If you install another antivirus, Passive Mode kicks in automatically. Avast takes pains to avoid interfering with other antivirus tools. After you reach into settings and enable Passive Mode. One of this product's features needs special mention, because it's virtually invisible, and it's disabled by default. Avast really wants you to experience the suite and get hooked on its premium-only features. If you reject the upgrade, it offers a 60-day trial. Unwrapping the virtual gift reveals a discounted upgrade to Avast Premium Security. Across the bottom, you find a banner offering you a welcome gift. A left-rail menu lets you switch from the main Status page to Protection, Privacy, or Performance. The biggest part of Avast's main window is a slate-gray rectangle with a bit of texture, decorated with a status icon and a big button titled Run Smart Scan. That seems to be gone, replaced by a Personal Privacy page in Settings. The previous version included a full page devoted to explaining how Avast uses your nonpersonal data, and how you can opt out if you wish. It also asks a few questions to personalize its settings, and then runs a personalized scan. By default, it also makes this your default browser. And the underlying antivirus engine is identical in Avast and AVG AntiVirus Free, as demonstrated in both our tests and independent lab tests.ĭuring installation, Avast offers to install Avast Secure Browser, noting that it is private, secure, and fast. Both have millions of users worldwide, but each is strong in geographical areas where the other is weak. Fans of both companies can rest easy years and years later, there's still no plan to merge them into a single product. It's an impressive collection of security tools-especially considering that it's free.Īvast acquired rival free antivirus company AVG in 2016. On top of excellent antivirus protection, it adds a network security scanner, browser protection, and more. Avast Free Antivirus gives you more than many competing commercial products. But actually, many of the most popular free antivirus tools offer full-scale protection and a ton of extra features. Getting the advanced bonus features would require becoming a paying customer. It might seem logical that antivirus companies would offer free antivirus protection as a kind of loss leader, with only the most basic protection. How to Set Up Two-Factor Authentication.How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac.

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