Android phone. The Norton blurb says you can do this but I cannot see how you do it in the app itself which I installed today.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
David
at the bottom of the page, there's the following setting: RESTRICT BACKGROUND DATA: Turn off background data on mobile data network only. Wi-Fi will be used if available. I selected that & restarted my phone, & it still started running the scan without wi-fi being enabled.
Thanks for pointing out this setting. Is there a way to check that any data was used after you changed the setting? Maybe if you can wait another day, then restart the phone and see if any cell data is used after the startup.
What device and Android version do you see this setting?
The scan starting when you start your device is by design. It does not necessarily mean that it downloaded anything if no network is available. It usually takes less than a minute on my phone. I just think of it like starting up a PC. You get used to the boot time taking what it takes to get every thing loaded and ready to go.
I'm having the same problem, despite the fact that my phone is set to update apps over wi-fi only. I was noodling around under data usage, & it clearly shows Norton usage on the mobile network. Norton also runs after the phone has been restarted or turned on, regardless of whether or not Wi-Fi is enabled. If I select Norton (from the list of apps under data usage) it brings up a graph & at the bottom of the page, there's the following setting: RESTRICT BACKGROUND DATA: Turn off background data on mobile data network only. Wi-Fi will be used if available. I selected that & restarted my phone, & it still started running the scan without wi-fi being enabled. Screw the money I paid for the 1 year subscription. I uninstalled the app. I can't have data overages. It's ridiculous that there's no control over when this app runs, even though I have scheduling turned off, & set the phone to only update via wi-fi. Between my job & classes that I take after work, I don't have time for this.
peterweb:
- It's set to Weekly Scan but it scans every time it does a Live Update
That is by design. When LiveUpdate gets new malware definitions, a scan is done to test against the new definition detections. The weekly setting is there in case, some how there were no new definitions over the week. - OK
- Which I wouldn't mind if it Live Updated only over wifi but it's updating over the cell network using up data allowance without asking (always a crime)
- You've no control over when/where it scans
As noted, I am waiting on clarification on what triggers a LiveUpdate or scan. - OK
- You've no control over when/where it Live Updates
- The Subscription Status is frequently wrong (unlike on it's sibling laptops which count down daily every day)
My subscription status is fine. Not sure what might be happening on your devices. - Just on the phone, all laptops fine as usual
- The Last Scan in the middle of the big green circle bit seems to take a while to update when a scan has taken place, so it's out of date for a wee while on when the last scan was, post-scan
As long as you know the scan has run, this should not be an issue. How far behind is the notice? - Just under half an hour then it's OK
- Not sure what the point of the Anti-Theft stuff is - I think you can do most of that anyway via your Google account so what's it really adding (? why's it default off? does it need to be on versus Google?)
With Anti Theft Device Administrator set on, that helps in case your device is lost or stolen. It allows the device to send your device's location, and allows the device to be locked or wiped remotely by SMS message. You can also locate the device from the Mobile Security web site, https://mobilesecurity.norton.com - Yeah I get all that but you can do most of that via your normal Google account, I believe, without the SMS bit. Just another layer I guess.
- The Google App scanner thing not sure what drawing over other apps means so that's put me off trying that (should it?)
I do not understand what you mean by drawing over other apps. What App Adviser does is check the app before you download it to your device. It will notify you if it is a battery hog, or if it shares your information, or if it contains malware. - If you take a look when you set it on it tells you about drawing over other apps etc before you click Setup on that screen. Kinda puts you off that bit
- Wasn't obvious initially where to rattle in my username/password at the outset - I clicked Renew Now and that let me do it
I take it you now know there is s Sign In box near the Renew box. - I do now!
- Isn't obvious where (in 4 weeks time) when I update it's laptop siblings from Deluxe to Premium at renewal what I do on Android - e.g. do I Renew Now and rattle in the new licence number as on laptops?
Your NMS product should pick up that you have a valid subscription. As long as you are signed into your Norton Account on the device, you should be OK. If not, just clearing the app cache and app data and restarting the device will reset things for you. You will just Sign In to your Norton Account again and it will get the new subscription. - OK
- It could use a decent manual - if there is one, where is it?
I have not found one. The only thing I have found is a Help section near the Settings on the device. - Yeah
- It's set to Weekly Scan but it scans every time it does a Live Update
That is by design. When LiveUpdate gets new malware definitions, a scan is done to test against the new definition detections. The weekly setting is there in case, some how there were no new definitions over the week.
- Which I wouldn't mind if it Live Updated only over wifi but it's updating over the cell network using up data allowance without asking (always a crime)
- You've no control over when/where it scans
As noted, I am waiting on clarification on what triggers a LiveUpdate or scan.
- You've no control over when/where it Live Updates
- The Subscription Status is frequently wrong (unlike on it's sibling laptops which count down daily every day)
My subscription status is fine. Not sure what might be happening on your devices.
- The Last Scan in the middle of the big green circle bit seems to take a while to update when a scan has taken place, so it's out of date for a wee while on when the last scan was, post-scan
As long as you know the scan has run, this should not be an issue. How far behind is the notice?
- Not sure what the point of the Anti-Theft stuff is - I think you can do most of that anyway via your Google account so what's it really adding (? why's it default off? does it need to be on versus Google?)
With Anti Theft Device Administrator set on, that helps in case your device is lost or stolen. It allows the device to send your device's location, and allows the device to be locked or wiped remotely by SMS message. You can also locate the device from the Mobile Security web site, https://mobilesecurity.norton.com
- The Google App scanner thing not sure what drawing over other apps means so that's put me off trying that (should it?)
I do not understand what you mean by drawing over other apps. What App Adviser does is check the app before you download it to your device. It will notify you if it is a battery hog, or if it shares your information, or if it contains malware.
- Wasn't obvious initially where to rattle in my username/password at the outset - I clicked Renew Now and that let me do it
I take it you now know there is s Sign In box near the Renew box.
- Isn't obvious where (in 4 weeks time) when I update it's laptop siblings from Deluxe to Premium at renewal what I do on Android - e.g. do I Renew Now and rattle in the new licence number as on laptops?
Your NMS product should pick up that you have a valid subscription. As long as you are signed into your Norton Account on the device, you should be OK. If not, just clearing the app cache and app data and restarting the device will reset things for you. You will just Sign In to your Norton Account again and it will get the new subscription.
- It could use a decent manual - if there is one, where is it?
I have not found one. The only thing I have found is a Help section near the Settings on the device.
Thanks peterweb.
My observations on Norton Mobile since installing four days ago...
- It's set to Weekly Scan but it scans every time it does a Live Update
- Which I wouldn't mind if it Live Updated only over wifi but it's updating over the cell network using up data allowance without asking (always a crime)
- You've no control over when/where it scans
- You've no control over when/where it Live Updates
- The Subscription Status is frequently wrong (unlike on it's sibling laptops which count down daily every day)
- The Last Scan in the middle of the big green circle bit seems to take a while to update when a scan has taken place, so it's out of date for a wee while on when the last scan was, post-scan
- Not sure what the point of the Anti-Theft stuff is - I think you can do most of that anyway via your Google account so what's it really adding (? why's it default off? does it need to be on versus Google?)
- The Google App scanner thing not sure what drawing over other apps means so that's put me off trying that (should it?)
- Wasn't obvious initially where to rattle in my username/password at the outset - I clicked Renew Now and that let me do it
- Isn't obvious where (in 4 weeks time) when I update it's laptop siblings from Deluxe to Premium at renewal what I do on Android - e.g. do I Renew Now and rattle in the new licence number as on laptops?
- It could use a decent manual - if there is one, where is it?
(I've also installed it on my work mobile as a Free Trial which goes to Free in 30 days as a compare and contrast but it's already doing the same things as above...)
Thanks,
David
I've notified my contact on this thread. They are checking on the processes used for the updates.
MotoE2 Marshmallow.
If I do that it shows cumulative. It I "Hide Wifi" on the data usage screen some of the figures go down (Total minus wifi, I guess) but the Norton one stays static.
Norton is de-fin-et-ly updating over the cell network. I'm nowhere near wifi when it's doing Live Update etc.
On my phone, on the data usage page there are tabs along the top for Wifi, and data. If they are not there, you may be able to tap on 3 dots at the top of the screen and choose the items to display.
What device are you using and what Android version.
I'll pass this thread along to my contacts to see if they can shed any light on what you are seeing.
Hi,
Data usage on mine just shows cumulative data usage - you can't break it down further into wifi vs cell.
All I know is it's 100% doing Live Updates when not on wifi which is poor and must be a simple code change to add in. It's about 9 months or so since I read folk complaining about this and I assumed they'd have fixed that by now; clearly not.
Another thing I've noticed is the Subscription Status is stuck at the value it was when I installed it 3 days ago, so it's not counting down as my laptops do and on the Norton Manage Account site it has the correct value for the phone and all the laptops. Is this a bug in the mobile edition?
Thanks,
David
Just a thought. I went to my Android settings. On my phone it is under in the Wireless & Networks section, under More... at the bottom of the list. Tapping that brings up a Data Usage option. Tapping that brings up information on data usage on the individual networks. Can you see how much data is used by Norton on the cell data?
If you could post a screenshot of that usage, it can prove the point so I can pass it on to my Norton contacts.
Instructions to post screenshots can be found here
https://community.norton.com/forums/how-post-image-forums-0
It's on 24/7. You can tell because it's only on wifi in the house but it's updating each day when out and about (and not on wifi) which you can see if you take a look at the Norton Mobile Activity Log.
As I said you can do this in Avast etc so Symantec really need to fix this, it's an appalling omission for such a mainstream bit of software; most of us have data limits so don't like apps that randomly eat our data allowance needlessly.
I do not use cell data at all, so I cannot test. How are you able to determine Norton is updating over cell?
Do you shut down the phone each day, or is it on 24/7?
Hi,
OK, well that doesn't work very well - it keeps doing updates over the cell connection despite being on wifi several times a day.
Good stuff...! They should hurry up with this, it's a bad weakness compared to the competition; I don't want my AV eating my data allowance.
Thanks,
David
From what I have been told, the app does have code to look for wifi connections, and will try to use that for LiveUpdates. The only time the app should try to use a cell data connection is if the malware definitions are really old. Then it will use whatever connection it can find to get up to date.
A feature request for adding a setting for wifi only updates is being created.
OK, thanks, I'll stay tuned.
I remember reading a while back that two criticisms of Norton over Avast on Android were around slightly worse battery drain in Norton and that in Norton you couldn't make LiveUpdate over wifi only so when I read that you could today (wherever I read that!) I though OK. Anyway, it's on now and I'll give it a go but I'll be paying attention to both of those closely.
Cheers,
David
I'll see if I can verify how the updates are done in regards to which networks are used. I would suggest that if a LiveUpdate is required, as in when you first turn on your phone, and you only have cell data network available, the LiveUpdate would use that cell network. Not sure which would take priority if both cell and wifi are available.
This might be a good suggestion for the Product Suggestions board https://community.norton.com/forums/product-suggestions
I can't find it now either - I swear I read that today while raking through lots of pdf Norton users guides courtesy of Mr and Mrs Google.
If it was my imagination it should be a feature of the product by default so perhaps you can suggest it to the Norton powers that be. If it starts to consume loads of my data allowance doing LiveUpdates over the air then it'll be getting uninstalled and back to Avast which was fine, apart from the ads...
Time will tell.
Thanks,
David
I cannot find any reference to wifi only updates for the Norton app. Do you have a link to that information?
There is a setting for Google Play Store auto updates over wifi only. Not the same thing.