Open https://aka.ms/AndroidDefender聽(or scan the QR code below) on your Android聽device to go to Microsoft Defender聽in the Google Play Store.
Note:聽If your device has both a Personal Profile聽and a Work Profile, then you need to聽install the app in the Personal Profile.
Follow the installation steps on the Play Store page.
After installing, sign in with the personal Microsoft account (such as @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, or @live.com) that is associated with your Microsoft 365 subscription.
When you first sign into聽Microsoft Defender聽on Android, we'll walk you through a few easy steps that start聽with setting up web protection. During this process, we'll ask you to give Defender permission to do two things: run in the background and use the Accessibility Service.
Run in the background聽A security tool that only works sometimes聽isn't nearly as effective. You want聽Microsoft Defender聽to always watch聽your back, protecting you from the malicious sites you weren't expecting. In order to do that, Defender needs permission to run in the background.
Accessibility serviceIn order to make sure the site you're going to isn't known to be dangerous, Defender needs to be able to see the address. To do that on聽Android, we use the Accessibility Service聽to read, almost literally, the address from your browser.
Important:聽Only one app at a time can he permission to use the Accessibility Service. If you give that permission to a different app, web protection in Defender will be turned off.
After setting up web protection, we'll set up anti-malware protection. To do this we need to ask for a couple more permissions.
Access device storageMicrosoft Defender聽scans apps and files on your device to watch for possible threats. To do that, it needs to be able to access those files. We only use that permission to look for malicious apps, a聽process that happens entirely on your device. No information about your apps or files is sent to Microsoft.
Send notificationsIf you want聽Microsoft Defender聽to tell you if we find a threat, you'll need to allow us to send you notifications on your device.
Run in the backgroundNote:聽If you already allowed聽Microsoft Defender聽to run in the background for web protection, you won't be asked for this permission again.
Protecting your device is a full-time job, but you probably want to use your device for other things, like texting, gaming, work, and聽entertainment. By allowing聽Microsoft Defender聽to run in the background, you allow us to help keep you safer all the time.
Let's finish with a scan聽Finally, Microsoft Defender聽will run an initial scan of your device to see if there are threats already on it. This scan usually only takes a minute or two.聽
If that initial scan finds any threats聽Microsoft Defender聽will notify you and help you remove them.
Open https://aka.ms/iosDefender聽(or scan the QR code below)聽on your iOS device to go to Microsoft Defender in the Apple App Store and follow the installation steps.
After installing, sign in with the personal Microsoft account (such as @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, or @live.com) that is associated with your Microsoft 365 subscription.
When you first sign into聽Microsoft Defender聽on iOS, we'll walk you through a few easy steps that to聽set聽up web protection. During this process, we'll ask you to give Defender permission to do two things: set up a local virtual private network (VPN) and allow notifications.
A local VPN?Due聽to the built-in security settings in iOS, other apps aren't able to see the address (URL)聽an app is trying to open, including those聽being opened in the web browser. To make sure the site you're going to isn't known to be dangerous, Defender needs to be able to see the address.
To do that, we set up a local VPN. It's called a local VPN because it never lees your device鈥攊t's just a connection between your browser and Microsoft Defender running on your device.
When you click on a link, the browser sends the address you're going to through that local VPN to Defender.聽Defender checks the address聽and then聽(assuming it's good), lets the browser open that site. The whole thing聽happens so quickly you won't even notice.
Allow notificationsIf the site is found to be malicious聽that's where notifications come in. We block access to the site, but iOS won't let us notify you of the problem in the browser, so instead we send you a聽notification telling you that the site you're trying to go to is dangerous. From that notification you can close the browser tab聽and stay safe. Or, if you're completely sure that the site is safe,聽you can choose to continue to the site anyway.
Important:聽You can choose not to allow notifications and web protection will still work, but you won't get the notification that it was Defender who blocked the site you were trying to go to.
When you install the Microsoft 365 apps on your Windows device, the Microsoft Defender app will automatically be installed for you along with the other apps. If you installed the Microsoft 365 apps before Defender was released, and you still he an active Microsoft 365 Family or Personal subscription, then the Defender app was automatically added to your Windows device as part of an update.
Important:聽Even if it's installed, Microsoft Defender isn't activated until you sign into the app.
Just launch it from the Start menu (or click the button below) and sign in with the personal Microsoft account you use for Microsoft 365.
If your Windows device is setup for single sign-on (SSO), the Microsoft Defender app signs you in without requiring you to type in your username and password, each time you use the app. The Microsoft Defender app also signs you in without requiring you to launch it, if Microsoft Defender Antivirus is your primary antivirus. Learn more about how the Microsoft account or work or school account you use to sign-in to Windows can be used to sign in to other apps on your device at aka.ms/sso-info. To prevent SSO, sign-out or uninstall the Microsoft Defender app.聽
Open Defender
If you don't he an active Microsoft 365 subscription right nowOpen聽https://aka.ms/WindowsDefender聽to go to Microsoft Defender in the Microsoft Store and select Install.
After installing, sign in with the personal Microsoft account (such as @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, or @live.com).
To uninstall DefenderFind Microsoft Defender on your Start menu, right-click it and select Uninstall.
If you uninstall the app it will not be automatically reinstalled. You can reinstall it manually by going to聽https://aka.ms/WindowsDefender and selecting Install.
Note:聽 Microsoft Defender on Mac requires macOS 10.14 or later.
Open https://aka.ms/MacDefender聽on your device to download the WD.PKG installation file.
Open the WD package file on your Mac and follow the installation steps.
After installing, sign in with the personal Microsoft account (such as @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, or @live.com) that is associated with your Microsoft 365 subscription.
When you first sign into聽Microsoft Defender聽on Mac, we'll will walk you through a few easy steps to set聽up anti-malware protection on聽your device.
During this process, we need you to give聽Microsoft Defender聽a couple of permissions so that it can protect you.
System accessTo start with, we'll he you open the Security settings, then follow these steps:
1. Select the padlock at the bottom left so you can make changes. You'll be prompted to enter your password or other authentication.
2. You should see a prompt that says that Some system software requires your attention before it can be used.聽聽Select the Details聽button.
3. If you see a dialog asking you to select Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Defender Extension, select both and then OK.
Note:聽If you're using macOS Catalina (10.15) you may聽simply see an Allow button, rather than Details.聽
Once that's done, select the padlock again to prevent further changes.
Access filesNext, we'll need permission to access your files.聽Microsoft Defender聽scans apps and files looking for threats and it can only do that if it has permission to access the files. We'll ask you to select Open Privacy Settings, then follow these steps:
1. Select Full Disk Access.
2. Select Microsoft Defender and (if you see it)聽Microsoft Defender Extension.
Let's finish with a scan聽Finally, Microsoft Defender聽will run an initial scan of your device to see if there are any threats already on it. That scan may take a while鈥攄epending on the speed of your device and how many apps you he鈥攂ut you can keep using your computer while the scan runs in the background.
If that initial scan finds any threats聽Microsoft Defender聽will notify you and help you remove them.
Tip:聽If聽Microsoft Defender聽is successfully installed and running, you'll see its icon on the title bar near the clock at the top right.聽