How can i turn off this genie in norton 360 , it is a nusanciance
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Did you install Genie Scam Protection from Google Play/App Store?
Did you install Genie Scam Protection/Pro?
Genie Scam Protection is part of your Norton 360/Norton 360 with LifeLock?
Hmm…NEW! Genie Scam Protection with Norton 360 here
Caveat: I’ve only seen Norton Genie scam detector online here
it came with norton 360 and i wished i’d not turned it on
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Thanks for warning us. If/When I see Geni. I’ll stay clear.
So, Geni is baked-in with your Norton 360…and you turned Geni on?
And there’s no off switch?
Just curious how this new feature is a nuisance? I have the Genie feature in my 360 and have not seen any messages about the feature.
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i also don’t want genie and i never opted into it to begin with. no way to turn it off that i have found so far.
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Same here. I want it off, but there’s no way to kill it, even when it’s not connected.
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Genie appeared without my permission. This appears to be AI intrusion onto my PC. There is no info available on the Internet or in this Community for turning it off or removing it. I went to settings and turned off all unwanted scam protection items. Genie is still there. It appears that the only way to get rid of Genie is to remove Norton 360. This would necessitate cancellation of subscription and search for a better product. I will speak with my PC repair expert in the morning.
Hello @George_Miller_Jr_MD
Have you had a Genie | Scam Protection (real-time) event?
fwiw ~ at this time > I’m not finding Genie | Scam Protection global “off” switch.
fwiw ~ at this time > I’ve not had a Genie | Scam Protection (real-time) event.
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Norton Genie Scam Protection - AI-powered protection against sophisticated scams.
- https://community.norton.com/t/introducing-norton-genie-scam-protection/373163
- https://us.norton.com/products/genie-scam-detector
- https://us.norton.com/feature/ai-scam-protection
- https://us.norton.com/blog/online-scams/norton-genie
- https://us.norton.com/blog/ai/ai-scams
- https://us.norton.com/blog/collections/online-shopping-scams
- https://us.norton.com/blog/emerging-threats/what-are-deepfakes
Using Norton Genie AI-powered assistant to detect deepfakes
https://support.norton.com/sp/en/us/home/current/solutions/v20250722122612120
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The primary difference between Norton Genie Scam Protection and Scam Protection Pro is that the Pro version adds proactive AI-driven blocking for phone calls and emails, along with financial recovery assistance for scam victims.
Core Feature Comparison
| Feature | Scam Protection (Standard) | Scam Protection Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Included in Norton AntiVirus Plus and Norton 360 Standard/Deluxe/Premium | Included in Norton 360 with LifeLock Select, Advantage, and Ultimate Plus plans |
| Safe SMS | AI-powered scanning for scam texts | Included |
| Safe Web | Blocks phishing sites and fake stores | Included |
| Genie Assistant | Tap-to-ask AI for suspicious offers | Included |
| Safe Call | Not included | Automatically blocks or labels scam, spam, and junk calls |
| Safe Email | Not included | Proactively scans inboxes to flag scams before they are opened |
| Scam Restoration | Not included | Dedicated guide to help recover lost funds |
| Reimbursement | Not included | Up to $10,000 coverage for lost money (Ultimate Plus only) |
Key Considerations
- Deepfake Protection: Both versions offer Deepfake Protection for YouTube videos (English only) if you have a compatible Windows Copilot+ PC.
- Standalone Option: A free, standalone version of Norton Genie is available as an app or web tool where you manually upload screenshots for analysis.
- Proactive vs. Manual: Standard Scam Protection is proactive for SMS and Web but requires the user to manually check other items. Scam Protection Pro is “set it and forget it” for calls and emails.
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Note: AI sourced content may make mistakes
Same here, I dont want any trash AI anywhere near me or my computer, that makes me think less of Norton as security because AI is famously bad, insecure, and gets people to lose lawsuits constantly. No one wants venture capitol grift AI, Norton! Do Better!!
Hello @eBridget
By early 2026, the retail consumer security market has undergone a near-universal shift toward AI integration. All major household brands—including Norton, McAfee, and Bitdefender—now use AI as the core engine for their primary protection tiers.
Industry Adoption and Trends
While specific “total counts” of every consumer product fluctuate, the top market leaders representing the vast majority of retail users have fully transitioned:
- 100% Core Feature Integration: Leading suites like Norton 360 and McAfee+ now include AI-powered engines as a standard feature across all plan levels, rather than as premium add-ons.
- Expansion Beyond Antivirus: The movement has shifted from “AI malware scanning” to “AI identity protection,” with 37% of consumers now specifically seeking solutions to combat AI-generated deepfakes and sophisticated scams.
- Niche Growth: Over 330 specialized AI security vendors have emerged recently, many targeting consumer “edge” needs like smart home security and AI-powered private browsing.
Key Retail Solutions with AI Engines (2026)
| Solution | AI Engine Focus | Notable Features |
|---|---|---|
| Norton 360 | Genie AI Engine | Safe SMS (10x better scam detection), Deepfake Protection for streaming video, and an AI-powered Scam Assistant. |
| McAfee+ | Smart AI™ | Text Scam Detector for real-time URL scanning and Next-gen Threat Protection that scans 3x faster using behavioral AI models. |
| Bitdefender | Behavioral AI | PHASR (Proactive Hardening) which builds behavioral profiles to stop “Living-Off-the-Land” attacks and deepfake voice detection. |
| Norton Neo | AI-Native Browser | A free, built-in browser designed from the ground up with AI for phishing and ad-blocking. |
Shift in Protection Strategy
The “moving to include” phase is largely complete for major retailers, who have now pivoted to Agentic Security:
- Proactive Interception: Instead of waiting for a virus to download, AI engines now intercept scam calls and texts by analyzing natural language and intent in real-time.
- Hardware Acceleration: Newer versions of these solutions are optimized for AI PCs, utilizing local Neural Processing Units (NPUs) to detect deepfakes without slowing down the device.
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Both Norton and McAfee have moved beyond simple antivirus by embedding AI engines that specialize in identifying scams and deepfakes. While both offer robust protection, they differ significantly in their approach: McAfee focuses on real-time browser alerts and hardware acceleration, while Norton utilizes an AI assistant model for on-demand analysis and broad contextual guidance.
Deepfake Detection Comparison
| Feature | Norton (Norton Genie / 360) | McAfee (McAfee+ / Deepfake Detector) |
|---|---|---|
| Detection Method | On-Demand AI Assistant: Users copy/paste YouTube links or upload videos to Norton Genie for analysis. | Automatic Browser Alerts: Runs in the background and flags AI-generated audio/video within seconds as you watch. |
| Analysis Focus | Contextual scam intent, audio manipulation, and visual deformations. | Advanced audio analysis using Transformer-based Neural Networks to identify manipulated speech patterns. |
| Privacy Approach | Cloud-based AI processing for high-accuracy scam identification. | On-Device Inference: Leverages NPUs (Neural Processing Units) on AI PCs to keep data private and off the cloud. |
| Scope | Currently focused on English YouTube videos; expanding to broader mobile/desktop support. | Broad browser-based detection; supports real-time alerts across various online video platforms. |
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In 2026, the shift to “Mobile-First” security means these companies no longer just give you an app to scan for viruses; they provide AI-powered assistants that live inside your messaging and browsing apps to intercept scams before you even see them.
Here is how the top players have packaged their AI engines into mobile apps:
Norton: The “Genie” Ecosystem
Norton has integrated its proprietary Genie AI engine across its mobile suite. It acts more like a security consultant than a silent background scanner.
- Norton Genie (Stand-alone or Integrated):
- The “Scam Whisperer”: You can take a screenshot of a suspicious text, email, or social media DM and upload it. The AI analyzes the intent and tells you exactly how it’s trying to scam you.
- Real-time SMS Filtering: Automatically moves suspected AI-generated “smishing” (SMS phishing) to a junk folder.
- Norton 360 Mobile App:
- Wi-Fi Security: Uses AI to detect “man-in-the-middle” attacks by recognizing abnormal network behavior patterns.
- App Advisor: Scans the Google Play or Apple App Store before you download, using predictive AI to flag apps that might have “leaky” privacy permissions.
McAfee: The “Scam Protection” Specialist
McAfee focuses heavily on automated interception. Their mobile strategy is designed to be “set it and forget it.”
- McAfee Security: Privacy & VPN:
- Smart AI™ Text Scam Detector: This is their flagship mobile feature. It uses an AI engine to scan URLs in your text messages in real-time, blocking them if they lead to known or predicted phishing sites.
- Social Privacy Manager: An AI tool that audits your Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn settings, automatically suggesting changes to hide your data from AI data-scraping bots.
- McAfee Safe Browser:
- A mobile-optimized browser that uses Visual AI to detect if a website is a “pixel-perfect” fake of a banking or shopping site.
Bitdefender: The “Scam Alert” Engine
Bitdefender remains the “lightweight” champion, using AI engines that don’t drain the battery as much as some competitors.
- Bitdefender Mobile Security:
- Scam Alert: This is a specialized layer for Android and iOS that monitors incoming SMS and calendar invites. It uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to identify the “urgency” and “authority” tactics typical of AI-generated scams.
- App Anomaly Detection: A newer 2025/2026 feature that monitors how apps behave after they are installed, looking for sudden changes in behavior that suggest an AI-driven malware takeover.
Mobile Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | Norton | McAfee | Bitdefender |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMS/Text Scanning | Proactive + Screenshot Analysis | Fully Automated Real-time | Real-time NLP Analysis |
| Social Media Protection | Focuses on Scam DMs | Focuses on Privacy/Scrapers | Links/Message scanning |
| Battery Impact | Moderate (Assistant-heavy) | Moderate (Cloud-dependent) | Low (Optimized Engine) |
| Deepfake Audio/Video | Yes (via Genie upload) | Yes (via Browser extension) | In Beta / Early release |
A Quick “Buyer Beware” Note
Most of these mobile AI features require you to grant the apps “Accessibility” permissions (on Android) or “VPN/Profile” permissions (on iOS). This allows the AI engine to “see” the traffic and texts it is protecting, which is a trade-off between privacy and security.
Note: AI sourced content may make mistakes
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FAQ: Norton Genie
https://support.norton.com/sp/en/us/home/current/solutions/v20230717145233467
Well, judging from the comments, they are telling us they don’t care if we want it or not, we are gonna get it. 37% of the pop wants this? WOW, guess I will be unsubbing this go round. Between constant price hikes, unwanted features being forced on me, and features I want that used to be included being extra transactions, Norton has seriously ruined my trust in the product.
So I was wondering if you ever figured out how to get genie off? because I need it off