FAQs for McAfee Security

How to Install McAfee

Brightspeed Security by McAfee is available at no extra cost to all qualifying Brightspeed High-Speed Internet customers. Download all-in-one protection to safeguard your privacy and identity with protection against malware, viruses, unsafe web sites, and other online threats on compatible computers, smartphones and tablets.

Questions about installation

We recommend you install and activate McAfee Security when signed in to your account.

Follow the instructions below, and contact us if you have any problems.

Sign in to the My Brightspeed website from the device on which you want to install McAfee. If you don't yet have a My Brightspeed account, learn how to create one.
Click the Download McAfee Security link from the "Services" menu. This will launch the McAfee site in a new browser tab or window. Click the "Internet Support Topics." You’ll then see two options: "Download" or “Send Link.”
Click the "Download" button and follow the instructions to install the program on your device. This will download the program and the activation code all in one step.

See instructions for alternate ways to install McAfee on your device.

The simplest way to get McAfee on additional devices is to log in to My Brightspeed on that device and follow the instructions above.

Alternately, you can send a link to download and install McAfee on additional devices:

Open the McAfee app or program
Click on "My Devices"
Select "Protect More"
Enter an email address or mobile number to send the app link to.
Follow the link to activate download and installation of McAfee software on the device.

You can uninstall the McAfee security program from a device to free up that license for use on another device. The best way to be sure you have correct instructions for removal is to view the support page for your device.

How to remove a program from a Mac

How to remove an app from an iOS device

How to remove a program in Windows 10

How to uninstall an app on Android

McAfee Security is included with your High-Speed Internet service for installation on at least five of your compatible devices (Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS). If you are a new High-Speed Internet subscriber leasing a Secure WiFi-eligible modem, you can get protection for up to 20 devices*.

*Secure WiFi is currently available in limited markets to customers who leased a compatible modem after August 16, 2020.

McAfee Security can be downloaded and installed on at least two compatible devices — computers (Windows and MacOS), smartphones and tablets (iOS and Android) — at no extra charge. Each device works a little differently and McAfee provides different protection features based on the device it is protecting. Please visit the McAfee compatibility page.

There are a couple of reasons why you might see a notice warning you that your McAfee antivirus protection has expired. If you have cancelled your Brightspeed internet service, you can no longer get Brightspeed Security by McAfee. You can still use other McAfee products, at your own choice and cost. If your device has been disconnected from the internet for over 30 days, you will get a warning. The McAfee program keeps itself updated and activated while it's connected to the internet, so if you've been offline for too long, the program will not have been updated.

Any other anti-virus software already installed on your device can conflict with the proper operation of McAfee. When you start installation of the McAfee program, it first checks for any other software that could interfere with its operation. If one is found it will be flagged and McAfee will walk you through uninstalling that software. In case the McAfee prompts for uninstalling other anti-virus programs don't work, we recommend you follow the directions to uninstall a program from your Windows PC or Mac. Once the other software is uninstalled, you need to restart your computer and the McAfee installation should resume automatically.

McAfee Security is included at no extra cost with your Brightspeed High-Speed Internet service for installation on at least two of your compatible devices (Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS). Customers with Secure WiFi on their leased modems can get protection on up to 20 devices.

Questions about the protection

McAfee Security is an all-in-one security software for computers, smartphones and tablets. Install it on your compatible devices to safeguard your privacy and identity with award-winning anti-virus technology. Protect yourself against most online malware, viruses, phishing, ransomware, and other malicious content.

McAfee uses a cloud-based global threat intelligence system (GTI) and machine learning to instantly scan messages, files, and apps, and block or quarantine malicious content like viruses, malware, ransomware, spyware, and more on your compatible devices.

About Global Threat Intelligence:

This cloud-based system continuously communicates with your device, keeping it running smooth and fast.
It collects and compares data on all kind of things, like files, websites, emails, and networks, giving you a broad range of protection.
McAfee GTI plays nicely with other layers of McAfee protection such as Firewall protection, McAfee WebAdvisor, and Anti-Spam. That keeps everything working together to help keep your devices and data safer.
It scans quickly and remembers threats, meaning you get the most complete information — in real-time.

McAfee Security can be installed on compatible computers (PC and MacOS), smartphones and tablets (iOS and Android). Since each device and operating system works a little differently, McAfee Security provides different protection features based on the device.

For more details about the features shown below for your device, please visit the McAfee support site. Note that not all features shown for McAfee consumer products are available on the Brightspeed Security program.

McAfee Protection for Desktop	PC	Mac
Anti-Malware Blocks viruses, malware, ransomware, spyware and more. McAfee Real Protect with machine learning on Windows OS and McAfee Active Protection on Mac OS.	✓	✓
Vulnerability Scanner Scans your computer software and other applications to check they are up to date and not vulnerable to known threats.	✓
Firewall Firewall security helps keep hackers and malware from attacking your computer by blocking access to suspicious activity.	✓	✓
Anti-Phishing Warns you of phishing attacks and websites. On PCs, it also checks and alerts users to risky websites obtained through social media, email, and instant messages, and blocks online phishing of a user's personal and confidential information.	✓	✓
Safer Web Browsing Avoids risky websites and helps prevent dangerous downloads. Displays color-coded icons to indicate which web search results may install malicious code, phish for a user's identity, or send spam. Performs analysis on each site and annotates them with ratings, warning you of potential security flaws.	✓	✓
McAfee® WebAdvisor Blocks dangerous web sites, checks for active anti-virus and firewall protection, scans downloads, monitors passwords, and helps you make smarter decisions while using the internet.	✓

McAfee Protection for Mobile	Android	iOS
Real-time Protection With a one-touch security scan, check and protect your device's photos, audio-visual content, and files from malware, viruses, and other threats.	✓
Identity Protection Searches for your personal information in a Dark Web database and lets you know if anything is found. If your personal information has been leaked, you'll see how to protect yourself.	✓	✓
Safer Web Browsing Before you reach a suspicious web page, you'll get a warning screen. You can choose to continue or avoid the page safely.	✓	✓
WiFi Analysis When you connect to a WiFi network, a background scan is done to check if it's insecure, even if the app is closed..	✓	✓

FAQs for McAfee Security

Questions about installation

How do I install McAfee Security on my device?

How do I install McAfee Security on additional devices?

How do I remove McAfee Security from a device?

On how many devices can I install McAfee Security?

Which devices will it protect? What can I install it on?

Why did I get an expiration warning?

I have other anti-virus software installed. Can I install McAfee too?

How much does McAfee Security cost?

Questions about the protection

What is McAfee Security?

How does it work?

What features are included?

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