LG has agreed to disable sneaky McAfee ads displayed by its Monitor App Installer after Windows 11 users complained about unwanted software and desktop pop-ups.
Microsoft’s Windows and Devices chief, Pavan Davuluri, said Microsoft contacted LG about the issue and that the company agreed to remove the McAfee pop-up as an immediate step.
“We appreciate LG working with us toward a shared goal of a better experience for our mutual customers,” Davuluri said, adding that Microsoft would continue working with its hardware partners to improve Windows.
The controversy began after users discovered that connecting certain LG monitors to Windows PCs could trigger the automatic installation of the LG Monitor App Installer.
Windows delivered the application through its official device-software distribution system without presenting users with a clear permission prompt. Reports about the automatic installation date back to at least 2024 and involve both newer monitors and some older models.
Once installed, the application displayed advertisements for a 30-day McAfee trial and promoted other LG software through desktop pop-ups.
YouTuber Gamers Nexus reproduced the behaviour using an LG UltraGear monitor. During its testing, the McAfee promotion appeared after 31 of 32 system restarts.
LG said the Monitor App Installer did not install McAfee without the user’s permission.
The company explained that the installer was distributed through Microsoft’s official Windows process and included McAfee as an optional application. Users still had to approve the installation of the antivirus software.
However, that response did not fully address why the LG Monitor App Installer itself appeared automatically or why it repeatedly displayed promotional messages.
The issue therefore concerned two separate actions: Windows automatically installing LG’s application and that application subsequently showing McAfee advertisements.
Complaints grew after users shared screenshots and reports showing that LG’s application had appeared without a conventional installation process.
The software also requested broad Windows permissions, including access to system resources and an internet connection, adding spyware concerns.
Microsoft then contacted LG, which agreed to disable the McAfee pop-up. It remains unclear whether LG will make additional changes to the automatic installation process or remove promotions for its other applications.
The controversy gained more attention after Gamers Nexus highlighted the behaviour on an LG monitor priced at approximately $1,200.
Following the report, the product’s rating on LG’s website reportedly fell to one star, while its listed price was reduced by nearly half.
The situation adds to wider concerns about hardware manufacturers using Windows features to install companion applications without users clearly requesting them.
Similar device-linked software can provide drivers and hardware controls, but users objected to LG using the system to deliver an application that displayed third-party promotions.
Windows users who find the unwanted application on their computers can remove it by opening:
Settings > Apps > Installed apps
They can then search for LG Monitor App Installer and select the uninstall option.
Removing the application should stop its promotional pop-ups. However, Microsoft and LG have not explained whether Windows could automatically reinstall it when the monitor is detected again.
LG’s decision will remove the McAfee advertisement, but questions remain about whether device manufacturers should be allowed to install promotional software automatically through Windows Update.
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