If you’re a Mac user, you might be wondering how to install Bitdefender on your computer. This powerful antivirus software can help protect your Mac against viruses, malware, and other online threats. Fortunately, the setup process is quick and easy, and should take less than five minutes. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to install Bitdefender on your Mac.
Step 1: Visit Central.Bitdefender.com
To get started, open your web browser and visit central.bitdefender.com. From there, sign in with your Bitdefender Central account.
Step 2: Check Your Subscription
Before proceeding with the installation, make sure you have a valid subscription in your central account. If you need help, you can check out a tutorial on how to activate Bitdefender subscriptions.
Step 3: Install Protection on Your Device
Once you have a valid subscription, select “My Devices” on the sidebar. Then, click on “Install Protection” on your device. Choose “Security” and select “This device” to protect your current MAC. The installation kit will be saved on your Mac.
Step 4: Run the Installation Kit
Next, open your downloads folder and double-click the Bitdefender package file to run it. Allow it to run if prompted. Then, click on “Continue” to begin the installation. Click “Agree” after you read and agree to the terms of the software license agreement.
Step 5: Enter Your Administrator Name and Password
Choose “Install” and enter an administrator name and password. Then, click on “Install Software” and click “OK”. At this point, you should see a message about downloading antivirus for Mac. Let it run.
Step 6: Unblock Bitdefender
After a short wait, you will be informed that a Bitdefender system extension has been blocked. This is not an error. Click the “Open System Settings” button. The privacy and security window will pop up. Scroll down to the security section and press the “Allow” button. Input the name and password of a Mac administrator, then click “Unlock”.
Step 7: Grant Full Disk Access
While still in the privacy and security window, scroll up and click on “Full Disk Access”. Full disk access feature is much like a security check at an airport. Let’s grant access to Bitdefender by enabling these two items: Bitdefender and Antivirus for Mac.
Step 8: Restart Your Mac
Press “Quit” and reopen, then restart your Mac to complete the setup.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed Bitdefender on your Mac. If your subscription covers multiple devices, make sure to check out other tutorials to learn how to install Bitdefender on Windows smartphones and tablets running Android or iOS.
Now that you have installed Bitdefender on your Mac, let’s take a quick tour of the Bitdefender antivirus interface. Click the “B” icon in the menu bar and choose “Open Antivirus Interface”. This will bring up the Bitdefender interface.
The dashboard is where you can see your system’s security status. If everything is okay, the shield is green. When an issue is detected, the shield turns red. To discover all must-know features, access the menu on the left-hand side.
Under “Protection”, you can run a quick scan, complete system scan, custom scan, view quarantine files, and set exceptions all in one place. The antivirus module web protection activates traffic light to be safe on the internet. Traffic light is a browser extension available for Safari, Firefox, and Chrome. Anti-ransomware allows you to protect important files from ransomware attacks and secure your time machine backups. Turn on save files to prevent ransomware from encrypting your documents, pictures and other important files.
The dashboard simply follows the recommendations displayed here to fix any security issue. It looks like the traffic light extension is not installed in Safari, so let’s address that now. Click “Install” or go to the “Protection” web protection tab and click on “Enable Extension” next to Safari. Safari extensions will pop up. Select the checkbox next to traffic light. Choose “Turn On” if prompted. While we’re here, let’s enable anti-tracker as well. This Bitdefender extension blocks trackers that collect your browsing data and helps web pages to load faster. Close Safari extensions, then select again Bitdefender antivirus for Mac. Traffic light is now installed and enabled.
Under “Privacy” on the left-side menu, Bitdefender VPN keeps you anonymous online and provides access to content that is restricted based on region. Click “Open” and this dialog box will pop up the first time you connect to VPN. Choose to open system settings. The privacy and security window will pop up. Scroll down to the security section and press the “Allow” button. Input the name and password of a Mac administrator, then click “Unlock”. Allow it if prompted. You can also open Bitdefender VPN from the menu bar. Look for this shield icon.
Remember how we activated the anti-tracker extension earlier? You can find it here under privacy anti-tracker tab. Notifications appear whenever something relevant to the security of your system happens. A new message is added here in a similar way to a new email appearing in your inbox. Click any notification to expand it and learn more.
Under “My Account”, you can check the validity of your subscription and your central account preferences. From here, you can configure the Bitdefender settings. If you need assistance, you can read the user’s manual, consult knowledge base articles and videos, or contact Bitdefender support.
Thank you for choosing Bitdefender as your security solution. Learn more at bitdefender.com!