, and other forms of malware.
McAfee also provides you with extra capabilities to increase the pace of your online surfing while still safeguarding your documents, data, and passwords.
To put it another way, it provides you with everything you need to have a secure and trouble-free experience when using the internet.
A firewall is a security tool for networks. It analyzes the incoming and outgoing network traffic on the device. A firewall decides whether or not to allow or reject data packets based on a pre-determined set of security rules.
With the assistance of the pre-determined security rules, a firewall is able to discern between benign and malicious packets after the inspection process has finished.
A firewall is designed to create a barrier between your internal network and incoming traffic from other sources (such as the internet), with the goal of preventing harmful traffic, such as that caused by viruses and hackers, from entering your internal network.
The firewall offered by McAfee is simple to use, adjustable, and very effective. It consists of lots of options you can use to customize your firewall.
Still, if you are not very knowledgeable about technology, you can enable the firewall to block suspicious activity automatically (it will do so with no need for user input).
The McAfee firewall can easily identify a wide range of threats. Some of these dangers include network invasions and malware programs that are trying to interact with distant network servers.
The security provided by McAfee’s firewall is more accurate and efficient than the built-in firewalls offered by both Windows and macOS.
The firewall offered by McAfee has a multitude of security features; for instance, customers to enjoy the following;
In addition, the McAfee firewall has a user-friendly design, which means you can quickly browse through the interface to locate and utilize each of its capabilities. For your convenience, everything has been meticulously filed away under the appropriate headings.
One product that has benefited the most from McAfee’s history of innovation over the last three decades is the company’s antivirus scanner. This is because McAfee employs a conventional approach to the detection of malware.
It does this by using its viral directory, which has a proven track record of functioning well over extended periods of finding any possible security flaws.
There are three different scans available through McAfee. You have the option of performing either a Quick or Full scan on your system, and you are also allowed to pick specific folders and files for the scan to examine.
The option to perform a rapid scan is supposed to take between 5 to 10 minutes, but the option to perform a full scan takes roughly 30 minutes.
It is always a good idea to go with the comprehensive scan option. An extensive scan is advised because harmful software has the capacity to hide itself in unexpected places on your system. As a result, it’s critical to look through as many files as possible in order to find it.
A Vulnerability Scanneris another service that McAfee offers to its users.
The function of a vulnerability scanner is to monitor your system for key vulnerabilities and notify you if any of your applications require an update. As a result, the likelihood of you becoming the target of a cyberattack is reduced.
The Vulnerability Scan is equivalent to the vast majority of other solutions currently available on the market, and McAfee regularly upgrades this component to maintain its level of protection.
This procedure is, for the most part, automatic; however, there may be situations where you need to update the system manually.
True Key, which is the name of McAfee’s password manager, is widely recognized as a top contender among other available password managers.
This is valid because True Key allows you to manage your passwords while also ensuring that they are kept in a genuinely safe and secure environment.
True Key keeps your online accounts safe and extra secure by allowing you to generate complicated passwords, save those passwords, and auto-fill your information for faster logins across all your devices that the subscription covers.
Because passwords are saved on the password manager, you only need to recall a single password in order to have access to whatever it is you have saved there. This is the most convenient aspect of its high level of security.
True Key protects your passwords and other login information by encrypting it using AES-256, one of the most advanced encryption algorithms currently available.
This ensures that no one can access your private information, and your passwords can only be decrypted by yourself since they are encrypted.
In addition, the app supports multi-factor authentication, which adds a layer of protection to your account. Before you are allowed to log in, you will be required to validate at least two different steps.
True Key provides a straightforward method for recovering your primary password. If you forget your primary password, McAfee will send you an email with instructions on how to change your password. The password recovery method is quick, but it is very risky.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN is an additional helpful feature that can assist you in protecting your online activities and retaining your anonymity while browsing the web.
TunnelBear, a renowned provider of standalone VPN services, is behind the technology that powers this feature.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN is simple to use, offers internet connections that are relatively fast, and is suitable for standard online activities like surfing the internet and streaming video. It also provides the necessities in terms of both security and privacy.
Below is a list of the features of the McAfee Safe Connect VPN service;
It is a security mechanism that immediately stops all internet traffic if your virtual private network (VPN) connection is lost.
Trustworthy networks are accessible via a virtual private network connection.
These are options that let you choose whether or not to automatically enable a VPN connection on insecure networks, Wi-Fi only, or all networks. You also have the option to disable auto-connect.
McAfee Personal Data Cleanup is one of McAfee’s latest features. It searches and deletes your personal information from data brokers, and people search sites.
If you are able to delete your personal information from data broker websites, it will no longer be collected, sold, or used in any of the following ways:
McAfee’s personal data cleanup feature conducts scans of the databases of the riskiest data broker websites.
The feature quickly deletes any instances of your personal information being found on these websites—providing that you have upgraded to the advanced plan.
If you are using a Premium plan of a lower tier, you will receive a warning and instructions on how to have your personal information deleted.
To delete a file in a secure manner, there are often more things involved than just pressing the Delete key. This will only move it to your Recycle Bin, which anyone who gets their hands on your device can still access.
Even if you skip or empty your Recycle Bin, the data that you have destroyed will remain on the disk, which implies that it is possible to restore it.
A File Shredder is a tool that ensures that your files are completely deleted from your device. The method File Shredder uses is that the data in the file are overwritten several times before being removed.
With the Shred unwanted files feature, you may permanently erase data that you no longer use and do not want to be able to retrieve.
Using Windows software to attempt data recovery after deleting it using this method of safe deletion guarantees that the data will never be retrieved.
You may choose from one of three different levels of shredding security. The three levels are Basic, Safe, and Complete.
The McAfee Safe Family software provides excellent parental controls for Windows, Android, and iOS devices (but not for Mac). McAfee Safe Family is not part of any of McAfee’s antivirus packages, but it is available for purchase as a standalone product.
Location monitoring is one of the most valuable services offered by McAfee Safe Family. It enables you to track your children’s devices to an accuracy of 10 meters.
In return, your children will be able to send you a brief update via the Safe Family when they arrive safely at their destination.
The McAfee Safety Family makes it possible for parents to conduct the following on the electronic devices used by their children.
There is a monthly plan and an annual plan available for purchase for the McAfee Safety Family service. The cost is $7.99 for the monthly plan, while it is $49.99 for the yearly plan.
Customer Support is unquestionably one of McAfee’s most powerful differentiating qualities. The McAfee technical support team is active on Twitter and Facebook but does not respond to customers’ emails.
In addition to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) database, they provide round-the-clock chat and telephone support.
If McAfee software is unable to clean up your system, it promises to refund your purchase price. Still, there is a catch: you are only eligible for this if you do not deactivate the automatic renewal of your membership.
McAfee also consists of a good support forum where novice and experienced users can submit questions and receive answers.
As an experienced user, you can also provide answers to other users’ inquiries. In addition to this, McAfee features an extensive knowledge base that is available online.
You may also utilize the McAfee Virtual Assistant to diagnose and resolve technical difficulties, which is helpful in solving problems that are not as complex. The virtual assistant can assist you in resolving straightforward problems.
Under McAfee Identity Protection features, identity restoration is one of them. If someone steals your identity and you have McAfee Advanced, you will have access to professional assistance in dealing with the situation.
McAfee will guide you through the process of planning the measures to take when your identity is stolen.
This is a feature that notifies you with an alert in the event that an untrusted device attempts to connect to your network.
QuickClean, a function offered by McAfee, is a helpful little tool that lets you clean up your computer to increase its performance and level of protection.
It searches your computer for cookies and temporary files, both of which may take up precious storage space on your computer and reveal sensitive information about you to a hacker.
As soon as QuickClean locates cookies and garbage files in your device, it will provide a report for you that details how much space you may potentially save up.
If you are looking to achieve a smooth surfing experience, McAfee Web Boost is a feature that can help you to achieve that. Although it only works with Google Chrome, if that’s not your preferred browser, you won’t be able to use it.
McAfee’s App Boost works invisibly in the background, freeing up system resources for the programs that need it. According to tests conducted by McAfee, this leads to a 6% decrease in loading times.
After clicking on the website, choose the McAfee package you want from the drop-down menu.
In order to create an account, you will first need to submit your credit card information or get an activation code. After this, you will then purchase a subscription.
You can get the McAfee app by downloading it. On the main dashboard, go to the ‘Downloads & devices’ area, and then download the app from the ‘Protect all your devices’ subsection.
Open up the McAfee file you downloaded, and then hit the “Install” option. If the antivirus software is unable to eliminate a virus or the McAfee product you chose didn’t work for you, you will get a full refund of your membership fee.
Click the “Get started” button as soon as the installation process is complete, and then follow instructions to immediately safeguard your device by activating real-time protection, the firewall, and the VPN services.
The mobile app for McAfee is known as Mobile Security Feature, and it is applicable for iOS and Android operating systems. You download the app from the app store on your device and enter your login information to activate your mobile subscription.
Alternatively, you can simply activate your mobile subscription by sending yourself a link via email or text message from the McAfee online dashboard.
The primary dashboard is built in a way that makes it simple to move about and access the many features and tools that may be of interest to you.
The mobile applications McAfee offers for Android and iOS safeguard your phone against viruses, phishing attacks, and other forms of security breaches in a way that is rapid and very easy.
A free version of McAfee’s antivirus software is compatible with both the Android operating system and the iPhone operating system. It allows you to conduct virus scans and use features like the Memory Booster and the Anti-Theft technology.
Malware and other types of harmful software are able to target devices running the Android operating system. McAfee mobile security app helps to safeguard your identity, your privacy, and your device while you surf the internet.
Mobile security is necessary for iOS devices due to the fact that they hold sensitive information. Regardless of where you are, McAfee mobile security app will prevent any of your data from being stolen or compromised.
Unlike Android devices, McAfee does not provide an antivirus scanning tool for iOS. However, it does offer outstanding anti-phishing capabilities, which are able to identify harmful websites.
McAfee monitors how your personal information, such as email accounts, phone numbers, and Social Security numbers (SSNs), among other things used online.
In the event that any security flaw is discovered on your device, McAfee will notify you so that you will have time to take preventative measures before any of your personal information falls into the wrong hands.
McAfee antivirus scanner scans your device to detect the presence of security breaches, viruses, or any form of malware in your device.
With an award-winning antivirus scanner, you can rest easy knowing that your mobile devices, tablets, and laptops are secured from the most recent dangers/cyber threats.
Memory Booster is a tool that removes garbage and duplicates files in order to free up more memory space.
Because your personal information and credit card details are protected with McAfee unlimited VPN whenever it is turned on, you are able to bank, buy safely, and surf the internet anonymously, no matter where you are.
Anti-Theft protection is a McAfee feature that helps secure data if your phone is lost or stolen.
After initial configuration, the desktop app made it quite simple to access the fundamental features. The components that make up the home screen are the following;
The green and red symbols let you know if the specified function is active or deactivated, respectively. The button located on the left side of the screen gives access to all of McAfee’s additional capabilities.
Detailed descriptions of each feature may be found in the following sections:
Protect your personal computer with real-time scanning, scheduled scanning, quarantined items, a firewall, secure applications, and an app booster.
Secure Virtual Private Network, Browser Security, Web Boost, and the Tracker Remover are some tools you may use to protect yourself while you’re online.
Your identity is safe and secure through the use of ID Protection, a Password Manager, and a File Shredder.
You may protect your privacy using the included Personal Data Cleanup tool.
It would be best if you looked over the settings of some of these features so that you can ensure they function in the manner you want.
For instance, there is a section in the options that allows you to choose a certain time for when the scheduled scans will be performed.
McAfee provides one of the most all-encompassing internet security suites available, which includes a plethora of incredibly helpful features designed to protect your devices from being breached.
There are other online antivirus services that are more affordable, but with McAfee, you get a lot more for your money.
This includes the use of McAfee’s secure virtual private network (VPN), its True Key password manager, and its encrypted storage.
Make your money do more.
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It is absolutely safe for Canadians to use McAfee, and it also offers Canadians Identity Protection, as well as other security features that ensure your device is extremely safe and your personal information is stored in a secure way.
Both the LiveSafe service and the Total Protection service have a lot of the same fundamental capabilities built into them. But whereas LiveSafe is focused on antivirus protection, Total Protection includes other features such as identity theft protection, a VPN, and identity monitoring capabilities. Total protection is like an advanced form, those looking for affordable packages you can go for McAfee LiveSafe plans.
Yes, it is worth your money. It is advisable to get McAfee antivirus software since it is so reliable. It also provides a comprehensive security package that can protect your computer from malicious software and other security breaches and dangers posed by the internet. It works pretty well on Windows, Android, Mac, and iOS platforms, and the McAfee LiveSafe package enables it to function on an infinite number of personal devices. Security software offered by McAfee may be obtained as a browser extension, a mobile app, or a web app.
After making the initial purchase, you have up to thirty days to request a full refund for your subscription. You will not be able to do so using the live chat feature, and you'll have to go through telephone customer care to confirm your selection.
Yes. McAfee is a trustworthy antivirus program that can be used to check your personal computer for viruses and safeguard it in real-time. McAfee identifies several types of malicious software, including ransomware, spyware, cryptojackers, adware, and many more. In addition, this antivirus software is supported by the McAfee Virus Pledge. This means that the company guarantees to give customers a refund at any time during their subscription if McAfee is unable to remove malware from their devices. This guarantee is valid for as long as the customer maintains their subscription.
Maybe. During a thorough system scan, active McAfee virus scans may cause your PC to run more slowly. Suppose you have recently installed McAfee and you notice a decrease in the general performance of your computer. In that case, this may be because your McAfee settings are set to "Automatic Scans." You will most likely notice a difference in performance if you turn ’’Automatic Scans” off. However, users can scan through at night to prevent any lag. Additionally, it is very unlikely that McAfee would cause your system to become more sluggish while you are not running a scan. However, you can set your full scanning schedules for times when you will not use your device the most. There are also some good system tune-up tools included in McAfee Total Protection. These tools can help you optimize your system startup, clean up junk files, and speed up a computer that is running slowly.
Yes, McAfee Mobile Security is available for both iOS and Android operating systems. The mobile software from McAfee provides sophisticated protection against malware and phishing, as well as a security check for Wi-Fi networks and a virtual private network (VPN). When bought as part of any Total Protection multi-device subscription, it is one of the most reasonably priced ways to get one of the most outstanding mobile applications currently available in the market.
No. McAfee's LiveSafe package is one of the most reasonably priced options for protecting many devices. It does so without reducing the level of protection it provides or the number of extra features it offers.
It is possible that McAfee is the best option for you if you are seeking a premium plan that is both inexpensive and capable of protecting all of the devices that are utilized in your house or on the premises of your company. Although some solutions may get a higher rating or bring back higher test results, McAfee offers an excellent compromise between the breadth of the capabilities provided and the price point at which they are available.
A program known as VirusScan is included in the McAfee security software for Windows and macOS. This program scans your computer and helps protect it from potential threats. VirusScan will compare a scanned file or program to a database of known malicious software after the scan is complete. If the file looks to contain a virus or any other kind of hazard, it may be deleted or placed in quarantine by the program.
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