Avast Premium Security and Avast Security for Mac - FAQs

For detailed information on system requirements for Avast Premium Security and Avast Security, refer to the following article: System requirements for Avast applications.

Avast Premium Security and Avast Security do not run properly if you have any other antivirus software installed. For help removing other antivirus software, refer to the following article: Uninstalling other antivirus software.

Avast Security is a free app that does not require a paid subscription to use. After installation, Avast Security is ready to use. For access to additional features, upgrade to a paid Avast Premium Security subscription.

Avast Premium Security includes additional features and requires a paid subscription. The additional features are Real Site, Ransomware Shield, the option to monitor your network in real time using Network Inspector, and the option to protect your email mailbox across all devices using Email Guard.

For installation instructions, refer to the relevant article: Installing Avast Security & Installing Avast Premium Security.

If you have purchased Avast Premium Security, you can activate it after installation. Refer to the following article for detailed instructions: Activating an Avast Premium Security subscription.

If you have already purchased an Avast Premium Security subscription, refer to the following article for detailed activation instructions: Activating an Avast Premium Security subscription.

To upgrade to Avast Premium Security:

1. Open Avast Security and click Go premium on the main screen.
2. Follow the on-screen purchase instructions.

After purchase, Avast Premium Security automatically activates and replaces Avast Security on your Mac device.

You can activate Avast Premium Security using your Avast Account or a valid activation code. For detailed instructions, refer to the following article:

• Activating an Avast Premium Security subscription

For information about activating Avast Premium Security (Multi-Device) on other platforms, refer to the following article:

• Activating Avast Premium Security (Multi-Device)

Open Avast Premium Security and go to ☰ Menu ▸ My subscriptions. The duration of your subscription is listed under Subscriptions on this Mac.

Yes. For detailed instructions, refer to the following article:

• Transferring an Avast subscription to another device

You can activate Avast Premium Security (Single-Device) on one device at a time, and transfer it to another device on the same platform.

Avast Premium Security (Multi-Device) helps protect up to 10 devices simultaneously on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. You can freely transfer it from one device or platform to another.

Check your Avast Account or order confirmation email to confirm which subscription type you purchased.

For information about canceling the renewal for an Avast subscription, refer to the following article:

• Canceling an Avast subscription - FAQs

The following scan types are available on the Scan Central screen:

• Smart Scan: A quick scan of the most vulnerable areas of your Mac.
• Deep Scan: An in-depth scan of your entire system.
• Targeted Scan: Scan specific files or folders you select.
• External Storage Scan: Scan any removable storage devices connected to your Mac, such as USBs or external drives.
• Custom Scans: Set up a scan with your own parameters and schedule it to run regularly and automatically.

For more information about each type of scan as well as scan settings, refer to the following article:

• Scanning your Mac with Avast Security or Avast Premium Security

To run an Avast Security scan:

1. Open Avast Security and click the Virus Scans tile.
2. To start your preferred scan:
   • Smart Scan: Click Scan now, then Next when prompted to progress to the next stage of the scan.
   • Deep Scan: Click the Deep Scan tile.
   • Targeted Scan: Click the Targeted Scan tile, then select the files or folders you want to scan, and click Open.
   • External Storage Scan: Click the External Storage Scan tile, then select the removable drives you want to scan, and click Start.
   • Custom Scan: Select the Scheduled scans tab, hover your cursor over the panel for the scan you want to run, then click the ► play button (Start scan now). This option is only available if you have already set up a Scheduled scan.

For more information about each type of scan as well as scan settings, refer to the following article:

• Scanning your Mac with Avast Security or Avast Premium Security

To schedule a Targeted Scan, Deep Scan, or Mac Scan to run regularly and automatically:

1. Open Avast Security and click the Virus Scans tile.
2. Select the Scheduled scans tab on the Scan Central screen.
3. Click Schedule a new scan.
4. Fill in the scan parameters, and optionally select your preferred advanced settings and add any exceptions.
5. Click Save to confirm the settings for your scheduled scan.

Your scan will run according to the schedule you specified and appears in the Scheduled Scans list.

To edit or delete the scan, hover your cursor over the scan details, and click … More options (three dots), then select Edit scan or Remove scan.

For detailed instructions, refer to the following article:

• Scanning your Mac with Avast Security or Avast Premium Security

File Shield is the main layer of active protection in Avast Security. It scans programs and files on your Mac for malicious threats in real-time before allowing them to be opened, run, modified, or saved. If malware is detected, File Shield prevents the program or file from infecting your Mac.

For more information about File Shield and other Core Shields, refer to the following article:

• Managing the Core Shields and Email Guard in Avast Security for Mac

Web Guard (formerly known as Web Shield) is an additional layer of active protection in Avast Security. It scans data that is transferred when you browse the internet in real-time to prevent malware, such as malicious scripts, from being downloaded and run on your Mac.

For more information about Web Guard and other Core Shields, refer to the following article:

• Managing the Core Shields and Email Guard in Avast Security for Mac

Scam Guardian is a feature of Avast Security that provides tools to identify and avoid online scams. It includes:

• Avast Assistant: An AI-driven tool designed to analyze texts, emails, and links for signs of scams. Beyond detecting suspicious content, it serves as a cybersecurity resource, allowing users to ask questions on various topics related to online safety.
• Web Guard (formerly known as Web Shield): One of the Core Shields of Avast Security, which scans internet activity in real-time to prevent malware, such as malicious scripts, from being downloaded.
• Email Guard (formerly known as Email Guardian): A premium feature that scans incoming emails in your online email accounts, labeling received emails to indicate potential scam and phishing risks.

For more information, refer to the following articles:

• Scam Guardian - FAQs
• Scam Guardian - Getting Started

Real Site is a paid feature available in Avast Premium Security. It helps protect against DNS (Domain Name System) hijacking by providing an encrypted connection between your web browser and the Avast owned DNS server. DNS hijacking (or DNS redirection) is a type of malicious attack that redirects you from the site you want to visit, to another site that may look just like it, but which can steal information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details. This type of attack is especially dangerous when used with banking and shopping websites. Real Site is designed to block these fake websites and to ensure that the displayed website is the actual authentic one you want to visit.

To turn on Real Site:

1. Open Avast Security and select the Core Shields tile.
2. Click the slider under Real Site so it turns green (ON).

Traffic Monitor checks if any apps are using too much data and slowing down your internet. You can also find out where your apps send data and check if any apps are connecting to servers in a specific location.

For more information about Traffic Monitor, refer to the following article:

• Avast Premium Security and Avast Security for Mac - Getting Started

Network Inspector scans your network for vulnerabilities and identifies potential security issues that open the door to threats. This feature checks the status of your network, devices connected to the network, and router settings. Network Inspector helps you secure your network to prevent attackers from accessing it and misusing your personal data. If you have an Avast Premium Security subscription, Network Inspector can monitor your network in real time.

For more information about Network Inspector, refer to the following articles:

• Network Inspector - Getting Started
• Network Inspector - FAQs

Email Guard (formerly known as Email Guardian), available in Avast Premium Security, scans your web-based email account in real-time and flags suspicious emails that may contain malware or phishing scams.

For more information about Email Guard, refer to the following articles:

• Email Guard - FAQs
• Email Guard - Getting Started

Ransomware Shield is a paid feature available in Avast Premium Security. It helps secure your personal photos, documents, and files from being modified, deleted, or encrypted by ransomware attacks. This feature automatically helps secure your Pictures and Documents folders, and allows you to specify which other folders you want to protect from untrusted applications. Additionally, you can specify which applications are allowed to modify the files in your protected folders.

For more information about Ransomware Shield, refer to the following article:

• Ransomware Shield - Getting Started

Quarantine is a safe place for storing potentially harmful files and completely isolating them from the rest of your operating system. Files in Quarantine are not accessible to any outside processes, software applications, or viruses.

For more information about Quarantine, including how to send files from Quarantine to Avast Threat Labs, refer to the following article:

• Quarantine - Getting Started

For detailed instructions on how to start using Avast Security or Avast Premium Security, refer to the following article:

• Avast Premium Security and Avast Security for Mac - Getting Started

To check which version of Avast Security is installed on your Mac, go to ☰ Menu ▸ Preferences ▸ General. The version number is displayed at the top of the screen.

To set an exclusion for a Core Shield:

1. Open Avast Security and go to ☰ Menu ▸ Preferences ▸ Core Shields.
2. Select the relevant shield tab, then click Add exceptions.
3. If you are adding an exclusion for File Shield, select the file and click Open. For Web Guard, specify the domain name and service, then click Add.

For detailed instructions on how to set exclusions for Core Shields, refer to the following article:

• Managing the Core Shields and Email Guard in Avast Security for Mac

To set an exclusion for one of the predefined scans:

1. Open Avast Security and go to ☰ Menu ▸ Preferences ▸ Scans.
2. Select the relevant scan tab, then click Add exceptions.
3. Select a file or folder, then click Open.

For detailed instructions on how to set exclusions for the predefined scans, refer to the following article:

• Scanning your Mac with Avast Security or Avast Premium Security

To set an exclusion for Email Guard:

1. Open Avast Security and go to ☰ Menu ▸ Preferences ▸ Email Guard.
2. Click Add exceptions.
3. Specify the email domain name and email protocol, then click Add.

For detailed instructions on how to set exclusions for Email Guard, refer to the following article:

• Managing the Core Shields and Email Guard in Avast Security for Mac

The status message 'Unable to scan' means that the file could not be scanned, possibly due to an encrypted ZIP file, or because the files are currently in use. The status does not mean that there is anything wrong with the file, only that it is not available for scanning.

If you see the status This Mac is not fully protected, you need to allow permissions so that Avast Security can help protect your system. For detailed instructions, refer to the following article:

• Allowing all protection permissions on macOS

The Core Shields in Avast Security detect and block suspicious files, dangerous websites, and unauthorized connections. In some cases, a Core Shield may cause connectivity issues. If you are unable to use online software or browse certain sites, use the troubleshooting steps below to determine if a shield is causing the issue:

1. Open Avast Security and click Core Shields.
2. Click the green (ON) slider above File Shield so that it changes to red (OFF), then perform your original action (for example, if you were unable to access a certain site, try to access the site again).
3. If the connectivity issue persists, click the red (OFF) slider to enable the shield again, then repeat the steps above for each shield.

When you determine which shield is causing the connectivity issue, you can set an exclusion for a certain file, site, or mail server by using the steps in the following article:

• Managing the Core Shields and Email Guard in Avast Security for Mac

Retrieve the activation code from your Avast Account or order confirmation email and confirm that the code is for Avast Premium Security for Mac. Then try to activate the application again. If activation is unsuccessful, refer to the following article:

• Troubleshooting activation issues in Avast apps

Avast Security and Avast Premium Security for Mac include a built-in reporting tool that allows you to generate a support package and submit it to Avast Support for analysis.

For detailed instructions to submit a support package, refer to the following article:

• Creating a support package from Avast Security or Avast Premium Security for Mac

For detailed uninstallation instructions, refer to the relevant article below:

• Uninstalling Avast Security from Mac
• Uninstalling Avast Premium Security