FAQ

McAfee Home Use Program

What is McAfee Security Software?

At its core, McAfee provides our award-winning antivirus to defend against viruses, online threats and ransomware with both cloud-based online and offline protection. Beyond your Windows PCs, McAfee Total Protection and LiveSafe provides cross-device protection that extends your peace of mind to your Macs and iOS/Android mobile devices, so you can enjoy security at home and on-the-go across all your compatible devices. Our secure VPN uses bank-grade AES 256-bit encryption to keep your browsing information and online habits protected at home and on-the-go.

What is a license key?

It is a 25-digit code that gives you access to 1 subscription to McAfee protection and allows you to download it on up to 3, 5, 10 or Unlimited devices.

Employees get 1 license key. Once that license key is registered, you can download it on other devices by going to www.mcafee.com/login. Once you see your subscription, you will see a “download” or “add device” button to install it on more devices within your household.

How many devices can I download my McAfee protection on?

One license key will allow you to download McAfee Total Protection on up to 5 or 10 devices within your household –depending on what you purchased.

AntiVirus Plus covers 3 devices.

LiveSafe covers Unlimited devices within a household.

What is the link to redeem my license key?

Go to: www.mcafee.com/activate
Copy and past the 25-digit license key you receive in your confirmation email
Enter your email address (you can log in to your McAfee account if you already have one or create a new account)
Follow the prompts to start downloading the product

How do I access my Work Perks Promos Account to check the status of my order or to get my license key?

You can go to https://workperkspromos.com/account/login

How do I access my McAfee Account to check the status of my subscription?

You can go to www.mcafee.com/login

How long is the term of my subscription?

Your subscription is valid for 1 year

How do I contact McAfee Consumer Support?

For Technical, Product, or Account issues, you can go to https://service.mcafee.com/

There is chat, email, phone and knowledge-based document support 24/7

For Home Use Program related questions, please contact homeuse@mcafee.com

When can I contact McAfee Consumer Support?

Anytime 24/7.

How do I download McAfee Total Protection?

Instructions on how to download can be found here Download Instructions

How do I download McAfee Total Protection on my mobile device?

Install on a mobile device

On your PC or Mac, open a web browser and go to http://home.mcafee.com/
Click Sign in to access your MyAccount page
Type your email address and password, and click Log In.

If you do not have a McAfee account, select Are you a new user?
Register Now, follow the prompts to create your McAfee account, and click Log In.
If you want the website to remember your username in the future, select Remember Me.
Select the (+) icon.
Select the mobile device you want to protect and click Send Link.
Select the mobile device platform and the McAfee Total Protection Mobile Security.
Click Next.
Select your country and type your mobile phone number or device nickname (for tablets).

The link to download your software is then sent to your device using SMS or email.
Open the McAfee email and click Download now.
Click Download again, and then read and accept the License Agreement.
In the app store, select Open.
Log in with your My Account credentials and create a six-digit PIN.

You can also download Total Protection apps from various device-specific app stores:

The Windows app store
The Google Play
The Amazon app store
The Apple store

Before installing from an app store, ensure you have created an account at www.mcafee.com/login and have logged in at least once. Also, ensure you use the same email address and password from your install or retail card redemption for each device.

What is McAfee WebAdvisor?

Web protection enables you to sidestep attacks before they happen with clear warnings of risky websites, links and files, so you can browse, shop and bank with confidence.

What is PC Optimization?

These features help your PC go faster while ensuring you still have top-notch security. Web Boost helps rescue both your battery and bandwidth from distracting auto-play videos by automatically pausing them. And with App Boost, apps that you’re actively working on will automatically receive a boost in resources, so you can get the job done faster.

What is Safe Family/Parental Controls?

Available with McAfee Total Protection 10, Safe Family provides robust parental controls for your kids’ Windows PCs and Android/iOS devices. Packed with useful features, Safe Family gives you an extra set of hands to juggle your kids’ digital lives, from helping them build good habits to managing their app usage and online time. You can even keep track of their location when they’re getting some much-needed outdoor time.

What’s included in Parental Controls?

Parental controls provides you with the ability to supervise and keep your kids safer online. When you sign up for a family plan, you’ll receive easy instructions to get set up with the parental controls app.

See what your kids are up to: View your kid’s device activity and location at a glance from your phone or desktop.
Set rules and time limits: Start off with age-based rules for apps and websites that you can customize based on your kid’s needs.
Know where your kids are: Locate them on a live map and receive automated notifications when they enter or leave familiar places like a school or the library.
Family requests: Collaborate with your kids by allowing them to request extra app time or access blocked apps or websites.

What is McAfee QuickClean and Shredder?

Because much of your digital life exists in files on your computer, you can use McAfee^® QuickClean™ and Shredder™ to manage your privacy. Use McAfee QuickClean to remove temporary files and cookies to reclaim storage space and minimize exposure. And, when you’re looking to dispose of sensitive files, McAfee Shredder securely deletes files so that would-be thieves can’t put the pieces back together.

What is Password Manager?

Our passwords are the keys to our digital kingdom. Take the guesswork out of creating and remembering complex passwords with our password manager, which can store, auto-fill and even generate unique complex passwords. For added convenience, you can access your shared passwords on your PC and mobile devices with a single account.

What is Vulnerability Scanner?

Many vulnerabilities on your PC are due to out-of-date apps. With Vulnerability Scanner, you can update Windows and your apps from one place, streamlining Windows and application updates with a single tool that scans and installs critical updates.

What is Identity Monitoring?

Identity Monitoring Service provides a guided identity monitoring experience including dark web monitoring for your email. Get expanded monitoring with auto-renewal turned on.

How do I use My McAfee Product?

When you open your McAfee Product for the first time after installing, you’ll be greeted by a guided tour that will help you run scans and discover capabilities.

How do I remove a virus?

Once McAfee protection is installed, you’ll be able to scan for viruses and quarantine/remove them.

What devices and OS are compatible with McAfee protection?

McAfee AntiVirus Plus covers 3 Windows PC’s.

McAfee Total Protection and LiveSafe are compatible with laptops (Windows and MAC), desktops, tablets and mobile devices. You can find operating system compatibility on our page https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/help/system-requirement.html

How to set up your family with McAfee protection

Setting up family protection is simple. Log into your McAfee account by going to www.mcafee.com/login and go to your subscriptions. From there you have the option to use the “download” button or enter an email address or mobile phone number for each person you want to invite to download the product.

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.

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.

What features are available for my MAC laptop?

Key features:

Real-Time scanning
The Real-Time scanner runs in memory constantly and actively scans files and apps for viruses and other threats as you access, open, or save them. The Real-Time scanner is active from the moment you turn on your Mac and is one of the most important components of a security product.
Firewall
This component monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic (or communications) based on predefined 'rules'. These rules help the firewall to decide whether to allow or block the network traffic to keep your Mac safe. In effect, the firewall acts as a wall between your trusted internal network which your Mac is connected to, and an untrusted external network, such as the internet.
Automatic updates
Having the most current updates provides the best protection for your Mac and your data. This feature allows the product to keep itself up to date with the latest available updates, engines, and virus signature files.
Scheduled scan
A scheduled scan regularly checks your Mac for infections. This feature is an essential element of a comprehensive security system. Scans can be scheduled to run automatically on a specific day or time, or at a specific frequency.

Is Internet Connection Required?

Yes, High-speed connection recommended