End McAfee Pop-Up Notifications on Windows and macOS

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Are you being bombarded with McAfee pop-ups and you want to get rid of them? Some sites, once you allow the web browser permission to send you notifications, send you pop-ups that look like they are from McAfee, but are instead a malicious advertisement. Alternatively, legit McAfee notifications appear in the notifications center and you can easily turn these off in Settings on Windows. Read on to learn how to get rid of McAfee pop-ups on your PC or Mac computer.

Stop Annoying McAfee Pop-Ups?

Stopping Web Browser Pop-ups

Navigate to your browser's notification settings. There are a few different ways to do this according to your browser: Chrome - ⋮ > Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications. Firefox - ☰ > Settings > Privacy & Security > Settings (next to "Notifications). Edge - ••• > Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Notifications. Safari - Settings > Websites > Notifications. Use this method to stop websites from sending you notifications that look like McAfee pop-ups. For Windows computers with the notification center, these pop-ups can appear in the notification center, which makes them look more official. Turning off notifications and revoking access to sites that already have this permission is the best first step you can take to get rid of those pop-ups.

Turn off notification permission for new sites. The wording varies slightly depending on the browser, so check or toggle the option next to "Don't allow sites to send notifications" (Chrome), or "Block new requests asking to allow notifications" (Firefox). If you're using Edge instead, make sure the toggle next to "Ask before sending" is off so that all requests are blocked. For Safari, make sure "Allow websites to ask for permission to send notifications" is not checked. Any requests are blocked and you won't see them. Make sure you click Save changes for any web browser that has that button, like Firefox.

Revoke notification permission for any site that already has it (if needed). If there's a site that you no longer trust or recognize that already has permission to send notifications, you can remove it. Chrome - Under the "Allowed to send notifications" section, click ⋮ > Block/Remove. Firefox - Click a site to select it, then click Remove Website. You can also double-click it to select Block. Edge - Under "Allow," click ••• > Remove/Block. Safari - Select Deny from the drop-down list next to the website's name.

Stopping McAfee Notifications on Windows 10/11

Open Settings. Do this quickly by pressing Win + I simultaneously. You can also click the gear icon in the Start menu. Do this if you're getting legitimate McAfee pop-ups in your notification center that you don't want to see.

Click System. This gives you more options, like Display, Sound, and Focus.

Click Notifications. It's next to an icon of a bell. For Windows 10, this says "Notifications & actions" instead.

Click the toggle next to "McAfee" to turn it off. You shouldn't get McAfee alerts in your notification center anymore.

Uninstalling PC App Store (Windows)

Make sure PC App Store and associated software isn't running. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and click the speedometer icon on the left (it's the icon for Startup Apps). Now you'll see a list of all the apps that start whenever your computer starts. Find and right-click on PC App Store as well as Auto App Updater to "Disable" them. The malicious software might be in disguise as a different name that you don't recognise, like "nwjs" or "Tool" . Close Task Manager and restart your PC.

Open Apps. Press the Win key and enter Uninstall. Click on the first app that appears in the list to open Apps in Settings. Alternatively, press Win + I and click Apps. While the PC App Store is a legitimate software, it is often misused to install malicious software and ads on your computer. You can download it unknowingly if it's included in a bundle along with other software, so look for it even if you don't remember downloading it. Auto App Updater is commonly installed along with PC App Store and you might run into issues by uninstalling one and not the other. To avoid complications, uninstall both Auto App Updater and PC App Store.

Click ⋮ (Windows 11) or click to select the app (Windows 10). The three-dot menu is to the right of the app's name and will open a drop-down menu. If you click to select the app, you'll see more options appear.

Select Uninstall. The software will be uninstalled from your computer. Remember to repeat this process to uninstall both Auto App Updater and PC App Store if they are both installed. If you are getting an error that's preventing you from uninstalling, did you make sure to remove the apps from the startup list and restart? You can also search your computer for the folder called "fa_rss", and make sure you have administrative privileges so you can uninstall the folder and everything inside it. Run Windows Security or other antimalware tools to clean up any traces from PC App Store or Auto App Updates. If your browser is hijacked as well, use this wikiHow article to clean it up.

Uninstalling PC App Store (macOS)

Open Applications in Finder. The Finder icon is usually in the Dock. Click Applications to see a list of everything installed on your Mac.

Drag the malicious app to the Trash. The main offender is PC App Store, but you also want to delete Auto App Updater if you find it. Simply click and drag the app icon to the trash can in the Dock.

Empty the trash. Right-click the trash icon (Ctrl + Click) and select Empty Trash. Restart your Mac to run the built-in antivirus features or other antimalware tools to clean up any traces from PC App Store or Auto App Updates. If your browser is hijacked as well, use this wikiHow article to clean it up.

Differentiate Real & Fake McAfee Pop-Ups

Look for bad spelling, grammar mistakes, or typos. These blunders are immediate red flags.

Fake and fraudulent ads are pixelated, blurry, and look "off". Legitimate images from McAfee are sharp and in focus.

Fake ads redirect you to a website. Legitimate McAfee offers keep you inside the app. If you suspect that you're looking at a fake ad, don't click on it. Instead, use Task Manager or Activity Monitor to close any windows that you have open. Here are a few messages that are fake and not used by McAfee as notifications: Activate Protection Now?|Update Available: Antivirus Activate your free security today – Download now|Turn On Windows Protection ✅ Activate your McAfee, now! ✅|Click here to review your PC protection Activate your Mcafee, now! ✅|Reminder From McAfee Activate your Norton, now! ✅|Click here to review your PC protection Activate Your PC Security ✅|Download your free Windows protection now. Antivirus Gratis Installieren✅|Bestes Antivirus–Kostenlos herunterladen Antivirus Protection|Download Now To Protect Your Computer From Viruses & Malware Attacks Best Antivirus 2020 – Download Free Now|Install Your Free Antivirus ✅ Check here with a Free Virus Scan|Is Windows slow due to virus? Click here to activate McAfee protection|McAfee Safety Alert Click here to activate McAfee protection|Turn on your antivirus Click Here To Activate McAfee Protection|Upgrade Your Antivirus Click here to activate Norton protection|Turn on your antivirus ✅ Click here to clean.|System is infected! Click here to fix the error|Protect your PC now ! Click here to fix the error|System alert! Click here to protect your data.|Remove useless files advised Click Here To Renew Subscription|Viruses Found (3) Click here to review your PC protection|⚠ Your Mcafee has Expired Click here to Scan and Remove Virus|Potential Virus? Click To Renew Your Subscription|Viruses Found (3) Click to turn on your Norton protection|New (1) Security Notification Critical Virus Alert|Turn on virus protection Free Antivirus Update is|available.Download and protect system? Install Antivirus Now!|Norton – Protect Your PC! Install FREE Antivirus now|Is the system under threat? Install free antivirus|Protect your Windows PC! Jetzt KOSTENLOSES Antivirus installieren|Wird das System bedroht? McAfee Safety Alert|Turn on your antivirus now [Activate] McAfee Total Protection|Trusted Antivirus and Privacy Protection Norton Antivirus|Stay Protected. Activate Now! Norton Expired 3 Days Ago!⚠️ |Renew now to stay protected for your PC! PC is under virus threat! |Renew Norton now to say protected ⚠️ Protect Your Computer From Viruses|⚠️ Activate McAfee Antivirus Renew McAfee License Now!|Stay Protected. Renew Now! Renew McAfee License Now!|Your McAfee Has Expired Today Renew Norton License Now!|Your Norton Has Expired Today Renew Now For 2021|Your Norton has Expired Today? Renew now to stay protected!|⚠ Your Mcafee has Expired Scan Report Ready|Tap to reveal Turn on virus protection|Viruses found (3) Your Computer Might be At Risk ☠️ |❌ Renew Norton Antivirus!