# How to cancel McAfee

Cancel McAfee from My Account: sign in and turn off auto-renewal more than 30 days before the term ends so the renewal is not charged. It takes a few minutes, and you keep using the software until the paid period ends. A full refund is available within 30 days of the first purchase or 60 days of auto-renewal.

McAfee consumer antivirus, scam, privacy and identity subscriptions sold in the United States, including Total Protection and McAfee+ individual and family plans.

- Category: Security & protection
- Entry plan: Essential 5 Devices at See US checkout
- Billed via: web
- Difficulty: Easy (1.6 / 10 on the Cancellation Difficulty Index), takes about 3 minutes
- Direct cancellation page: https://www.mcafee.com/support/articles/en_US/Knowledge/000001781
- Manually verified on 31 Aug 2026 against official sources
- Canonical guide: https://canicancelit.com/cancel/mcafee

## Cancel in a web browser

> McAfee charges within 30 days before the term ends. Turn off auto-renewal more than 30 days before expiry to avoid that charge.

1. **Sign in to My Account** Use the McAfee account that owns the subscription. McAfee's help article titles this as turning off auto-renewal for a subscription managed in My Account.
2. **Turn off automatic renewal** Follow the auto-renewal prompts shown in My Account. McAfee says to do this more than 30 days before the term expires so the payment method is not charged for the next term.
3. **Keep using the paid term** If you do not qualify for a refund, McAfee says you keep using the software and services until the end of the subscription period you have paid for.

## Refunds, pausing, downgrades and your data

- **Refunds:** McAfee's US license and offer terms state you will be provided a full refund upon request by contacting Customer Support within 30 days of your initial purchase or 60 days of auto-renewal. If you forget to turn off automatic renewal you have 60 days after you are charged to request a refund and cancel. App-store and other third-party purchases are not documented as McAfee-refundable on the reviewed US pages.
- **Pausing:** No pause option is documented on McAfee's US license, privacy, refund-offer, or auto-renewal help pages.
- **Downgrading:** McAfee does not document a self-serve downgrade between McAfee+ or Total Protection plans. Turning off auto-renewal ends eligibility for extra auto-renewal benefits. After auto-renewal is off, the paid software continues until the paid period ends.
- **Account data:** Turning off auto-renewal does not close the McAfee account. McAfee's privacy notice says to close the account you visit Customer Service, click Contact Support, and select your country and language. Account data is retained while you are a registered subscriber and as reasonably necessary afterward for legal and business purposes.

## At a glance

- Cancellation fee: None
- Refund window: 30 days first purchase; 60 days auto-renewal
- Effective: End of paid term
- Free plan after: No

## FAQ

**Does turning off McAfee auto-renewal end protection immediately?**

No. If you do not get a refund, McAfee says you keep using the software until the end of the paid subscription period.

**When does McAfee charge the renewal?**

McAfee says it charges the payment method within 30 days before the subscription is due to end, and tells you to turn off auto-renewal more than 30 days before expiry to avoid that charge.

**Can I get a McAfee refund?**

US terms say a full refund is available on request within 30 days of the initial purchase or 60 days of auto-renewal, by contacting Customer Support.

**Can I pause McAfee?**

No pause option is documented on the reviewed official US pages.

**Does cancelling McAfee delete my account?**

No. Closing the account is a separate Customer Service or privacy-request step.

## Official sources

- [Turn off auto-renewal for your McAfee subscription](https://www.mcafee.com/support/articles/en_US/Knowledge/000001781) (checked 2026-08-31)
- [McAfee Privacy and Legal Terms (US)](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/policy/legal.html) (checked 2026-08-31)
- [McAfee Total Protection (US)](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/antivirus/mcafee-total-protection.html) (checked 2026-08-31)
- [McAfee identity theft protection (US)](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/identity-theft/protection.html) (checked 2026-08-31)
- [McAfee+ Family (US)](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/identity-theft/family.html) (checked 2026-08-31)
- [McAfee My Account dashboard](https://home.mcafee.com/Secure/MyAccount/DashBoard.aspx) (checked 2026-08-31)

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Verified cancellation guide from Can I Cancel It? (https://canicancelit.com). JSON version: https://canicancelit.com/cancel/mcafee.json