An antivirus is a software program used to prevent, detect, and eliminate malware and viruses. It works for all types of devices, such as desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. An antivirus usually runs in the background to provide real-time protection without interfering with your browsing experience.

Do I need antivirus for my smartphone?

Yes! The prevalence of mobile phones has created a unique opportunity for cybercriminals. Even just a handful of malicious apps pretending to be legitimate apps can do serious damage in a hurry. Protecting your mobile device with antivirus software can help you steer clear of these threats and keep both your money and personal data safer.

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Easy-to-use antivirus protection you can count on

Trusted solutions for your peace of mind:

Scam protection and antivirus for automatic protection against fake messages, deepfake scams, viruses, malware, and more.

Advanced privacy features like Personal Data Cleanup to find and remove your info from sites that sell it, and Secure VPN to keep you safe from prying eyes on public Wi-Fi.

24/7 identity monitoring and alerts, plus up to $2 million in identity theft coverage and recovery assistance with US-based identity experts.

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600M+ devices

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AV-Comparatives Advanced+ Real-World Protection award for June 2025.

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Personal Data Cleanup (scans)

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Up to $1M identity theft coverage

1-bureau credit & monthly scores

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Bank & credit card transaction monitoring

Payday loan alerts

$25k ransomware coverage

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Bank & credit card transaction monitoring

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Up to $1M identity theft coverage

1-bureau credit & monthly scores

Security freeze

Bank & credit card transaction monitoring

Payday loan alerts

$25k ransomware coverage

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Credit lock

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Identity monitoring and alerts

Password manager

Identity theft coverage

$1 million

Identity restoration

Lost wallet protection

Credit monitoring

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Bank and credit card transaction monitoring

Bank account takeover monitoring

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Top-rated virus protection for all your devices

24/7 Virus Protection

Stay confident with protection for all your devices

AI technology to help detect and remove the latest threats

Real-time, on demand, and scheduled scanning to protect you

Includes Advanced Firewall for your home network security

Uninterrupted Coverage

Get continuous antivirus protection

Best-in-class antivirus for your laptops, smartphones, and tablets

Award-winning technology works around the clock so you're always protected

Enjoy an uninterrupted gaming, streaming, and browsing experience

100% guarantee we’ll remove
viruses on your devices

Our commitment is to your peace of mind. If any McAfee-supported device is infected with a virus, we pledge to make sure our experts remove it, or we'll give your money back—guaranteed.**

4 signs that your device may be infected

If your device is acting up, it may be related to a virus. Certain behaviors related to intrusions may include:

Mysterious spikes in data usage

Browser pop-ups when your browser is closed

Overheating—especially when your device is idle

Faster than expected battery drain

The good news is that most of these infections can be avoided and prevented before they cause any harm.

Try McAfee Total Protection for free

Stay safe. Experience more. With McAfee Total Protection, you can
easily protect how you browse, game, and connect, now with
identity and privacy protection—free for 30 days.

Start Free Trial

Frequently asked questions

These answers might help.

What is the difference between paid and free antivirus?

Usually, free antivirus software offers baseline malware protection that may not be sufficient to combat the ever-evolving threat landscape. This is particularly true when it comes to the wide variety of zero-day threats and digital threats that go beyond just antivirus. Some features may be limited in use – even worse, some free programs can even gather your personal data in exchange for their services. On the other hand, paid antivirus subscriptions give you up-to-date, advanced security protection against a wide variety of malware and digital threats. Paid solutions also tend to come with richer features and services. For example, McAfee® Total Protection includes identity protection and a VPN to protect your personal info. Rest assured that with our free 30-day trial you’ll get all the features of our flagship product, including antivirus, web protection, password manager, and more. Take advantage of our free trial and gain greater peace of mind every time you use your devices.

How does an antivirus detect emerging malware and threats?

Security tools of the past relied on manually gathering malware definitions (the different types of malicious software that had been found in the wild, like viruses, ransomware and spyware). As threats have advanced in nature and complexity, industry-leading antivirus software like McAfee Total Protection, also quickly developed to stay ahead of cybercriminals. At McAfee, we use strategies like behavioral detection and machine learning to ensure we can detect, isolate, and eliminate all recognized malware and even zero-day digital threats (brand new threats that haven't been seen before) to keep you safe online.

What is the difference between malware and a virus?

Malware is a term for any type of malicious software, regardless of how it works, its intent or how it’s distributed. A virus is a specific type of malware that self-replicates by inserting its code into other programs. There are many ways cybercriminals distribute malware and viruses, but the most common are malicious emails and websites.

What is fake antivirus software?

Fake antivirus software is one of the most persistent threats on the internet today. Masquerading as legitimate antivirus software, these malicious programs extort money from you to “fix” your computer. This new “antivirus” program even disables legitimate security software that you already have, leaving you exposed to real threats. These rogue programs catch unsuspecting users by displaying a browser popup that warns you that your computer may be infected, and that you need to download a (fake) security software to fix the problem.

This type of malware is often referred to as “scareware” since the pop-ups use messages like “You have a virus,” as a way to get you to click. Most of us are eager to get rid of any potential problems as quickly as possible, which opens a huge window of opportunity for these bad actors. If successful, the cybercriminals get your credit card details and other personal information, and you get nothing but malware in return.

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How do I use McAfee’s antivirus?

McAfee products offer real-time, on-demand, and scheduled scanning, allowing you to automatically or manually scan your device for malware and other threats while keeping your data private and protected. Our antivirus software also includes identity protection and VPN.

How to set up your family

Setting up family protection is simple. Just enter an email address or mobile phone number for each person you want to invite.

Your family member will get a message to log in along with steps to set up protection for their computers, phones, web browsing, and passwords. They’ll also have their own identity monitoring to receive alerts when their personal data is found on the dark web.

Two adults can also set up credit monitoring, find their personal info on data broker sites to remove it, and clean up personal info from old online accounts.

Each family member will have their own notifications and log in where they can check their Protection Score along with recommended steps to improve their score and overall online safety.

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