Review Insights · App Store
Microsoft Defender: Security
Microsoft Corporation · 19,277 ratings · ★ 4.7
4.7
★★★★★
19,277 ratings
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Top complaints - extracted from 47 negative reviews
Recurring phrases mined from 1-2★ reviews. The bigger the percentage, the more users have the same problem. Fix the top 2-3 in your version and you have product-market fit on day one.
1
"defender"
14 negative reviews mention this · 30% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Continually causes connection issues and slow connection. While I really like the extra security, it completely disconnects from WiFi all the time and also causes really slow connectivity. This occurs on private and corporate networks and my device is always on the latest builds on IPhone and Defe…" - Stealth_SA
2
"microsoft"
10 negative reviews mention this · 21% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Don’t Like…. Why do I have to subscribe to Microsoft 365 to use Microsoft Defender? I just want Defender not Microsoft 365 package deal! 😏😒" - Kai Sai Zai
3
"iphone"
7 negative reviews mention this · 15% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Not recommended for iPhone 17.. The VPN messed up my internet and WiFi." - Gary Richard
4
"keeps"
6 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Non functional on iPhone 17 Pro ios 26.3. The internet keeps dropping once VPN is turned on. Works great when defender is off." - Kimmy KAC
5
"turn"
5 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Turn off on its own most of the time. Not working most of the time" - terrific pear
6
"works"
5 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Continually causes connection issues and slow connection. While I really like the extra security, it completely disconnects from WiFi all the time and also causes really slow connectivity. This occurs on private and corporate networks and my device is always on the latest builds on IPhone and Defe…" - Stealth_SA
7
"update"
5 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Can’t update version. It keeps telling me to update the version via Settings, General, but there is no General under Settings. Deleting the app and reinstalling it kept the same outdated version." - AnnNeel
📋 All 47 negative reviews
Every 1-2★ review we fetched. Use the copy button to grab them all for your own analysis (paste into ChatGPT/Claude with a prompt like "summarize core user problems, group by theme, ignore bugs, focus on missing features").
Notifications
Notifications not go away when completed. Very annoying. I have reported it but haven’t heard back from anyone on how to fix it. Not liking the app at all. Considering changing to a different provider.
Turn off on its own most of the time
Not working most of the time
Continually causes connection issues and slow connection
While I really like the extra security, it completely disconnects from WiFi all the time and also causes really slow connectivity. This occurs on private and corporate networks and my device is always on the latest builds on IPhone and Defender. Wish it was more stable and reliable but have to disable it if I want to use WiFi.
Useless info
Defender tells me something is wrong but useless at solving the problems it identifies.
Non functional on iPhone 17 Pro ios 26.3
The internet keeps dropping once VPN is turned on. Works great when defender is off.
Not REALLY a defender!
So the app will tell you that your private server info, email and SS#, has been breached and will certainly give you suggestions to protect your self, however, it doesn’t tell you what site was attacked so that you can make the actual changes to protect yourself. Feels like a scam to me.
VPN
This is my iPad, but I had to come here cause I can’t get the VPN to come on for my defender with Windows 11 laptop. Where is the VPN at? It won’t come up on my laptop. I’m bout to just delete all the subscriptions.
Don’t Like…
Why do I have to subscribe to Microsoft 365 to use Microsoft Defender? I just want Defender not Microsoft 365 package deal! 😏😒
LAUGH AT THIS GIMMICK
Lots of annoying alerts. No features. Sales front into the MS BS OF JUNK
Too many notices
We get so much "stuff" via text and emails that it becomes annoying.
Dumb
How rude to give me subscions
DNS Leaks!
I have the app installed, setup, turned on, with an active 365 subscription… DNS leaks and it’s not secure… You cannot count on this app to keep you safe online, worst part is it costed me money.
No one will help fix this issue
I have sent messages that I no longer have one of my devices because it died. I was unable to uninstall the program and honestly, I am so tired of getting the notifications about it not having the program turned on. Please remove the Samsung Galaxy A 9+!
Sign in loop
I try to sign in, but it jumps me to Authenticator to sign in. It tells me to approve on the Authenticator app with a number. I can’t get that number to pop up unless I exit out of the sign in process, because I am already in the app I need to approve the request. I exit out of the sign in, select the number and now everything is already cancelled and you get an error. Ridiculous.
Defender
As much as I like it, defender cannot be trusted. It works about 20% out of hundred percent. Just today it doesn’t even start, the endless loop like every time. I pay for the service and I’m very disappointed and would like to discuss a refund up to the point this app is fully functional. We, the users, are not guinea pigs for Microsoft or any other institution.
It’s On The Spending Side Of 50% Increase!
That I Will Have To Look For A Cheaper Option Than $10 Base Price Monthly! And What Use is One Security Client If You Are Not Using It Much?
Waste of time
You sign in and then it’s saying you need a Microsoft 364
Latest Update Breaks App
Update breaks functionality. Even removing the app and reinstalling it fails during VPN configuration.
Worst app ever
It won’t let me use it because it made me do a 1 month free trial and it’s the most non useful app ever made! DON’T DOWNLOAD if you’re wanting an free one
Never saves my profile
I constantly have to setup this app and profile. It’s done this on two phones, so I am fairly certain it’s not the phone.
Why should i pay for this service when the app never works for me?
Why should i pay for this service when the app never works for me?
….
I never make replies but guys don’t get this. In order to sign in I had to sign in to Microsoft I had to download this stupid app. For one this app creates security risk. DONT DOWNLOAD. Before I couldn’t get rid of my account because it was difficult sign in it wouldn’t let me continue…
The only thing it would let me continue with was a stupid free trial then a payment for 10 dollars. It consumes your battery steals your cellular data. There is no telling what information this app took from me. I was wondering why it had only 13k reviews….because ppl know what catastrophe this stupid “defender” app is.
I would give them no stars if it would let me. Waste of time.
The only thing it would let me continue with was a stupid free trial then a payment for 10 dollars. It consumes your battery steals your cellular data. There is no telling what information this app took from me. I was wondering why it had only 13k reviews….because ppl know what catastrophe this stupid “defender” app is.
I would give them no stars if it would let me. Waste of time.
Take over
App asks questions when you open it. It takes over your phone... blocking you from closing the app or opening any other app will not allow you to use your phone no matter what you do unless you capitulate to the apps demand that you answer it's questions or it will not let you use your phone at all you will obey and bow to their demands to answer their questions and they brick your phone until you obey the app and answer it's question
Alerts
Can’t remove an alert that
is old and no longer an issue.
is old and no longer an issue.
VPN - why?
Why am I STILL getting alerts about activating web protection when YOU discontinued the VPN?
Messes up my iPhone
I used Microsoft Defender for quite a while. My iPhone would act up a lot in odd ways. I couldn’t download some things because of the VPN or I couldn’t go into one of my apps because of the VPN. Sometimes I couldn’t get into my Microsoft mail because of the VPN. It was strange. It really messed up my Apple Laptop. For some reason it wiped out my email account, and when I went to add it back on to my laptop it wouldn’t take my password! I have no clue how to fix that. Yes, I even tried to change my password, and that didn’t work either.
Unsecured Website warning
I can’t open the app in Firefox because it wanted to use Safari. But Safari wouldn’t open it either, saying it’s an unsecured website.
Lack of VPN
When I originally bought the service with Microsoft 365 package, the VPN was not available on my desktop or my iPhone. It would later become available after several software patches on my desktop, but it would take months before the VPN was available on my iPhone.
I would later update the software on my iOS device and lose the option for the toggle switch within the MS Defender application on my iPhone again.
All of the troubleshooting steps have failed and have not received any response from Microsoft’s support team. I’m paying for a service that does not work and that also includes the Skype application’s 60 minutes monthly subscription service. Albeit my Skype service is still being bombarded daily from bot accounts in Skype’s messenger service.
I would later update the software on my iOS device and lose the option for the toggle switch within the MS Defender application on my iPhone again.
All of the troubleshooting steps have failed and have not received any response from Microsoft’s support team. I’m paying for a service that does not work and that also includes the Skype application’s 60 minutes monthly subscription service. Albeit my Skype service is still being bombarded daily from bot accounts in Skype’s messenger service.
Comes with my MS 365
Microsoft decided to remove the VPN feature, which is the primary reason why I use this app. But alas, I will have to use another VPN on my iPad as the ATT Active Armor only works on my iPhone.
Total trash
This is hilarious, and I love the note on the bottom: David aka Jim apparently. I’m sure app is great , just not for me, or Jim.
MS Defender
MS Defender keeps turning itself off an sending messages that it was turned off. Why doesn’t it stay on as I requested.
Stopped Updating
Received Offline error message, but update reached halfway point before failure. No other Apps have this problem..
Makes Internet/Wifi Usage Problematic
First of all this app comes with a “VPN”. Said VPN does not turn off when switched off. I’ve had innumerable problems being on WiFi or cellular and not able to load websites due to this app bogging my phone down.
Bad design
There’s no way to see the list of links that were blocked, or to report false positives.
VPN Issue
I turn off VPN in the app, and the VPN doesn’t turn off in the iOS settings. When I try to turn off the VPN in settings in automatically turns back on.
Also VPN slows my connection dramatically.
Can’t use this app any longer until issues are fixed.
Also VPN slows my connection dramatically.
Can’t use this app any longer until issues are fixed.
Latest update breaks connectivity
It gets into a loop attempting to vpn connect and fails. Afterwards no IP connection works
Needed to remove the VPN to make it work
Needed to remove the VPN to make it work
the VPN keeps torturing me
I had to uninstall this because even after trying to google how to stop it, every time i went to turn off the VPN it would flip back on! sometimes it would turn off for a while then randomly come back on! but thanks for letting me know someone is apparently using my social security number?
Disconnects WiFi
Software has started disconnecting WiFi connections when left and retuning to location where it’s located.
Not recommended for iPhone 17.
The VPN messed up my internet and WiFi.
Terrible
You have to get a Microsoft 360 account to use this product which means its not free.
Can’t update version
It keeps telling me to update the version via Settings, General, but there is no General under Settings. Deleting the app and reinstalling it kept the same outdated version.
Data and battery hog
I just found out that MS Defender was listed as #1 app in my iOS battery settings as consuming by far the most energy, which explains why my iPhone and iPad lost battery much faster than advertised.
Likewise, my cellular iPad plan got depleted every month very fast despite me using it only sporadically.
Thise troubles are. it worth the benefits of this app.
Likewise, my cellular iPad plan got depleted every month very fast despite me using it only sporadically.
Thise troubles are. it worth the benefits of this app.
Bad info
Keeps showing me the same compromised info over and over again even though I’ve cleared it. Pretty useless app
VPN needs work
VPN not only slows down the connection but if you have spotty connectivity the VPN grinds everything to a halt. Turn off the VPN on a spotty connection and suddenly I can use my apps again. Microsoft PLEASE fix the VPN instead of constantly and needlessly changing the UI.
Interrupts Internet connectivity
Needs to be restarted few times a day. Keeps blocking internet traffic, slowing down everything on the phone. This Started happening in the least few weeks.
Please fix it!
Please fix it!
Lost Its Value
Defender and its suite of protections was one of the more valuable parts of M365 subscription, but with Microsoft removing the VPN from the app on 2/28, it’s lost most of its value. Combined with the price increase for M365, I’ll be looking for other options before my subscription renews.
Defender?
I attempted to add my email for monitoring. For verification, Defender sent me an email with a code to enter into Defender. I immediately, within seconds, entered the code in Defender and received: Invalid code.
What? It’s the exact same code I received. After several attempts, receiving the same Defender error message I quit!
Defender?
What? It’s the exact same code I received. After several attempts, receiving the same Defender error message I quit!
Defender?
Incompatible if you already use a VPN
Not sure how good this is or is not because I already have a VPN service and you cannot run them both at the same time.
Sentiment summary
93%
Positive (4-5★)
3%
Neutral (3★)
4%
Negative (1-2★)