Web Protection keeps turning off on Android phones? Here’s what to do
This article guides you on how to prevent Bitdefender Mobile Security’s Web Protection feature from constantly being disabled on some Android phones and tablets. Sometimes, even after manually reactivating Web Protection, it turns itself off shortly afterward. When this happens, Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android notifies you that « Web Protection got disabled by another service. Turn it on to get online protection. »
Why does Web Protection keep turning off?
The Web Protection feature in Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android keeps turning off because the device is using Power Saving mode to save battery, which stops the running apps.
A large part of the bonus features of smartphones revolves around battery life and performance optimization. It is for this reason that vendors are packing battery-saving features with each Android release. But some optimization mechanisms are so aggressive that they kill useful background apps when the screen turns off to maximize your smartphone’s battery life.
This impacts most of the apps that run in the background. Most affected are 3rd party alarm clocks, automation apps, and especially apps that need to work even when you are not actively using your smartphone. The latter category also includes Bitdefender’s Web Protection. Web Protection loses the Accessibility permission required to function when the Android system force stops background applications.
This is why an alert has been implemented warning that another service has disabled Web Security and needs to be enabled again.
How do I enable Bitdefender’s Web Protection on Android?
As seen above, the issue is caused by a system optimization mechanism that removes the permission required by Web Protection. Solving it can be different depending on the device. You can either look for battery optimization and exclude (remove) the Bitdefender Mobile Security app, or look for some rules that can be handled at device-level for managing apps or prioritizing their background functionality.
Step 1 – Exclude Bitdefender from Battery saving settings
The exclusions steps may vary depending on the phone/tablet brand. If you can’t find instructions specific to your phone model in the following article, we recommend looking through the device battery or power-saving settings to find a method of excluding the Bitdefender app from being closed off, so you can keep Web Protection enabled at all times and browse safely.
Step 2 – Grant Accessibility permission to the Bitdefender Mobile Security app
After removing Bitdefender from your battery-saving settings, you need to restore the Accessibility permission for Web Protection to work. To reactivate the Accessibility permission:
- Go to Settings ⚙︎ on your Android device.
- Open the Accessibility section.
- Select Bitdefender Mobile Security in the list of downloaded apps.
- Set the Accessibility permission slider to ON for the Bitdefender Mobile Security app.
- Tap Allow – if prompted – to confirm the change. The Accessibility service is required for scanning purposes.
Step 3 – Turn back ON the Web Protection feature
Finally, turn back on the Web Protection feature so that the Bitdefender Mobile Security app can scan and block dangerous websites accessed in browsers.
After implementing all of the steps provided in this guide, Web Protection should no longer turn off on your Android device.
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
Comments
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I tried this, but Bitdefender does not show up as an available app to choose under "Never Sleeping Apps" which is currently found in Settings/Battery/Background Usage Limits/Never Sleeping Apps. I am on a Samsung S21 Ultra and Android 12. Any other suggestions?
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I tried all these for several times, but after some minutes or hours the message from bitdefender appears again.
Getting back to make the correct settings almost everytime I realize that the settings are correct.
All this issue is very annoying and it might be the reason for not renewing my subscription.
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Hi,
Check the instructions from the link below and let us know if they are useful:
Cheers
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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I uninstalled and reinstalled Bitdefender and it finally let me add Bitdefender app in areas accessibility and never sleeping apps and now it says it is protecting web activity (we will see if the weekly report says it is or reports zero activity again).
HOWEVER, despite the fact that I have activated extra privacy for banking pages under web protection, BD does not provide any notice when I purposefully go to the login page of a bank just to test the notification. It doesn't even suggest that I use BD VPN for safety on the website. This makes me wonder if BD would alert if I was going to a malicious site. And, yes, all required notification settings are enabled on my Samsung S21 Ultra to allow Bitdefender to send notifications. I note most people in this forum are more interested in turning off BD notifications, but I am concerned because I am receiving no notifications. Any ideas?
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Hi @Clarice,
Make sure you have enabled the banking related VPN notifications as well, should you wish to be notified whenever you access the page of a bank:
1. Tap More on the bottom navigation bar.
2. Tap ⚙︎ Settings.
3. Turn ON the Extra privacy for banking pages switch in the Web Protection panel.
To ensure complete functionality for Web Protection, Mobile Security needs the following permissions:
• Internet access: used for cloud communication.
• Read phone state and identity: used to detect if the device is connected to the internet and to extract certain device info needed to create a unique ID when communicating with Bitdefender cloud.
• Read and write browser bookmarks: The Web Protection module deletes malicious sites from your browsing history.
• Read log data: Bitdefender Mobile Security detects traces of threat activities from the Android logs.
• Location: required for remote location.
• Camera: required for Snap photo.
• Storage: used to allow the Malware Scanner to check the SD card.
Regards
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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I never encountered this sort of problem for OnePlus 9 Pro or 10 Pro devices of mine
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I had the same problem. So I uninstalled then reinstalled and it appeared in the list.
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I uninstalled Bitdefender, reinstalled it and did all of the steps above, but I still could not exclude Bitdefender from the battery saving settings. "Bitdefender" is not displayed. Internet protection unfortunately continues to turn off almost daily.
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Bonjour
Mon tel IOS 11 est toujours à risque, je ne comprends pas pourquoi car les autres appareils eux n’ont aucun problèmes.
j’ai beau remettre la protection web mais elle se désactive j’ai regardé dans mes paramètres pour la batterie si Bitdefender y été et rien
pourriez-vous m’aider SVP
cordialement
Bree
chaque fois.
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Bonjour.
Contacter le support client de Bitdefender:
https://www.bitdefender.fr/consumer/support/
chat: En Francais L-V, de 9h a 17h, English 24/7
tel.: France +33 (9) 70 01 97 15, +33 (0) 800 961 161 (Francais - du lundi au vendredi de 9h a 17h)
tel.: Belgie +32 28 80 71 70 (Nederlands/Francais - du lundi au vendredi de 9h a 17h)
tel.: Canada (+1) 647 955 1197, (+1) 647 847 3405 (English: 24 hour service) (Francais - du lundi au vendredi de 9h a 17h)
Cordialement.
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Hi,
In the event the troubleshooting steps from the above article do not solve the issue or don't apply to your device type, kindly get in touch with our Support Teams for further guidance.
Regards
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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I'm having the same problem plus I can't connect with support. Every time I try to connect with support it won't load. WTF.
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Hello @Wilco43,
What exactly is not loading? The chat, the contact channels on the page or the support page itself?
Regards
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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I have made all the prescribed adjustments and the problem persists. How do I contact customer support?
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Hi @Swiderman
Support can be reached at bms@bitdefender.com
Or, you can go through these steps to get a hold of Chat, email and phone support (which is not toll-free). Choose, What do you need help with?/How to's and Troubleshooting and go from there to get to the black Contact Support button at the bottom.
Kind regards,
Scott
All Bitdefender Home Product User Guides: https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/user-guides/
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Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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I followed instructions that I came upon early in the process and they worked. Thanks!
Bedward
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Google Pixel 7 running Android 13. Checked all steps listed above BitDefender Web Defense keeps turning off even though optimization in not taking place.
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Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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This may be of help to Web Protection issue. I was getting multiple references per day about web protection off on various devices when it was not. All settings were correct and still the issue!
After many contacts with Bitdefender I eventually received acknowledgement that it was an issue with Bitdefender -
"Thank you for your patience while waiting for my reply
This is a follow-up email regarding the bug report that you have sent us. I'd like to inform you that our development team is still working a fix and it’s taking a bit more than usual. As previously mentioned, the fix will be automatically released through Bitdefender product updates, with no other actions requested from your side.
Please let me know if you would still like to receive updates about this case in the future. In the meantime, I am here to help if you have other cyber-security questions.
Stay safe and have a great day!
Kind Regards,
Andrei M.
Senior Customer Support Engineer"
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Hi @ricardoSS,
Indeed, this behavior is still under investigation. The devices are still protected by the Web Protection module in this scenario. Whenever this happens, there is actually a miscommunication between the device and the servers which leads to the At Risk notification being displayed in your Central account.
We do not have an estimated time for the release of the fix yet. Please keep in mind that all reported bugs require investigation time. Since product updates are usually released once a month, it may take at least 1 month until a fix is implemented in the product - this does not include the debugging period.
Regards
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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If nothing in this thread helped, I would suggest you contact support. Follow the prompts from the Protection for Android option, and go from there.
Or, mobile security support can be reached at bms@bitdefender.com
Kind regards,
Scott
All Bitdefender Home Product User Guides: https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/user-guides/
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Unfortunately, the inattention also automatically happens to mec which deactivates app protection, despite having activated automatic start in the background in the app settings for Bitdefender Mobile Security.
Nunzio ·
Bitdefender Plus, Windows 10 Pro-32 Bit, CPU Intel Core2 Duo T7500, RAM 4 Gb - Bitdefender Mobile Security
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I fixed it by
Settings ... Apps ... Bitdefender Security ... Battery ... Set Optimised (allows Bitdefender Security to be seen in Background usage limits).
Settings ... Background usage limits ... Sleeping apps/ Deep sleeping apps (remove if in either) Add to Never auto sleeping apps.
Settings ... Apps ... Bitdefender Security ... Battery ... Set Unrestricted.
Once it is done in that order it is never put in Background usage limits ... Sleeping apps/ Deep sleeping apps
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I like to switch my android phone off every night (to help have some proper shut-eye!)
But every morning I have to manually switch on web protection and app anomaly detection, after my phone has restarted. This is annoying.
Is there a solution to this?
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Hello @PB22,
If Web Protection keeps turning off on your Android phone, follow the steps from this article:
The feature keeps turning off because the device is using Power Saving mode to save battery, which stops the running apps.
https://dontkillmyapp.com/samsung
In regard to app anomaly detection, there is a known situation currently being investigated by the app developers. You can find more information here:
Regards,
Alex
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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I found the solution please see
https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/332461/#Comment_332461
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The solution https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/32406/ does not work for samsung.
- Go to Settings ⚙︎ on your Samsung device and tap Apps.
- Select Bitdefender Security in the list of apps and disable Pause app activity if unused.
- Go back to Settings ⚙︎ → Apps → Bitdefender Security → tap Battery, then choose Unrestricted.
- Reopen Settings ⚙︎ then tap Battery and device care → Battery → Background usage limits → disable the option Put unused apps to sleep.
Bitdefender security can not be seen in Settings ⚙︎ then tap Battery and device care → Battery →Background usage limits → disable the option Put unused apps to sleep. When Settings ⚙︎ → Apps → Bitdefender Security → tap Battery, is set to Unrestricted
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Thanks for your responses.
The issue occurs when I power off (or reset) my phone, something I do everyday. I then have to manually switch on web protection, etc. I don't normally have any issue when battery power is low.
I've a OnePlus phone. Any further advice? Thanks again in advance.
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Can anyone help with this? Or, I guess, a bug with BitDefender software?
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Hello @PB22,
When you restart the phone, Web protection should start automatically, if it already has permissions for that. Check if the app has been granted permissions for the following:
- Internet access: used for cloud communication.
- Read phone state and identity: used to detect if the device is connected to the internet and to extract certain device info needed to create a unique ID when communicating with Bitdefender cloud.
- Read and write browser bookmarks: The Web Protection module deletes malicious sites from your browsing history.
- Read log data: Bitdefender Mobile Security detects traces of threat activities from the Android logs.
- Location: required for remote location.
- Camera: required for Snap photo.
- Storage: used to allow the Malware Scanner to check the SD card.
Once all required permissions are checked, restart the device and see if web protection is enabled. If it doesn't enable after restart, I think more information is required to troubleshoot this, and I would recommend to get in touch with the Support teams for further investigation. There isn't a known bug displaying this behavior, as far as I'm aware. If necessary, you can reach the Bitdefender Support teams using the link below:
https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/help/
Scroll down to state your contact reason, then choose from the available contact channels, chat, phone and email/ticket. Chat would be the fastest way to reach them.
Let us know how it goes.
Regards,
Alex
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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Thanks!
The phone has all the permissions in place. I'll contact support and hopefully they'll find out what I'm doing wrong!
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I have the same problem on Samsung Galaxy A53 5G. Even Samsung (remote) technical support was not able to solve the problem. I get the same notification very often.
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Good Day Everyone
I hope this helps as I have posted it in another category. I may have found a way to keep the web protection on (for samsung users) after testing and monitoring it for 4 months now on a Samsung S20, Note 20 and also A51 device. This is also a guidance I got from Bitdefender Support Team. I'll copy the solution for you below. All you have to do when looking up the Don't kill my app website as given by @Alexandru_BD stated in the comments above and then follow the android version your device is running on other than that should work on what I did below:
How I managed to get it running:
Upon checking the Bitdefender Security Application in the battery care and also memory, I noticed 2 of the devices didn't have the Bitdefender app listed in it out of the 3 devices. After testing the device which had the Bitdefender app on the option to exclude it from the battery and memory auto shutdown, I noticed that one device didn't turn off automatically after a week of monitoring whereas the other 2 did shut off after 3 days. So the next course of action for the 2 other Samsung devices was to uninstall it from the google play store as well as to remove it from bitdefender central as well. After that I reinstalled the app and before signing into the app to add the license to it, I went back to the battery and memory option to exclude it and I now have found the bitdefender app to be there and excluded it from both memory and battery auto shutdown and only after that I signed into the application to link the license and after once in the app, the permission needed to be given to the app for the spam monitor, notification monitor, scan etc, I have given and turned on the stated permission. After a few days later I have seen all 3 Samsung devices running as expected without the Bitdefender app being auto shutdown.
I would like to inform you regarding this issue as well that the Samsung users will have to reinstall the app if they don't see the Bitdefender Application app in the battery and memory exclude option even tho that in other places like apps, storage and permissions the Bitdefender app is already excluded, but if they don't see it in the memory and battery option, the phone will still auto shutdown the application. Only way for the fix is in paragraph 2.
This is how I managed to get not just web protection, but the Scam alert, Chat Protection and the App Anomaly Detection from being auto shut off . But then again, I do hope this does help anyone that still have it auto shutting down. As for other devices, I am not so sure as I haven't tried on other devices but then again if you are still having the same issue, the best people to still ask is the Bitdefender Support Team😊
Best Regards,
~Flanksy~
The guardians of the digital realm
Bitdefender Premium Security, Digital Identity Protection user
Bitdefender Gravityzone user
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Thanks for sharing. I do see Bitdefender and stored in my battery but not in the memory. In your opinion would you suggest going through all of the steps as shared. Since the last update, things seem to be working fine. But what happens when there is the next system update? Galaxy s22 ultra
Thanks
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Hi @WindHorse
In my opinion if you don't see the memory then yes I would advise to go through everything. And regarding updates, so far I have seen no issues with normal android security patches. I haven't tested on major android updates as yet.
Best Regards,
~Flanksy~
The guardians of the digital realm
Bitdefender Premium Security, Digital Identity Protection user
Bitdefender Gravityzone user
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I uninstalled and reinstalled Bitdefender and it at long last allowed me to add Bitdefender application in regions availability and never resting applications and presently it says it is safeguarding web action (we will check whether the week after week report says it is or reports zero movement once more).
Nonetheless, in spite of the way that I have enacted additional security for banking pages under web assurance, BD gives no notification when I deliberately go to the login page of a bank just to test the warning. It doesn't recommend that I use BD VPN for security on the site. This makes me keep thinking about whether BD would caution on the off chance that I was going to a malignant site. What's more, indeed, all necessary warning settings are empowered on my Samsung S21 Ultra to permit Bitdefender to send notices. I note a great many people in this gathering are more keen on switching off BD warnings, yet I'm concerned in light of the fact that I am getting no notices. Any thoughts?1 -
Hi @adan and thanks for joining us here.
So, I think we have to divide the above technologies into two different categories and explain in detail how each one works. First, the VPN allows you to connect to the Internet by means of an encrypted and secure tunnel. The VPN feature encrypts data leaving your device, offering a layer of privacy and security, especially when connected to public Wi-Fi networks. It allows users to access geo-restricted content and adds a level of anonymity by masking the device’s IP address. However, it’s essential to note that VPN functionality alone doesn’t protect against cyber threats.
You can, of course, enable it manually when doing online banking and this is especially recommended if you are connecting to public Wi-Fi or unsecured networks. To answer your question, the app doesn't trigger a notification to enable the VPN when accessing bank websites, this being entirely at the user's discretion.
Web protection is the actual feature that scans traffic actively and blocks malicious content in real-time. It’s designed to protect users from potential threats while browsing the internet. If a webpage leads to a phishing, fraudulent, or malware site, Web Protection immediately blocks access and displays an alert. Additionally, it extends its protection to apps that attempt to access harmful domains, ensuring a secure browsing experience.
This ensures that you won't land on malicious pages, because Web Protection scans URLs from SMS, notifications, chat apps, or directly from the browser. The VPN will not offer this type of protection.
It’s important to keep in mind that Web Protection and VPN serve distinct purposes. Web Protection focuses on safeguarding users against malicious websites and content, ensuring a secure browsing experience. VPN prioritizes privacy and encryption, allowing access to restricted content and enhancing online anonymity.
I hope the information is helpful.
Regards,
Alex
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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Hi,
I suddenly encountered after playing a video on whatsapp, the screen going dark and when I tried to awaken tge device, it showed me the device pin request.
Entered the pin, shows me the last video played and goes dark.
Repeated the sign in a few times.
Increased brightness and saw the back arrow to the apps.
Went into Bitdefender , no way to navigate (frozen)
Somehow got to bit defender and found web protection off. Turned it on.
Managed to do a scan, nothing showed up.
Ran the video again. No issues and no complaints from other recipients from the sender.
Changed my password. Don't know what else is compromised.
I am really really concerned .
Also The app protection behavior is erratic. I can modify my contacts without the password request showing up at times.
How do I know if the anti-virus is functioning the way it is supposed to be.
Very concerned.
EvEven this windows duplicates the first 2 characters in every paragraph seen here.
HeHelp me please!!!
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Hello @IvoR,
Since the issue started after playing the video, it might be worthwhile to delete that video from your device and avoid re-downloading it. Reboot your mobile device. If you’re experiencing freezing issues with the app itself, consider uninstalling and reinstalling Bitdefender to reset it and clear any potential bugs or corrupted settings.
Then it wouldn’t hurt to run another scan. I would also recommend to make sure that WhatsApp and other apps have appropriate permissions. For example, confirm whether they have unnecessary access to sensitive features like contacts, location, or storage. Restrict them if necessary. If you continue facing security concerns and performance issues after the steps above, it might be worth doing a factory reset of your device, particularly if there's suspicion that something is compromised.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
Alex
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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Hello I have the same issue on Pixel 7 Pro, settings are set as in the article. See screenshots. But once I go to sleep and turn on flight mode, the next day Web Protection (and sometimes app anomaly scan) are turned off.
Please help, as I really want to subscribe after testphase 14 days :)
I dont have aromatic scans either, when are these performed?
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The required settings work only temporarily. I have repeatedly checked these settings after the device drops protection and even though they are correct it does NOT stop the device repeating the problem continuously!
Please stop pretending it fixes the problem when it absolutely does NOT!
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It is not fixed!!
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Thank you for getting back to us. I've noted your request to stay informed about the progress on the bug fix you reported. Rest assured, I will keep you updated with the latest developments as they occur.
Our development team is working diligently to resolve the issue, and I will make sure to send you a notification as soon as the fix has been deployed through the Bitdefender product updates.
In the meantime, if you have any further questions or need assistance with any other cyber-security concerns, please feel free to reach out. Your security is our top priority, and I'm here to ensure that your experience with Bitdefender remains seamless.
Thank you once again for your patience and for choosing Bitdefender.
Stay safe and have a great day!
Best regards,… Technical Support EngineerIt appears that this "Boiler Plate" message is all that support can provide. From what I can see this has been a known "BUG" for sometime without a resolution. I got this Nov. 4 2024 I fell this needs to be escalated to Senior Management.
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This seems close to a answer :)
Im still in contact with BD Support though
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It is not the answer :(
Well seems like I'll try a few more things and if not just give up and use something else
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Hi,
I think this is relevant here:
For the record, it doesn't happen on iOS.
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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I don't know about other devices.
I'm using Google Pixel 7 Pro.
I do know the competitors App, I was comparing to decide what to use, doesn't loose Web Protection over night, after the phone has been in flight mode, it's set and forget.
Reputable Brand
So its probably Android specific but solvable.
Not bashing, just saying.
Next I will test leaving the signal on over night and see what happens.
I also have the possibility to send app logs. I'll let support know in the next email.
I'm really wanting to use Bitdefender Mobile Security because of its features (App-Anomaly / higher level web protection etc). But I'm getting tired 😆
Got contact from higher level support today. And an update from playstore
We will see :)
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