While Norton’s standalone antivirus packs plenty of suite-level features, upgrading to Norton 360 Deluxe expands on the collection to protect Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. This security suite also adds a full-powered cross-platform VPN, a dark web monitoring system, parental controls, and more. Windows users get plenty of bonus components, including webcam protection and 50GB of hosted storage for online backups. The iOS edition is unusually comprehensive and includes VPN features absent on other platforms. For all that you get, Norton 360 Deluxe earns our Editors’ Choice award for cross-platform multi-device security.

Pricing: Good Value for Your Money

A year's subscription to Norton 360 Deluxe lists for $124.99, five dollars more than when last reviewed. The subscription includes five security suite licenses and five VPN licenses for your devices. McAfee Total Protection costs slightly less, $119.99, for five cross-platform licenses. If purchased separately, Norton VPN Standard and Norton Family would cost $79.99 and $49.99 per year, respectively, for a total greater than the cost of the entire suite.

Note that while Norton VPN Standard remains available, it has effectively been superseded by Norton VPN Ultimate. While the underlying VPN technology and a worldwide array of servers are the same, VPN Ultimate offers finer control than VPN Standard. In addition, VPN Ultimate includes virtually all the same features as Norton 360, though many are presented in a more hands-off fashion. At $129.99 per year, this suite costs $5 more than Norton 360 Deluxe, but you get 10 device security licenses and 10 VPN licenses.

Other competing suites do cost less. G Data Total Security costs $81.95 per year for five licenses, for example, and Trend Micro Maximum Security costs $99.95 per year for five. Still, you don’t get the same comprehensive security coverage with these two or with most competitors.

At its lowest tier, McAfee+ costs $149.99 per year, slightly more than Norton. However, this tier doesn’t offer big-time identity theft protection; that requires a $50 upgrade to the Advanced tier. A McAfee+ subscription lets you install McAfee’s top protection on every device in your household, including devices running Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and even ChromeOS.

If you have only a few devices to protect, you might consider Norton 360 Standard. This three-license subscription costs $94.99, $25 less than the Deluxe subscription. It omits parental control and privacy monitor, and also limits your online backup storage to 2GB, the same as the standalone antivirus. There must be a market, or Norton wouldn't bother with this offering, but for most users, Norton 360 Deluxe is a much better deal.

On the flip side, if you're shopping for Norton at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, or certain other retailers, you may encounter Norton 360 Premium (10 licenses) or Norton 360 Platinum (20 licenses). This review focuses on Deluxe.

If you show your support by signing up for automatic renewal, Norton reciprocates with a Virus Protection Promise. That means that if malware infects one of your devices despite Norton's protection, a tech support expert will remotely log in and remediate the issue. You can apply for a refund if the support expert can't resolve the issue. McAfee and ZoneAlarm Extreme Security offer similar guarantees.

The Gen Stack: An Antivirus Engine Shared by Norton, Avast, and AVG

Years ago, Norton was a Symantec property. It now belongs to Gen Digital, a company that also owns numerous other security brands, including Avast, AVG, and Avira. Avast and AVG merged almost 10 years ago, and they’ve used the same antivirus engine for many of those years.

Gen’s developers have merged the best of these technologies into a single antivirus engine that they call the Gen stack. Norton, Avast, and AVG all rely on this engine. In my latest tests, the three seem to be in lockstep, producing identical results.

Installation and Setup: Easy, But Packed With Features to Activate

As with the whole Norton product line, your adventure begins when you register your purchase and set up your Norton account online. From the online console, you can download protection to the current device or send a link to install it on another device. As you’ll see below, there are also security features that exist strictly within the online account rather than having an in-app presence on your devices.

Norton’s appearance remained almost unchanged for 10 years or more, but that changed before my previous review. Along with the switch to the Gen stack, Norton 360’s user interface has undergone a complete makeover. The old layout featured a status banner across the top with five large feature panels below. There’s still a status panel in the current interface, but it's centered, flanked by a menu on the left and a set of feature buttons on the right.

From the left-side menu, you can select Home, Security, Performance, Privacy, Identity, Store, Search, or Settings. All except Identity are also present in Norton AntiVirus Plus. The installation process prompts you to complete various setup tasks, including activating cloud backup, enabling automatic VPN protection on unsecured networks, and configuring the password manager.

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Down the right side of the main window, you find the control panel. This contains a series of large buttons to launch features such as Privacy Monitor, Password Manager, and Parental Control. The previous user interface relegated most of these to a separate app called My Norton. Having them fully integrated seems like an improvement.

Below the central status panel, Norton displays the number of licenses you’ve used, with a link to extend protection to more devices. Norton uses the space below that for important notifications. For example, shortly after I installed the suite, it displayed a notification about performance issues. Chasing up the details from that notification revealed it was an upsell attempt offering a trial of Norton Utilities Ultimate.

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After installation, be sure to run a Live Update. Even though the status panel indicated my protection updates were current, the Live Update found more to install. You’ll also want to install Norton’s extensions in each browser you use. Getting all of those installed in a browser could be a chore, especially if you use more than one. Fortunately, Norton has streamlined and automated the process as much as possible. Once you click to install all the extensions, it automates the process as much as possible, leaving you to click where and when it tells you.

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Shared Features: Antivirus Is the Core of This Suite

Of course, this suite incorporates all the features of Norton AntiVirus Plus and adds even more. Please read that review for my detailed findings; I'll summarize them here.

In addition to the expected full, quick, and custom antivirus scans, you can configure the suite to run a special scan at system startup. The Startup Scan runs before Windows fully loads and before malware can load, giving it extra protection.

All five independent antivirus testing labs that I follow include Norton in their latest reports, and its scores are all perfect. Like all the antiviruses in the latest SE Labs report, it earned AAA certification (the highest of five certification levels).

The experts at AV-Comparatives assign a Standard certification to any antivirus that passes one of this lab’s many tests. Companies that do more than the minimum can earn Advanced or Advanced+ certification. Norton achieved a trifecta, with Advanced+ in all three tests. Avast One Gold and AVG Internet Security also aced all three, as did ESET Home Security Essential.

The testing experts at London-based MRG-Effitas rate antivirus apps using a tough system. An antivirus that totally prevents all malware attacks passes at Level 1. An app that allows some samples to install at first but eliminates them within 24 hours also passes, but at Level 2. Along with ESET and Malwarebytes Premium Security, Norton reached Level 1 in the latest round of testing.

 AV-Test Institute rates apps on protection, performance, and usability, with a total of six points available in each category. Norton, like most antiviruses in the latest report, earns a perfect 18 points. Finally, Norton scored a perfect 100% in the most recent test by AVLab Cybersecurity Foundation.

My aggregate scoring algorithm combines multiple lab results to yield an overall score on a 10-point scale. Norton rules, with a perfect 10 points based on results from all five labs. Also tested by five labs, Avast managed 9.6 points. Looking at antivirus tools with scores from four labs, ESET scored 9.8 points, Bitdefender Total Security reached 9.6, and Microsoft Defender Antivirus managed 9.3.

Norton typically earns excellent scores in my hands-on malware protection tests. This time around, it didn’t disappoint, with 97% detection and 9.7 of 10 possible points. Avast and AVG share those top scores.

I always run a separate test using recently discovered malware-hosting URLs, and Norton typically scores at or near the top. This time around, though, it only achieved 74% protection. But when I repeated the test using the supplied private browser, it scored a much better 91%. Avira Prime currently holds the best score, with a perfect 100%. Aura, Emsisoft Anti-Malware, Sophos Home Premium, and UltraAV came in close behind, with 99%.

Phishing sites are fraudulent pages that mimic legitimate sites and try to fool unsuspecting visitors into divulging their credentials. Out of more than 100 verified phishing pages, Norton blocked 100%. In a parallel test under macOS, Norton scored precisely the same. Quite a few competitors also reached 100%, among them ESET, Guardio, and Webroot Premium.

Norton’s Ransomware Protection component aims to prevent malicious programs, especially ransomware, from modifying protected files. To test it, I disabled real-time antivirus and other protective layers, then released more than a dozen real-world ransomware threats. A couple of the samples did nothing, and hence weren’t detected. Norton detected the rest and prevented most of them from damaging files in protected folders, though a couple of them managed to encrypt files in the Documents and Desktop folders. Many of the samples displayed their scary ransom notes, and they all encrypted some files outside protected locations, ranging from 2 to more than 20,000.

Please remember that I couldn’t run this test without turning off multiple components of Norton’s regular antivirus protection. With all protective layers working, Norton whacked every ransomware sample.

Advanced Features: Scam Protection, Password Management, and More

As the "Plus" in the name suggests, Norton AntiVirus Plus goes beyond the features of a simple antivirus. Its impressive collection of useful security bonuses puts some security suites to shame.

Exploit Prevention: Foils Attacks on System Vulnerabilities

Norton’s Exploit Prevention system aims to block exploits at the network level, and in past tests, it has blocked all or most of the exploits I used to attack it. This time around, its network-based protection only caught 25%. Note, though, that none of the exploits did any harm to the fully patched test system. In addition, scores on this test have been steadily falling overall. The best recent scores go to G Data, Vipre Advanced Security, and Bitdefender, all over 50%.

Smart Firewall: Powerful Yet Unobtrusive

Most security companies reserve firewall protection for their suite-level offerings. Not Norton; it includes a full-powered firewall right in the antivirus.

Norton's firewall protects against outside attacks, as any firewall must. It also aims to prevent programs from misusing your network connection. Its program control system automatically configures permissions for known-good programs and scrutinizes the behavior of unknown programs. In my testing, it proved tamper-resistant.

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Cloud Backup: Local Backup Option Restored

All security tools in the current Norton line include cloud backup. The only difference is the amount of hosted online storage Norton provides. With the antivirus, you get just 2GB, while this suite gives you 50GB. It's worth noting that dedicated online backup services such as IDrive typically measure storage capacity in terabytes, while backup components in security suites offer much less storage space. As noted earlier, if you accept the prompt to enable backup during the initial configuration, Norton automatically backs up your important files.

When I last reviewed this suite, Norton’s devs had removed the option to use local storage as a backup destination. Some users told me they were upset with this. They should be happier now, as Norton will once again back up to local, network, or removable drives.

Private Browser: Added Web Protection (If You Switch)

Norton offers to install its private browser alongside Norton 360. This is a Chromium-based browser with an emphasis on security. Its Security & Privacy center displays security statistics in a dedicated panel. Another panel lets you choose regular browsing, private mode (like Chrome’s Incognito mode), or a mode that suppresses some browser elements for screen sharing. Panels for settings and tools offer access to a half-dozen privacy features, but most duplicate features already in the browser or aren’t very useful. The exception is Privacy Guard, which blocks ads and trackers at three levels. At the strictest level, it blocks browser fingerprinting. However, it’s not as flexible as, for example, Bitdefender’s Anti-Tracker feature.

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Scam Protection: Don’t Be Fooled by Online Cons

Several major antivirus companies report that scams and fraud are as damaging to their customers as malware attacks. Norton’s Scam Protection combines Safe Web, the mobile-specific Safe SMS feature, and the Norton Genie AI chatbot for a multifaceted defense against scammers. If you get a suspect message in email, text, or any source, you can paste the text or a screenshot into Genie for a quick analysis. Genie will also answer any questions you may have. It even includes the option to check YouTube videos for signs of fakery.

Password Manager: Free Even Without Antivirus

Your Norton installation gets you Norton Password Manager, which is also available for free as a standalone. The password manager syncs across all your devices and handles all common password management tasks. It includes an actionable password-strength report and supports multi-factor authentication, but doesn't offer advanced features such as secure sharing and password inheritance.

Performance Features: Keep Your PC Running Smoothly

This suite has the same performance features as the antivirus: Software Updater, File Cleanup, Startup Manager, and Optimize Disk. Norton has long offered a spam filter for those few whose email provider doesn’t handle it; the current redesign has eliminated it.

Dark Web Monitoring: Find Out When Your Personal Data Leaks

Norton acquired the identity theft mitigation service LifeLock in 2017. Since that time, the top-tier Norton suites have included varying levels of LifeLock identity theft protection. Norton 360 Deluxe, reviewed here, doesn't come with a LifeLock subscription, but some of that LifeLock technology powers its Dark Web Monitoring feature.

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If you click the Identity item in the left side menu, you’ll find that Dark Web Monitoring is the only thing on the Identity page. In past versions, configuring this feature required you to log in to your Norton account online. The current version handles configuration and reporting right in the app.

Even before you do anything to configure this feature, you may get an alert based on the email address associated with your Norton account. But the real monitoring starts when you flesh out your collection of personal information. You fill in one or more of the following types of personal data: Address (5), Bank account (10), Credit card (10), Driver's license (1), Email address (5), Gamer tag (10), Insurance (10), Mother's maiden name (1), Passport (4), or Phone number (5).

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A separate tab lets you view alerts generated by the monitoring system. Opening an alert item reveals significant details, including what personal data was exposed and advice on what to do. Keep scrolling, and you’ll find a list of reasons you should upgrade to Norton 360 With LifeLock.

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Norton VPN: Protects Your Internet Traffic

Over recent years, consumers have become increasingly aware of the need to enhance local antivirus protection with a virtual private network, or VPN. Security companies have responded by creating their own VPNs or licensing VPN technology, and many have begun adding VPNs as components of their security suites. However, all too often, suite users get nothing more than the equivalent of the company's free, feature-limited VPN.

For example, the entire Panda product line, from the free antivirus, includes a VPN. However, at every level except the expensive top-tier Panda Dome Premium, VPN use is limited to 150GB per day. Bitdefender also offers bandwidth-limited VPN support in all but its top-tier protection and charges $69.99 per year to remove that limitation.

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With Norton, you get full VPN protection across five devices with no limits. After a first-year discount, you'd pay $79.99 per year for the VPN as a standalone app. Getting it as part of Norton 360 is a bargain.

By default, the VPN connects to the fastest available server. You can request a P2P-optimized server or select one of almost 30 country locations. That’s not a wide range of choices, and more than half are in Europe. Surfshark VPN has servers in more than 100 countries, for example. Many competing VPNs, among them Windscribe and ExpressVPN, let you choose specific cities, at least in larger countries. IVPN even lets you view stats for individual servers and pick one based on its load or latency.

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The settings page offers a manageable collection of configuration choices. To start, you can set it to automatically engage VPN protection when you connect to an unsecured or compromised network or when you use P2P. A split tunneling feature lets you identify apps that should connect without going through the VPN. You can also enable the Kill Switch to prevent data exposure if the VPN connection drops. Note that with the macOS version of the VPN, you get significantly fewer choices.

Norton’s VPN automatically chooses the best VPN protocol for your location and situation. It can choose WireGuard or OpenVPN (TCP or UDP), and may also use Gen Digital’s Mimic protocol, which attempts to disguise its traffic as ordinary internet activity. Past versions allowed users to override this automatic choice, but very few consumers have the knowledge required to make an informed decision.

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While Norton 360 integrates VPN protection, VPN aficionados are encouraged to select the Norton VPN Ultimate suite instead. Please read our review of VPN Ultimate for full details. This suite combines VPN protection with cross-platform device-level security. Yes, that description sounds a lot like Norton 360 Deluxe, but with VPN Ultimate, the focus is strongly on the VPN.

While device-level protection is effectively the same as with Norton 360, you see less detail and have fewer configuration options. VPN Ultimate currently costs $5 more than Norton 360, but it gives you 10 VPN licenses and 10 device protection licenses compared with the five you get with Norton 360.

It’s all a matter of emphasis. If VPN is your life, if you want maximum control and power from your encrypted connections, go for VPN Ultimate. For the average consumer, Norton 360 is a better choice. You could do even better by choosing an outstanding purpose-built VPN, such as our five-star Editors' Choice winner, Proton VPN, but you won't go wrong with the VPN that comes with Norton 360.

Parental Control: Supervise Your Children’s Online Activity

My colleague Kim Key has completed a thorough evaluation of the latest Norton Family parental control and monitoring system. You get precisely the same capabilities with Norton 360 Deluxe, though parental control isn’t integrated like the backup system. To get started, you click Parental Control on the Security page or in the main page’s Control Panel.

I'll summarize Kim’s findings here. If you're in the market for parental control software, you can click the link above to read her detailed evaluation. Note that PCMag no longer rates or recommends third-party parental control apps; instead, it advises readers to rely on what Apple, Google, and Microsoft offer at no charge.

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All Norton Family configuration happens online, with a tiny local agent that enforces the rules on each device. You log in to your Norton account, create a profile for each child, and install the app on each child's device. The number of child profiles or devices is unlimited.

The parental control system supports Windows, Android, and iOS, but not macOS. Mac users can log in to perform management, but there's no local agent for macOS. When configuring a Windows system, you can associate the child profile with a Windows user account, leaving your own account unaffected.

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Norton Family describes its various features as providing supervision rather than control. It also emphasizes keeping lines of communication open with your kids. In fact, the local app boils down your settings into a simple set of house rules kids can check at any time.

Website supervision refers to the content filter, which can block sites matching almost four dozen categories. For older kids, it can warn rather than block, logging an event if the child ignores the warning. A browser extension for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox lets Norton display its informative blocking page even for secure HTTPS pages. Without the extension, the browser displays an error message while a transient pop-up explains what happened. Some features, including Search Supervision and Video Supervision, don't work without a browser extension.

When I tested this feature using a highly off-brand browser, one that I coded myself, Norton correctly blocked non-secured inappropriate sites. However, HTTPS sites slipped right through. My Norton contacts explain that the HTTPS filter applies to any program that registers with Windows as a browser—the ones that show up when you select a new default browser. My rudimentary program doesn't do that, so Norton doesn't treat it as a browser, but it handles all commercial browsers. Unless your child has the coding skills to write a browser from scratch, this isn’t a serious loophole.

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Search supervision forces Safe Search in popular search portals, and logs search terms. Time supervision lets parents set a schedule for device use along with a daily maximum, separately for each day of the week. Here, too, parents can opt just to give a warning when time runs out and log any usage beyond the limit. Note that time-tracking works on a per-device basis. If your child runs out of time on the PC, she could switch to a tablet and keep surfing.

Any full-scale parental control system should include the features described above. Video supervision goes beyond those basics, reporting all videos the child views on YouTube and Hulu. It also tracks videos watched on Android devices. Location supervision (for iOS and Android) tracks the child's location. App supervision lets parents block unwanted apps on Android devices; this feature now extends to Windows as well.

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Once you've defined the house rules, Norton Family manages all your children's devices. A separate tab summarizes activity in each supervision area; naturally, you can click for a more detailed view.

Norton Family is a modern cross-platform parental control system with all the expected features, including protection for unlimited kids and unlimited Windows, Android, and iOS devices. It’s a dandy choice for large families that don't use Macs. Getting it as part of your Norton 360 subscription saves you the $49.99 per year it would cost as a standalone.

SafeCam: Blocks Webcam Spies and Malware

Some of your personal data translates easily into money. A ne'er-do-well who steals your credit card or bank account details can usually wring some cash out of you, even if you quickly shut down the compromised account. That kind of personal data theft is nasty but understandable.

Creepier types of spyware subvert the webcam in your laptop, activating the camera without the telltale light and peeking at you in your kitchen, bedroom, or wherever you may be. Norton's SafeCam spyware protection system aims to keep pervy peepers from misusing your webcam or listening in surreptitiously using your microphone.

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SafeCam defaults to allowing camera access for known and trusted programs. If an unknown program tries to activate the camera, Norton pops up a warning and lets you choose to allow or block that program, just this once or always. When you've just installed a new video communication tool, feel free to respond to the pop-up by selecting "Always allow" to grant access. If you didn't trigger the camera access, block it!

Privacy Monitor: Monitors Data Brokers for Your Personal Info

If a data-stealing Trojan captures your private information and sells it on the dark web, that’s illegal. But there’s no law to prevent a data aggregator from collecting publicly available information about you, packaging it into a tidy profile, and selling it to advertisers. You can request that these brokers remove your data, but how do you even know who to ask? Norton’s new Privacy Monitor aims to help.

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When you click to set up Privacy Monitor from Norton 360’s Privacy page, it requests a few elements of personal information—your full name, city, state, and birth year. It then checks almost 300 data brokers and reports where it found your information.

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You can now review the scan’s findings and click Request Removal from any of the brokers who have your info. At this point, it’s a DIY process—Norton just gives you the link and some generic instructions for making the request.

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If you want Norton to handle removals automatically, you must spring for the Privacy Monitor Assistant, a separate subscription at $109.99 per year. Yes, that’s almost the price of Norton 360 Deluxe. It’s also worth noting that you don’t even need Norton 360 to get an initial free scan. You can do it online from the Privacy Monitor Assistant web page.

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Dedicated personal data removal services, such as Optery and Privacy Bee, can also perform a personal data scan at no charge and provide detailed, site-specific instructions for DIY removal. Norton scans way more brokers than it did during its last review, but Optery and Privacy go much farther.

The Privacy Monitor feature is a nice idea, but it pales in comparison with the best single-purpose personal data removers. You pay $109.99 to have Norton handle removals for you, while Optery’s least expensive paid tier goes for $39.99. I don’t see this feature adding a lot to Norton 360 Deluxe.

macOS Security: Comprehensive Protection for Your Apple Devices

A common pattern in cross-platform suites is to give Windows users a full security suite brimming with features, then stick macOS users with nothing but a plain, unadorned antivirus. Norton marches to a different drummer. Norton AntiVirus Plus for Mac goes well beyond basic antivirus, adding a two-way firewall, a password manager, scam protection, and a cleanup utility to eliminate useless and redundant files.

Shared Features: This Suite Includes Everything From the Mac Antivirus

Norton 360 for macOS naturally incorporates the full suite of features from the Mac antivirus. You can read my antivirus review for full details; I'll hit the high points here.

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The Mac app closely resembles its Windows counterpart, with a menu on the left, a control panel on the right, and status reporting in the middle. There are a few differences. The Performance page lacks the Startup Manager and Optimize Disk options. SafeCam doesn’t appear on the Privacy page. The Identity menu item is named LifeLock in the Mac edition. Even so, it’s very similar.

Two of the five independent testing labs I follow include Mac antivirus in our testing. Both of them consider Norton important enough to evaluate, and both give it their highest possible score. That’s especially impressive given that most Mac antivirus apps don’t have any lab scores at all.

On the Mac, Norton scans files for malware on demand, on access, or on schedule. In testing, it completed a full scan more quickly than most. It also detected and quarantined 72% of my Windows malware collection, slightly above the current average. And in my phishing detection test, it achieved 100% success, just like its Windows equivalent.

Like its Windows counterpart, Norton on the Mac brings along the Norton Private Browser. Also, like the Windows version, it includes a two-way firewall component. Admittedly, the firewall isn’t as sophisticated as on Windows. You can install Norton Password Manager on your Mac and sync it with your other devices. And Scam Protection, with its Norton Genie chatbot, works the same way.

VPN: Protect Your Mac’s Internet Connection

Norton’s device-level protection keeps your Mac free of malware and fends off direct attacks on your apps and data. However, when that data leaves your Mac and heads out into the wild internet, antivirus protection can’t protect it. That’s where using a VPN comes in.

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Norton’s VPN for Mac looks almost identical to its Windows version. There’s a button to choose your VPN server country, and another to turn the VPN on or off. A simple timer reports how long you’ve been using the VPN, and your selected country appears in a map inset.

If you just press the ON button, the VPN connects to the fastest available server. You can also choose from almost 30 country locations. As noted earlier, this is a fairly low number, and strongly skewed toward European locations. Some competing VPNs have servers in 100+ countries. Others offer finer control, letting you choose the city, or even choose individual servers based on their load and latency.

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By default, you turn the VPN on manually when you want to use it. However, you can configure it to automatically connect if the network you’ve connected to is public or known to be compromised. Running on macOS, Norton’s VPN can use the venerable IPSec protocol or Gen Digital’s Mimic protocol, which disguises VPN traffic to avoid systems that block VPNs. As on Windows, it automatically chooses the best protocol. The VPN also has the ability, enabled by default, to block access to internet addresses associated with ad trackers.

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VPN settings on the Mac are much simpler than on Windows. You can configure the VPN to turn on automatically when you’re on a sketchy network. And you can control which notifications it displays. That’s it. The Windows version includes split tunneling and a kill switch, two important VPN features. It also offers finer control over when the VPN connects or reconnects.

The VPN component in Norton 360 is simple but effective, with a decent number of servers in various locations. There are definitely VPNs with greater global reach and greater configuration flexibility. A VPN expert might prefer Proton or another top-tier standalone service, but the average consumer won't go wrong with the VPN included with Norton 360 at no extra charge.

Dark Web Monitoring: Reveal Breaches That Exposed Your Data

Norton acquired the identity theft mitigation service LifeLock in 2017. The Norton app reviewed here doesn't come with a LifeLock subscription, but LifeLock technology powers its dark web Monitoring feature. In fact, you click LifeLock in the left-rail menu to access it.

At the time of my previous review, dark web monitoring was handled entirely online. You’d log in to enter your data for monitoring or to view any exposure alerts. With the Windows edition, those tasks have moved right into the main Norton 360 app. On the Mac, all the action remains online. Your information syncs across all your Norton installations.

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With this online presentation, everything is on one page. At the top, you fill in or edit personal information. Scrolling down, you find a list of alerts. Opening an alert reveals significant details, including what personal data was exposed and advice on what to do. In some cases, it even offers chat-based help for understanding the alert.

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Privacy Monitor: Online, Limited Personal Data Removal

You can access the VPN by selecting Privacy from the left-side menu. The other big panel on the Privacy page takes you to the Privacy Monitor feature. You may also see links to Norton AntiTrack and Privacy Monitor Assistant, but these require separate subscriptions.

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Like dark web monitoring, Privacy Monitor was an online feature managed through your Norton account, but Windows users now access it without leaving the Norton app. For Mac users, this remains an online-only feature. As noted, Privacy Monitor is a limited personal data removal tool. It checks hundreds of brokers for your personal information and reports its findings.

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If the scan finds your data exposed, you can click Request Removal for any broker that has your info. At this point, it’s a DIY process—Norton just gives you the link and leaves you to make the request. Whether integrated into the Norton app or accessed via the My Norton console, I don’t see this feature adding a lot to Norton 360 Deluxe.

Parental Control: Not Supported on the Mac

Clicking Parental Control on the Security page opens the online management system for Norton Family. Here, you can view and adjust the settings that help you supervise your children’s online activities, and review logs of just what they’ve been doing. So far, it seems identical to the Windows version.

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The difference becomes evident when you try to install Norton Family to protect a child’s Mac. When you click to add a new device, you may not see the message about installing on Windows, iOS, or Android devices. But if you keep trying, Norton will let you know that there’s no support for installing on a Mac.

Android Protection: Modern and Comprehensive

Your subscription lets you install Norton 360 on up to five devices running Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS. Extending protection to an Android smartphone or tablet is a snap. From My Norton, click the plus icon next to Protect Another Device. You could enter an email address used on that device and click the arrow to send a link, but it’s even easier to just scan the QR code.

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Installation and Setup: Easy Install, Plenty of Permissions

Installing Norton 360 on your Android device is a snap, but then you have to deal with all the required permissions. That’s true of any Android security application, of course. And Norton handles walking through the necessary steps with uncommon smoothness.

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The main screen displays panels for Scam Protection, App Security, Dark Web Monitoring, and Wi-Fi Security. There’s also a Protection Report panel and a simple way to run a Smart Scan. Icons across the bottom let you select Home, Menu, Inbox, and Account.

Android Lab Scores: Just a Hair Away From Perfection

I follow test reports from four labs worldwide that test Windows antivirus efficacy. Three of them also run tests on Android security apps. Norton appears in all three of the latest reports, with two perfect scores and one just a fraction away from perfection.

As on other platforms, AV-Test Institute rates apps on Protection, Performance, and Usability, with a total of six points available in each category. Like all but one of the apps in the latest report, Norton scored a perfect 18 points.

The experts at MRG-Effitas evaluate Android antivirus apps using a variety of test sets, but the important one is the non-PUA samples test. PUAs are potentially unwanted applications —less risky apps that some antivirus tools might choose to ignore. This test ignores them and uses only verified malware. Like Avira, Bitdefender, and several others, Norton rated 100% in this test.

When rating Windows antivirus apps, AV-Comparatives offers certification at Standard, Advanced, and Advanced+ levels. This lab’s Android test simply reports a percentage. In the latest test, only Bitdefender scored 100%. Norton, along with Avast, AVG, and Avira, came very close, with 99.9%.

Bitdefender is the only Android security product that currently holds perfect scores in the latest reports from all three labs.

Security Features: From Antivirus to Wi-Fi Protection

Norton launches a Smart Scan during installation, and you can tap a big button on the home screen to run a scan whenever you want. In testing, Norton’s scan ran quickly. Norton scans for malicious and risky apps, as expected, and also for surveillance apps. The real-time protection checks apps as they launch, not just at installation.

Tapping the Menu icon displays a menu divided into four parts: Security and Scam Protection, Privacy, Identity, and More Features. Under Security and Scam Protection, you can invoke seven important features: App Security, Genie, Private Browser, Safe SMS, Safe Web, and Wi-Fi Security.

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Tap App Security to see Norton’s report on your installed apps. It lists apps with high data usage, among other things, but also lists those with no issues. The App Advisor for Google Play component does something few competitors can replicate. When you browse the Play Store, it checks every app you view and displays a safety rating at the bottom of the page, right in the App Store. Trend Micro Maximum Security is one of the few competitors with a similar feature.

Device Security refers to Android configuration settings that could put your device at risk. It checks whether your device is rooted and whether USB debugging is enabled. It also verifies that you’ve set up a lock screen and that you’re using biometric locking.

As on other platforms, Safe Web steers you away from dangerous websites. On my test Pixel, it reported protection for Chrome and Messenger. Safe SMS runs your texts through Norton’s AI scam detection system, warning you about scams before you ever see the text. My test Pixel isn’t provisioned for calling, so I couldn’t see this feature in action.

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Wi-Fi Security scans every network you join for a variety of threats, going beyond simply detecting whether the network is password-protected. For example, it warns of “Evil Twin” attacks. When seeking a Wi-Fi connection, your device actively checks for familiar hotspots as if saying, “Hey, MyCoffeeshop, you there?” The attacker uses a special device that responds affirmatively to that request, thereby capturing your phone’s Wi-Fi connection. But not when Norton is watching out for you.

Privacy Features: On-the-Go Connection Security

The mobile app’s privacy features consist strictly of access to VPN protection and Privacy Monitor. The work of Privacy Monitor takes place online. Tapping that feature in the Android app provides access to its reporting and options, which look very similar to those in Windows. It’s easier to see and work with Privacy Monitor on a Windows or macOS desktop.

When you first activate the VPN, you’ll have to give it a couple of VPN-specific permissions. With that done, you can connect or disconnect, select your desired VPN server location, and toggle Ad Tracker Blocking.

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If you enable Norton’s Auto VPN feature, it automatically turns on the VPN when you connect to an insecure network. Unlike most similar features, it also turns the VPN off when it deems the current network secure. Split tunneling lets you run speed-sensitive apps outside the VPN’s protection, and the kill switch disconnects from the internet if the VPN connection goes down, so you don’t end up sending unprotected data. Note that the VPN is completely integrated into the mobile Norton 360.

As with the VPN on Windows or macOS, Norton automatically chooses the best connection protocol for maximum speed and security. Unlike on those two platforms, the Android VPN lets you override its selection to choose Mimic, OpenVPN, or WireGuard. OpenVPN and WireGuard are open-source projects.

Identity Features: Access to Dark Web Monitoring

Under Identity in the menu, you get exactly one choice, also called Identity. This proved to be a mobile-friendly way to access dark web monitoring data and categories, without going online. The data I had already entered was pre-populated, something I appreciated.

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That’s it for Identity. It’s a handy way to manage your protected personal data, and it notifies you on your phone if the Dark Web scan finds any issues.

Protection Report: See What Norton Has Done for You

You can tap Protection Report on the main screen to view a report on Norton’s protective activities for the last 30 days. This report starts with a list of apps seen on the device, categorized as Safe Apps, Data Harvesting, Malware, Ransomware, or Surveillance. My test Pixel listed eight Safe Apps, and seven were tagged as Data Harvesting. The latter list included, among others, Fitbit, Google Wallet, and Messenger.

Next, the report lists apps that the App Advisor for Google Play has examined. Here, the options are simpler: Safe, Data Harvesting, and Malware. The report concludes with a breakdown of websites visited, Wi-Fi networks checked, and Device Security issues.

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For each section of the report, you can tap one icon to get a brief description or tap another for a full breakdown of what the report means. However, the report components don’t link to the app features they report on. For example, you may see that Device Security detected a risk, but you must leave the report to find out what that risk was.

Norton Genie: Don’t Get Fooled by Scams

Several major security companies have reported that scams and fraud cause more problems than malware these days. If you’ve enabled Safe SMS, Norton checks incoming texts and flags sketchy ones. But you can also go straight to Norton Genie for advice on scams that come to you by any means.

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To launch Norton Genie, just tap its rounded icon in the bottom-right corner of the main window. You can paste in the contents of a text or email, submit a screenshot, or even describe a non-digital interaction. Genie will quickly give its verdict—safe or scam? If you disagree or want more detail, you can converse with Genie like any AI chatbot. Provided, of course, that you stick to topics related to scams.

Tapping Scam Protection in the main window opens a page that summarizes four scam-related features: Norton Genie, Safe SMS, Safe Web, and Norton Private Browser. It adds quick links to launch Genie or the browser. If Norton Genie comes up with any insights for you, well, there’s a place to display those as well.

More Features: Cloud Backup, Password Manager, and More

At the bottom of the menu, you’ll find a section titled More Features. Here, you can access the Cloud Backup, Parental Controls, and Password Manager features. The first two take you to the Norton console online for management; Password Manager requires installing a separate app.

Norton only backs up data from your Windows installations, but you can access the backups online and download files to other devices. As for parental control, it can cover any Windows, macOS, and Android devices your kids use. To put your child’s Android device under control, simply install the local Android app. It will automatically apply the House Rules you’ve defined.

Norton’s password manager lets you share passwords across all your devices: Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. Just install the Android app and link it to your account.

Anti-Theft: Just Rely on Android's Built-In Protection

The biggest feature you won’t find in this app is anti-theft. A few years ago, Norton’s designers concluded that with “find my device” features built into both iOS and Android, there was no reason to duplicate those efforts. Avast, McAfee, and a few others have come to the same conclusion, removing anti-theft from their Android offerings.

I'm sorry to see the anti-theft component go, but Norton 360 on Android remains a powerful and multifaceted security tool. The complete overhaul it got a couple of years ago makes it much easier to use.

Security for iOS: Better Than Most

Just as with Android, you extend protection to an iOS device by sending a link through email or by scanning a QR code generated by the My Norton application on another device. After several remodels over the last few editions, Norton on iOS looks very much like the Android edition. At the top is a status banner and a button to run a smart scan. You scroll down to see panels to access Scam Protection, Dark Web Monitoring, and Wi-Fi Security, with a summarized Protection Report below (App Security, present on Android, doesn’t appear). And just as on Android, icons across the bottom lead to Home, Menu, Alerts, and Account.

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Security Features: Unusual Scan for Dangerous Calendar Invites

Tapping the Menu icon opens a page listing all the app’s features, organized into Security & Scam Protection, Privacy, Identity, and More Features. The collection of components under Security is roughly the same as on Android, except that App Security is absent and Secure Calendar is present. That leaves the roster as: Ask Genie, Device Security, Private Browser, Safe SMS, Safe Web, Secure Calendar, and Wi-Fi Security. Most of the features in the security section work just as they do on Android. Device Security just checks to make sure your iOS is up to date, whereas the similar Android feature takes a broader view.

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There’s a growing problem with spam and scam attacks via calendar invitations. The Secure Calendar feature scans your calendar and reports any dangerous invitations it finds. With that initial scan complete, it watches for any malicious incoming invitations. This is a truly useful feature—I’m not sure why Norton limits it to iOS.

Privacy Features: VPN Has More Locations

The Privacy Monitor feature collects your personal data from several hundred data broker sites and regularly reports its findings. When it finds your profile, it offers a link to the broker and minimal instructions for DIY removal of said profile. As on Windows and Android, you manage this feature within the app—Mac users do the same thing online.

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Norton’s VPN protects your data as it travels the internet. The visible VPN pages in the various apps simply give you access to things like tuning configuration settings and selecting your server location. Hence, it’s not surprising that the VPN behaves very similarly across platforms. And yet, there are some differences.

If you just tap to connect to the VPN, it uses the fastest server available. Naturally, you can also choose your preferred location. However, location choices are different on iOS. Where other platforms offer only about 30 countries, iOS users can choose from over 60. In addition, eight major countries are expanding to let you choose a specific city, from 2 for France and Portugal to 25 for the US.

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In addition, you can choose from eight double-hop connections, such as UK via Germany or Japan via Taiwan. In theory, running your traffic through two VPN servers is more secure than just one, though it can slow your connection. An IP Rotation feature regularly changes the server IP address assigned to your connection to further foil snoops. With this feature on, your connection seems to bounce around the world.

As far as VPN settings go, the iOS edition has everything found in Android, except for split tunneling. Where Windows and macOS desktop installations have no choice of VPN protocol, the iOS edition not only allows choice but also provides useful information about the options (IPsec, WireGuard, and Mimic). Configuring the Kill Switch feature is on the protocols page because it isn’t available for every protocol.

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With more than double the number of server locations and advanced features like Double Hop and IP Rotation, Norton’s VPN on iOS is more powerful than on the other three platforms.

Identity Features: Dark Web Monitoring Is Platform Independent

There’s only one item in the Identity section of this app’s menu, Dark Web Monitoring. Like Privacy Monitor, this feature runs in the cloud. Mac users access it online. For iOS and the two desktop platforms, it’s an in-app feature.

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More Features: Passwords, Backups, and Parental Control

As on Android, the last section of the menu lets you access more Norton features. Click Password Manager, and it sends you to the App Store to install the separate app. Selecting Cloud Backup sends you to your My Norton account online, where you can view and download files backed up from your Windows installations.

The Parental Controls option also takes you online, where you can view your kids' activity or modify parental control settings. You can also download the local parental control app to impose your house rules on this iOS device.

The same Apple technology that makes it hard for malware to attack an iOS device also gets in the way when security companies try to install protection. But with the current edition of Norton 360, you get full VPN protection for your iOS devices, with options not seen on other platforms. That’s a significant and valuable contribution. Its ability to filter dangerous websites, warn about insecure Wi-Fi, and report issues with overall device security is also helpful.