Own an LG monitor and tired of seeing that McAfee pop-up? Microsoft has banished it from Windows 11 but wider issues need to be addressed here

Date:
Fri, 24 Jul 2026 13:27:54 +0000

Description:
Microsoft kills McAfee ad served via LG monitor app in Windows 11 but there are wider problems to deal with in Windows Update.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Microsoft has contacted LG regarding a McAfee pop-up served via the monitor maker's app (which in turn
is installed by Windows Update) As an 'immediate next step' LG has disabled this pop-up However, there are still issues to address around the automatic installation of the LG monitor app, and the way Windows Update itself
operates with third-party software Microsoft has fixed a controversial situation where Windows 11 users with LG monitors were being hit by a pop-up for McAfee antivirus , and that advert has now been banished from the OS but there's still more to do here.

Windows Latest noticed that Pavan Davuluri, who is head of Windows at Microsoft, flagged up what's happened on X. In response to a nudge from
Epic's Tim Sweeney on the matter, Davuluri said : "We've connected with the team at LG and as an immediate next step, they have agreed to disable the McAfee pop-up from their app. We appreciate LG working with us toward a
shared goal of a better experience for our mutual customers. We will keep improving here with our ecosystem partners." Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

In case you missed this story from earlier in the week, Windows 11 users with an LG display are reportedly getting an LG monitor app (from the Microsoft Store) automatically installed on their PCs via Windows Update simply after hooking up the monitor.

The real kicker was that following this, the mentioned McAfee pop-up (pushing a trial for the antivirus) was repeatedly bothering those users, with the ad delivered via the LG monitor app. So, what Microsoft is telling us here is that as an immediate first step, that McAfee pop-up is no longer part of LG's Windows app, and won't be darkening the desktops of any LG monitor owners any longer. You may like Here's how you stop LG monitors that are reportedly installing bloatware How I think Microsoft's campaign to fix Windows 11 is going so far Microsoft tames some ads in Windows 11, says big taskbar change is imminent

The (pop-up-less) monitor app is presumably still being piped through by Windows Update, though, and hopefully the next step for Microsoft will be to address this. Analysis: software giants in glass houses? (Image credit: Future) Windows Update really shouldn't be installing any third-party
software without the user's permission, that much is clear (or first-party
for that matter). It's fine to flag available updates, wherever they come
from or whatever hardware they may be for, but highlighting them is one
thing, and going ahead with an auto-installation is another. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Okay, so LG has agreed to disable this pop-up, and it's good that this has happened swiftly, as it was, of course, a huge annoyance. Indeed, it's very worrying that this could happen at all, really (and in case you missed it, LG's TVs have also come under fire this week ).

LG had already addressed this controversy with a rather lengthy statement
that read: "LG Electronics reiterates that McAfee is not installed automatically and is never installed without the user's explicit consent. The LG Monitor App Installer is distributed through Microsoft's official Windows distribution process, which included McAfee as an option.

"McAfee will be installed only if a user actively chooses to proceed with the installation and provides consent. Under no circumstances is McAfee installed automatically or without user authorization. The LG Monitor App Installer
does not access, collect, or transmit any customer personal data." What to read next LG's gaming monitors and TVs are facing a user revolt due to new adware and privacy policies Windows 11 is 5 years old and I think
Microsoft's finally onto a winner Microsoft rolls out a bunch of 'general reliability' fixes for Windows 11

What this appears to be saying is that McAfee's actual antivirus app isn't installed without consent. It's not denying that the McAfee pop-up appeared without consent, or that the LG Monitor app is installed in the background in Windows without the user's knowledge. It only notes that the LG Monitor app
is "distributed through Microsoft's official Windows distribution process",
as if that makes everything okay, or somehow not LG's fault.

It is, of course, Microsoft's fault as well both parties need to take responsibility, and fix not just the McAfee pop-up appearing, but the LG Monitor app being automatically installed simply when a monitor is connected to a Windows 11 PC. (Which is reportedly the case, I should add I haven't experienced this myself, as I don't have an LG display, but a whole heap of feedback is present suggesting it's exactly what happens).

In short, the immediate disabling of the McAfee trial pop-up is a start, but we need a swift follow-up addressing the LG app itself and how that's dealt with in Windows 11. And more broadly, how third-party apps in general
interact with Windows Update, because as already noted, this situation should never have been allowed to happen in the first place (no matter what LG, or any other hardware partner, is doing with their apps).

Furthermore, there's no shortage of people on Reddit noting that Microsoft
has been keen enough to act here, but not so keen on curbing its own advertising-related excesses in Windows 11.

As one Redditor says of Microsoft: "Now all they need to do is crack down on their own bloatware"

Although to be fair to Microsoft, it is acting to rein in some of the upselling and promotional noise that Windows 11 has come to be associated with. More work needs to be done on this front, though, for sure. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. The best laptops for all budgets
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/own-an-lg-monitor-and-tired-of-see ing-that-mcafee-pop-up-microsoft-has-banished-it-from-windows-11-but-wider-iss ues-need-to-be-addressed-here


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