How to Stop McAfee Pop-ups | 6 Proven Methods (Windows & Mac)

To stop McAfee pop-ups, open McAfee on your computer, go to Settings > General Settings & Alerts, and disable renewal reminders and promotional alerts. You can also right-click the McAfee tray icon and adjust notification preferences. All methods below maintain your full virus protection.

Need instant help? Call our free UK support line: +44-800-066-8910

Why Does McAfee Keep Showing Pop-ups?

McAfee shows pop-ups for several reasons: subscription renewal reminders, promotional offers, product upgrade prompts, real-time threat alerts, and scan completion notifications. While security alerts are important to keep, renewal reminders and promotional pop-ups can be safely disabled without affecting your protection level.

6 Methods to Stop McAfee Pop-ups

Method 1: Disable Notifications in McAfee Settings

1. Open McAfee on your computer by clicking the McAfee icon in your taskbar or Start menu
2. Click the gear icon (Settings) in the top-right corner
3. Select General Settings and Alerts
4. Click Informational Alerts
5. Uncheck all alerts you wish to disable, including renewal reminders and offers
6. Click OK to save your settings

Method 2: Turn Off Auto-Renewal to Stop Renewal Pop-ups

The most persistent McAfee pop-ups are renewal reminders. If you are not planning to renew, the simplest fix is to turn off auto-renewal in your McAfee account. Once auto-renewal is off, McAfee stops showing renewal prompts.

1. Go to mcafee.com and sign in to your account
2. Navigate to My Account > Auto-Renewal Settings
3. Click Turn Off Auto-Renewal

Method 3: Use Windows Focus Assist to Block Pop-ups

Windows 10 and 11 include Focus Assist (formerly Quiet Hours) which can suppress all third-party notifications including McAfee pop-ups during specific hours or activities.

1. Open Settings > System > Focus Assist
2. Set Focus Assist to Alarms only or choose Priority only
3. Under Priority list, make sure McAfee is not listed as a priority app
4. Set automatic rules to activate Focus Assist during specific hours (e.g. when using your PC)

Method 4: Disable McAfee System Tray Notifications

1. Right-click the McAfee shield icon in your Windows system tray (bottom-right)
2. Select Settings or Change notifications
3. Toggle off the notification types you want to disable

Method 5: Adjust Windows Notification Settings for McAfee

1. Open Windows Settings > System > Notifications
2. Scroll down to Notifications from apps and other senders
3. Find McAfee in the list and click on it
4. Toggle off notifications, or disable specific notification types (banners, sounds, etc.)

Method 6: Stop McAfee Pop-ups on Mac

1. Click the Apple menu > System Preferences > Notifications
2. Find McAfee in the left panel
3. Set the notification alert style to None and uncheck all notification options
4. Alternatively, open McAfee > Preferences > Notifications and disable alerts there

Important: Keep Security Alerts Enabled

While disabling renewal and promotional pop-ups is fine, we recommend keeping virus threat alerts and firewall notifications enabled. These alerts warn you about genuine security threats and should not be suppressed. Only disable informational and marketing notifications.