General
How does Avast Premium Security help protect my emails?
Avast Premium Security has two features that help protect your PC from malicious emails. They are Email Guardian, which scans your online email accounts, and Mail Shield, which scans emails received through local email client apps.
What is Email Guardian?
Email Guardian is a paid feature, included in Avast Premium Security, which scans incoming emails in your online email accounts. Email Guardian labels received emails as either 
, or 
for potentially malicious or phishing emails. The labels are added directly in your online email account, improving your safety when checking emails from any device or any browser.
What is Mail Shield?
Mail Shield is a free feature, available both in Avast Free Antivirus and Avast Premium Security. Mail Shield scans emails sent or received using all email client applications installed on your PC, such as Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird. The feature can mark suspicious emails and help block dangerous attachments.
How many email accounts can I protect with Email Guardian and Mail Shield?
Email Guardian: Email Guardian can help protect up to 5 online email accounts.
Mail Shield: Mail Shield can scan all emails that are sent or received through email accounts linked to email client applications, such as Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird.
Do I need an Avast Account to protect my emails?
Email Guardian: Yes. To protect your online email accounts, Email Guardian requires an Avast Account. Your protected email accounts are linked to your Avast Account, providing continued protection even if you uninstall Avast Premium Security. If you reinstall Avast Premium Security, your protected emails are automatically added to Email Guardian when you log in to your Avast Account through the application.
Mail Shield: No. Avast Account is not required to protect email accounts linked to email client applications.
Which email accounts are compatible with Email Guardian and Mail Shield?
Email Guardian and Mail Shield are compatible with the following online email providers:
- 1&1
- A1
- A2
- Active 24
- Active 25
- Alice
- Ameritech
- AOL
- Apple icloud
- Arcor
- Aruba PEC
- Att
- Bell Canada
- Bellsouth
- Bigpond
- Bluewin Mail
- Blueyonder
- BOL
- BT
- Centerly link
- Charter communications
- Clustermail
- Comcast
- Cox
- Free Telecom
- Freemail
- Freenet
- Gandi Mail
- Gmail
- GMX Freemail
- Internode
- Jazztel
- Laposte
- Libero Mail
- Live
- Microsoft
- Mopera
- NTL World
- Office 365
- Orange.fr
- Outlook (Hotmail, MSN, etc.)
- Posteo
- Promail
- Proximus
- Sapo Mail
- Sbcglobal
- Seznam
- SFR Neuf
- Sky
- Snet
- Sympatico
- Talk21
- Telnet
- Telnor Denmark
- Telstra
- T-Online
- UOL Mail
- Virgin
- Virginmedia
- Web
- Windowslive
- Yahoo
- Yandex Mail
- Zeeland Net
- Ziggo Mail
- Zoho Mail
Do Email Guardian and Mail Shield detect malicious emails in my whole inbox?
Email Guardian: Email Guardian scans emails as you receive them. The feature does not scan emails that are already in your email account before you enable Email Guardian.
Mail Shield: Mail Shield scans incoming emails in your email client applications. It does not scan emails that were already in your account before you enabled Email Guardian. However, if your email client application is configured to download your entire inbox, Email Guardian may scan even old emails.
Usage
How do I set up Email Guardian and Mail Shield?
For information about how to set up Email Guardian and Mail Shield with your email account, refer to the following article:
How do Email Guardian and Mail Shield mark suspicious emails?
Email Guardian: Email Guardian automatically labels received emails as either , or for potentially malicious or phishing emails. The labels are added directly to your online email account. Suspicious emails are automatically moved to an 'Avast: Suspicious' folder in your email account.
Mail Shield: Mail Shield displays a pop-up notification if a suspicious email is detected being sent or received through your mail application and marks the subject of the email with *** VIRUS *** (the default option).
How can I manage Mail Shield settings?
Open Avast Premium Security and go to Protection ▸ Core Shields, then select 
Settings (the gear icon). Scroll down to Configure shield settings: and select the Mail Shield tab. The following options are available:
- Choose whether to scan your inbound and/or outbound emails.
- Choose whether to add an Avast signature to the end of sent emails.
- Set the text that appears in the subject of suspicious emails.
- Choose whether to scan attachments when attaching (Microsoft Outlook Only).
- Choose whether to generate a report file.
Troubleshooting
Why do I see the error message 'Your account is not enabled for IMAP use'?
For Email Guardian to function correctly with some email providers, it is necessary to enable IMAP in your email account settings. For detailed instructions on how to do this, refer to the following article:
What does the error message 'Application-specific password required' mean?
This message appears when you have two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled and try to enter your email account password to set up Email Guardian. In this situation, you need to generate a special password in your email provider settings so Email Guardian can connect to your email account. For detailed instructions on how to set up Email Guardian when you have 2FA enabled, refer to the following article:
Why do I see the error message 'Sorry, we can't connect to that account yet'?
This message appears if you are trying to connect with an email account that is not yet supported by Email Guardian. We are continuously working on adding compatible email providers so please try again later.
Why did I receive the email 'Email Guardian paused for this mailbox' or 'We’ve lost access to this online mailbox'?
These emails are sent out if the online version of Email Guardian has lost access to your email account for any reason, for example, due to a changed email account password. To enable protection again, follow these steps:
- Open Avast Premium Security and go to Protection ▸ Email Guardian.
- Click Give access next to the relevant email account to set up protection again.
- Alternatively, hover your cursor over the relevant email account and click the X icon to remove your email account. Then, add your email account again.
How can I remove Email Guardian from my email if I don't have Avast Premium Security installed?
Because the online version of Email Guardian is linked to your Avast Account, it will continue to protect your online email accounts even if you uninstall Avast Premium Security. If you wish to disable Email Guardian you must reinstall Avast Premium Security. For detailed instructions to remove Email Guardian from your email, refer to the following article:
Alternatively, contact Avast Support for assistance.
Why did Email Guardian report a spam email as 'safe'?
Email Guardian is specifically designed to identify and prevent phishing, scams, and malicious content like harmful links and attachments in emails. However, it is not intended for detecting generic spam messages, such as unwanted newsletters. To report undetected spam messages, follow the instructions in this article:
Why did I lose connection with my cox.net email address?
Cox.net email addresses are currently being transitioned to the email provider Yahoo.com. When an email address is transitioned, it loses connection to Email Guardian. If your cox.net email address has lost connection to Email Guardian, refer to the steps in the following article to reconnect it: Email Guardian - Getting Started.
Why did I lose access with my Gmail account?
Google has changed its policies for applications listed under the email reporting and monitoring categories. To protect your account, you need to renew Gmail access every six months. When your Gmail access expires, you receive an email to the email address that was protected, as well as an alert in the Email Guardian section of your Avast Antivirus application. Follow the provided instructions to renew your Gmail access.
General
What is Email Guardian?
Email Guardian is a feature in Avast Premium Security, which scans received emails and helps block dangerous attachments or phishing scams. Email Guardian includes two functions, each with a corresponding section in the Email Guardian menu:
- Across all devices: Email Guardian scans incoming emails in your online email accounts. The feature labels received emails as either
, or for potentially malicious or phishing emails. These labels are directly added to your online email account, enhancing your safety when checking emails from any device or browser. To use this feature, you need a paid subscription to Avast Premium Security. - Only on this Mac: Email Guardian scans emails sent or received using all email client applications installed on your Mac, such as Apple Mail or Microsoft Outlook. The feature can mark suspicious emails and help block dangerous attachments. This functionality is available in both the free version (Avast Security) and the paid version (Avast Premium Security).
How many email accounts can I protect with Email Guardian?
Across all devices: Email Guardian can help protect up to 5 online email accounts.
Only on this Mac: Additionally, Email Guardian can scan all emails that are sent or received through email accounts linked to email client applications, such as Apple Mail or Microsoft Outlook.
Do I need an Avast Account to use Email Guardian?
Across all devices: Yes. To protect your online email accounts, Email Guardian requires an Avast Account. Your protected email accounts are linked to your Avast Account, providing continued protection even if you uninstall Avast Premium Security. If you reinstall Avast Premium Security, your protected emails are automatically added to Email Guardian when you log in to your Avast Account through the application.
Only on this Mac: No. Avast Account is not required to protect email accounts linked to email client applications.
Which email accounts are compatible with Email Guardian?
Email Guardian is compatible with the following online email providers:
- 1&1
- A1
- A2
- Active 24
- Active 25
- Alice
- Ameritech
- AOL
- Apple icloud
- Arcor
- Aruba PEC
- Att
- Bell Canada
- Bellsouth
- Bigpond
- Bluewin Mail
- Blueyonder
- BOL
- BT
- Centerly link
- Charter communications
- Clustermail
- Comcast
- Cox
- Free Telecom
- Freemail
- Freenet
- Gandi Mail
- Gmail
- GMX Freemail
- Internode
- Jazztel
- Laposte
- Libero Mail
- Live
- Microsoft
- Mopera
- NTL World
- Office 365
- Orange.fr
- Outlook (Hotmail, MSN, etc.)
- Posteo
- Promail
- Proximus
- Sapo Mail
- Sbcglobal
- Seznam
- SFR Neuf
- Sky
- Snet
- Sympatico
- Talk21
- Telnet
- Telnor Denmark
- Telstra
- T-Online
- UOL Mail
- Virgin
- Virginmedia
- Web
- Windowslive
- Yahoo
- Yandex Mail
- Zeeland Net
- Ziggo Mail
- Zoho Mail
Does Email Guardian detect malicious emails in my whole inbox?
Across all devices: Email Guardian scans emails as you receive them. The feature does not scan emails that are already in your email account before you enable Email Guardian.
Only on this Mac: Email Guardian scans incoming emails in your email client applications. It does not scan emails that were already in your account before you enabled Email Guardian. However, if your email client application is configured to download your entire inbox, Email Guardian may scan even old emails.
Usage
How do I set up Email Guardian?
For information about how to set up Email Guardian with your email account, refer to the following article:
How does Email Guardian mark suspicious emails?
Across all devices: Email Guardian automatically labels received emails as either , or for potentially malicious or phishing emails. The labels are added directly to your online email account. Suspicious emails are automatically moved to an 'Avast: Suspicious' folder in your email account.
Only on this Mac: Email Guardian displays a pop-up notification if a suspicious email is detected being sent or received through your mail application. You can view details about detected threads in your email client applications by following these steps:
- Open Avast Premium Security and click Email Guardian.
- Ensure that the Statistics tab is selected, then click Threat Summary.
How can I manage Email Guardian settings?
Open Avast Premium Security and click Email Guardian. Select Settings (the gear icon) to configure Email Guardian settings that help protect the email applications on your device:
- Choose whether to be notified about attempts to install potentially unwanted programs and tools.
- Choose whether to scan secure connections.
- Choose between weekly summary reports or immediate detection alerts.
- Add exceptions by enter the domain name of a mailbox you do not want Email Guardian to scan.
Troubleshooting
Why do I see the error message 'Your account is not enabled for IMAP use'?
For the online version of Email Guardian to function correctly with some email providers, it is necessary to enable IMAP in your email account settings. For detailed instructions on how to do this, refer to the following article:
What does the error message 'Application-specific password required' mean?
This message appears when you have two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled and try to enter your email account password to set up the online version of Email Guardian. In this situation, you need to generate a special password in your email provider settings so Email Guardian can connect to your email account. For detailed instructions on how to set up Email Guardian when you have 2FA enabled, refer to the following article:
Why do I see the error message 'Sorry, we can't connect to that account yet'?
This message appears if you are trying to connect with an email account that is not yet supported by the online version of Email Guardian. We are continuously working on adding compatible email providers so please try again later.
Why did I receive the email 'Email Guardian paused for this mailbox' or 'We’ve lost access to this online mailbox'?
These emails are sent out if the online version of Email Guardian has lost access to your email account for any reason, for example, due to a changed email account password. To enable protection again, follow these steps:
- Open Avast Premium Security and click Email Guardian.
- Ensure that the Overview tab is selected, then click Sign in next to the relevant email account to set up protection again.
- Alternatively, click the X icon next to the relevant email account to remove it from Email Guardian. Then, add your email account again.
How can I remove Email Guardian from my email if I don't have Avast Premium Security installed?
Because the online version of Email Guardian is linked to your Avast Account, it will continue to protect your online email accounts even if you uninstall Avast Premium Security. If you wish to disable Email Guardian you must reinstall Avast Premium Security. For detailed instructions to remove Email Guardian from your email, refer to the following article:
Alternatively, contact Avast Support for assistance.
Why did Email Guardian report a spam email as 'safe'?
Email Guardian is specifically designed to identify and prevent phishing, scams, and malicious content like harmful links and attachments in emails. However, it is not intended for detecting generic spam messages, such as unwanted newsletters. To report undetected spam messages, follow the instructions in this article:
Why did I lose connection with my cox.net email address?
Cox.net email addresses are currently being transitioned to the email provider Yahoo.com. When an email address is transitioned, it loses connection to Email Guardian. If your cox.net email address has lost connection to Email Guardian, refer to the steps in the following article to reconnect it: Email Guardian - Getting Started.
Why did I lose access with my Gmail account?
Google has changed its policies for applications listed under the email reporting and monitoring categories. To protect your account, you need to renew Gmail access every six months. When your Gmail access expires, you receive an email to the email address that was protected, as well as an alert in the Email Guardian section of your Avast Antivirus application. Follow the provided instructions to renew your Gmail access.
General
What is Email Guardian?
Email Guardian is a paid feature, included in Avast Mobile Security Premium, which scans incoming emails in your online email accounts. Email Guardian labels received emails as either , or for potentially malicious or phishing emails. The labels are added directly in your online email account, improving your safety when checking emails from any device or any browser.
How many email accounts can I protect with Email Guardian?
You can protect a maximum of 5 email accounts with Email Guardian.
Do I need an Avast Account to use Email Guardian?
Yes. To protect your online email accounts, Email Guardian requires an Avast Account. Your protected email accounts are linked to your Avast Account, providing continued protection even if you uninstall Avast Mobile Security Premium. If you reinstall Avast Mobile Security Premium, your protected emails are automatically added to Email Guardian when you log in to your Avast Account through the application.
Which email accounts are compatible with Email Guardian?
Email Guardian is available for the following email providers:
- 1&1
- A1
- A2
- Active 24
- Active 25
- Alice
- Ameritech
- AOL
- Apple icloud
- Arcor
- Aruba PEC
- Att
- Bell Canada
- Bellsouth
- Bigpond
- Bluewin Mail
- Blueyonder
- BOL
- BT
- Centerly link
- Charter communications
- Clustermail
- Comcast
- Cox
- Free Telecom
- Freemail
- Freenet
- Gandi Mail
- Gmail
- GMX Freemail
- Internode
- Jazztel
- Laposte
- Libero Mail
- Live
- Microsoft
- Mopera
- NTL World
- Office 365
- Orange.fr
- Outlook (Hotmail, MSN, etc.)
- Posteo
- Promail
- Proximus
- Sapo Mail
- Sbcglobal
- Seznam
- SFR Neuf
- Sky
- Snet
- Sympatico
- Talk21
- Telnet
- Telnor Denmark
- Telstra
- T-Online
- UOL Mail
- Virgin
- Virginmedia
- Web
- Windowslive
- Yahoo
- Yandex Mail
- Zeeland Net
- Ziggo Mail
- Zoho Mail
Does Email Guardian detect malicious emails in my whole inbox?
Email Guardian scans emails as they are received. It does not scan emails that are already in your email account before you enable Email Guardian.
Usage
How do I set up Email Guardian?
For information about how to set up Email Guardian with your email account, refer to the following article:
How does Email Guardian mark suspicious emails?
Email Guardian automatically labels received emails as either , or for potentially malicious or phishing emails. The labels are added directly to your online email account. Suspicious emails are automatically moved to an 'Avast: Suspicious' folder in your email account.
Troubleshooting
Why do I see the error message 'Your account is not enabled for IMAP use'?
For Email Guardian to function correctly with some email providers, it is necessary to enable IMAP in your email account settings. For detailed instructions on how to do this, refer to the following article:
What does the error message 'Application-specific password required' mean?
This message appears when you have two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled and try to enter your email account password to set up Email Guardian. In this situation, you need to generate a special password in your email provider settings so Email Guardian can connect to your email account. For detailed instructions on how to set up Email Guardian when you have 2FA enabled, refer to the following article:
Why do I see the error message 'Sorry, we can't connect to that account yet'?
This message appears if you are trying to connect with an email account that is not yet supported by Email Guardian. We are continuously working on adding compatible email providers so please try again later.
Why did I receive the email 'Email Guardian paused for this mailbox' or 'We’ve lost access to this online mailbox'?
These emails are sent out if Email Guardian has lost access to your email account for any reason, for example, due to a changed email account password. To enable protection again, follow these steps:
- Tap the Avast Mobile Security Premium icon on the Home screen of your device. The app opens.
- Tap Explore ▸ Email Guardian.
- Tap Reload next to the relevant email account and follow the instructions to add your email account again.
Explore ▸ Email Guardian.
Reload next to the relevant email account and follow the instructions to add your email account again.How can I remove Email Guardian from my email if I don't have Avast Mobile Security Premium installed?
Because the online version of Email Guardian is linked to your Avast Account, it will continue to protect your online email accounts even if you uninstall Avast Mobile Security Premium. If you wish to disable Email Guardian you must reinstall Avast Mobile Security Premium. For detailed instructions to remove Email Guardian from your email, refer to the following article:
Alternatively, contact Avast Support for assistance.
Why did Email Guardian report a spam email as 'safe'?
Email Guardian is specifically designed to identify and prevent phishing, scams, and malicious content like harmful links and attachments in emails. However, it is not intended for detecting generic spam messages, such as unwanted newsletters. To report undetected spam messages, follow the instructions in this article:
Why did I lose connection with my cox.net email address?
Cox.net email addresses are currently being transitioned to the email provider Yahoo.com. When an email address is transitioned, it loses connection to Email Guardian. If your cox.net email address has lost connection to Email Guardian, refer to the steps in the following article to reconnect it: Email Guardian - Getting Started.
Why did I lose access with my Gmail account?
Google has changed its policies for applications listed under the email reporting and monitoring categories. To protect your account, you need to renew Gmail access every six months. When your Gmail access expires, you receive an email to the email address that was protected, as well as an alert in the Email Guardian section of your Avast Antivirus application. Follow the provided instructions to renew your Gmail access.
General
What is Email Guardian?
Email Guardian is a paid feature, included in Avast Mobile Security Premium, which scans incoming emails in your online email accounts. Email Guardian labels received emails as either , or for potentially malicious or phishing emails. The labels are added directly in your online email account, improving your safety when checking emails from any device or any browser.
How many email accounts can I protect with Email Guardian?
You can protect a maximum of 5 email accounts with Email Guardian.
Do I need an Avast Account to use Email Guardian?
Yes. To protect your online email accounts, Email Guardian requires an Avast Account. Your protected email accounts are linked to your Avast Account, providing continued protection even if you uninstall Avast Mobile Security Premium. If you reinstall Avast Mobile Security Premium, your protected emails are automatically added to Email Guardian when you log in to your Avast Account through the application.
Which email accounts are compatible with Email Guardian?
Email Guardian is available for the following email providers:
- 1&1
- A1
- A2
- Active 24
- Active 25
- Alice
- Ameritech
- AOL
- Apple icloud
- Arcor
- Aruba PEC
- Att
- Bell Canada
- Bellsouth
- Bigpond
- Bluewin Mail
- Blueyonder
- BOL
- BT
- Centerly link
- Charter communications
- Clustermail
- Comcast
- Cox
- Free Telecom
- Freemail
- Freenet
- Gandi Mail
- Gmail
- GMX Freemail
- Internode
- Jazztel
- Laposte
- Libero Mail
- Live
- Microsoft
- Mopera
- NTL World
- Office 365
- Orange.fr
- Outlook (Hotmail, MSN, etc.)
- Posteo
- Promail
- Proximus
- Sapo Mail
- Sbcglobal
- Seznam
- SFR Neuf
- Sky
- Snet
- Sympatico
- Talk21
- Telnet
- Telnor Denmark
- Telstra
- T-Online
- UOL Mail
- Virgin
- Virginmedia
- Web
- Windowslive
- Yahoo
- Yandex Mail
- Zeeland Net
- Ziggo Mail
- Zoho Mail
Does Email Guardian detect malicious emails in my whole inbox?
Email Guardian scans emails as they are received. It does not scan emails that are already in your email account before you enable Email Guardian.
Usage
How do I set up Email Guardian?
For information about how to set up Email Guardian with your email account, refer to the following article:
How does Email Guardian mark suspicious emails?
Email Guardian automatically labels received emails as either , or for potentially malicious or phishing emails. The labels are added directly to your online email account. Suspicious emails are automatically moved to an 'Avast: Suspicious' folder in your email account.
Troubleshooting
Why do I see the error message 'Your account is not enabled for IMAP use'?
For Email Guardian to function correctly with some email providers, it is necessary to enable IMAP in your email account settings. For detailed instructions on how to do this, refer to the following article:
What does the error message 'Application-specific password required' mean?
This message appears when you have two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled and try to enter your email account password to set up Email Guardian. In this situation, you need to generate a special password in your email provider settings so Email Guardian can connect to your email account. For detailed instructions on how to set up Email Guardian when you have 2FA enabled, refer to the following article:
Why do I see the error message 'Sorry, we can't connect to that account yet'?
This message appears if you are trying to connect with an email account that is not yet supported by Email Guardian. We are continuously working on adding compatible email providers so please try again later.
Why did I receive the email 'Email Guardian paused for this mailbox' or 'We’ve lost access to this online mailbox'?
These emails are sent out if Email Guardian has lost access to your email account for any reason, for example, due to a changed email account password. To enable protection again, follow these steps:
- Tap the Avast Mobile Security Premium icon on the Home screen of your device. The app opens.
- Tap Open Email Guardian.
- Tap
⋮More options (three dots) ▸ Sign in to mailbox next to the relevant email account and follow the instructions to add your email account again.
How can I remove Email Guardian from my email if I don't have Avast Mobile Security Premium installed?
Because the online version of Email Guardian is linked to your Avast Account, it will continue to protect your online email accounts even if you uninstall Avast Mobile Security Premium. If you wish to disable Email Guardian you must reinstall Avast Mobile Security Premium. For detailed instructions to remove Email Guardian from your email, refer to the following article:
Alternatively, contact Avast Support for assistance.
Why did Email Guardian report a spam email as 'safe'?
Email Guardian is specifically designed to identify and prevent phishing, scams, and malicious content like harmful links and attachments in emails. However, it is not intended for detecting generic spam messages, such as unwanted newsletters. To report undetected spam messages, follow the instructions in this article:
Why did I lose connection with my cox.net email address?
Cox.net email addresses are currently being transitioned to the email provider Yahoo.com. When an email address is transitioned, it loses connection to Email Guardian. If your cox.net email address has lost connection to Email Guardian, refer to the steps in the following article to reconnect it: Email Guardian - Getting Started.
Why did I lose access with my Gmail account?
Google has changed its policies for applications listed under the email reporting and monitoring categories. To protect your account, you need to renew Gmail access every six months. When your Gmail access expires, you receive an email to the email address that was protected, as well as an alert in the Email Guardian section of your Avast Antivirus application. Follow the provided instructions to renew your Gmail access.
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Updated on: 27/02/2025
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