Can I stop VPN recommendations?

henryvoll · February 17

I love Bitdefender, but I don't want VPN. It keep nagging me to install bitdefender VPN quite a lot - several times a day.

It is so annoying I am actually considering uninstalling it - and I paid for it.

I do not want VPN, which means I do not enjoy being reminded to still get it, several times a day.

Jimbo_Check · February 18

I too wish the same

Alexandru_BD · February 28

Hello @henryvoll, @Jimbo_Check,

All customers that use one of the Bitdefender security suites also benefit from 200 Mb/day of free VPN encrypted traffic, therefore the app needs to be installed alongside the security solution, so the customer can utilize the full functionality of the product they chose.

The Bitdefender apps are easily removable via standard platform specific mechanisms (eg for Windows, go to Programs & Features).

In regard to VPN notifications, you can turn them off from the app interface:

Apart from the VPN notifications settings available here, you can also disable the recommendations:

This way you will no longer receive recommendations to use the VPN.

I hope the information is helpful.

Regards,

Alex

Jimbo_Check · February 28

This is useful information for the VPN Bitdefender product however it doesn't address my original comment where I'm asking on the Android mobile bit defender application how to stop the ad wanting me to purchase VPN Bitdefender product.

Flexx · February 29

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/335516#Comment_335516

Check if the following steps help

1) Go to settings in the Bitdefender app.

2) Under the VPN section, uncheck 'Quick VPN Access.

If you are still getting ads related to the VPN, it might be built-in, and there is currently no way to disable it.

@agozob can provide more insight on this.

Regards

henryvoll · February 29

Yes, this was my issue as well - This is the "Mobile Security" forum.

The suggestion to uncheck "QUick VPN Access" is impossible. As I click that, I am prompted to download the dedicated VPN app, and I am sorry, but I have to say .. If the requirement to get rid of the nagging of an APP I have not installed is to first install it .. I am not renewing my payment.

I am just not.

Alexandru_BD · February 29

@henryvoll what happens if you download the VPN app, then remove it from your device? Does the recommendation go away?

Jimbo_Check · February 29

I don't know if I mentioned or did not and I apologize if I did not. I am Trialing/testing the Bitdefender Android mobile application. On the first screen are the advertisements or persistence for me to install the three additional defender applications items one of which is the VPN application scrolling to the right of that ad is the one to install the password manager scrolling again to the right is the ad to install Central that defender. I as a consumer Do not appreciate ads on a purchase product since I'm reporting multiple bugs with this Android app to Bitdefender which they have acknowledged some of these bugs which supposedly they have been in the working process to resolve. I'm not going to purchase a defective product until those anomalies I have reported are fixed. Who in their right mind would purchase a defective product? Perhaps when I do finally purchase the Android mobile app after the defects have been corrected then maybe those ads will stop? I have tried other applications on my Android phone with no persistent to install additional products.

Bitdefender as a product seems to be worthy however the constant push for me to install other applications leaves a sour taste in my mouth while trialing a defective product. My posts to support on my defects seem to be going slow for getting resolution.

I did research for weeks before selecting this one product with the hopes to protect my wife's Android phone more than for me as she constantly is getting clickbait items which in essence want to install malware on her phone.

Summary- Complicated electronic world at all levels for all devices with many security holes with no method to easily resolve each hole makes it quite a challenge and frustrating for anyone.

Screenshot_2024-02-26-07-16-36-30_eedb407dc62df2a12bbe07cb9e6d4d49.jpg

Screen image above of one of the reported defects where I have to continuously activate this function.

Below is one of the sample message from my wife's phone. No the McAfee product is not installed on her phone. When I test this URL on my phone with Bitdefender I do not find a warning. However when I add the additional ublock extension to Firefox it warns me. So should I not purchase the Bitdefender Android application when I can get the ublock extension for free? I realized Bitdefender performs much more than Ublock.

My point is what does Bitdefender Android application do and not do?

Screenshot_2024-02-28-13-58-09-94_3aea4af51f236e4932235fdada7d1643.jpg

henryvoll · February 29

It is fine. I can read between the lines. There is no way to turn off the nagging for installing VPN, and no - I will not install VPN to remove the nag about installing VPN.

That is what we call "****** backwards" in good ol' English.

I am sorry for being a sour-puss, bit I have paid for the app. For years and years, and I have convinced my work place to buy 50 lisences.

This is not good. It is absolutely annoyingly stupid, in fact.

It should not be a problem for paying customers. I don't want VPN. I already have a different VPN solution, and I hardly use that. So now I get a nag from bitdefender every day. EVERY DAY .. several times a day at that. And there is nothing I can do, but capitulate? To actually install the app that I don't want?

That is not happening.

Thank you

Flexx · February 29

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/335570#Comment_335570

Using foul words on the forum will lead to your account being banned straightaway, without prior notice.

@Alexandru_BD

Regards

henryvoll · February 29

Foul words? Did you read it?

That is an expression, and it is used widely. It is not swearing, and I have no idea why it is prohibited.

<beep> backwords. Think about it. It is an expression that means that something is not right, and has the backside in the front.

But you shouldn't not worry - I won't stand for a product being this invasive and annoying. I will take my 51 licenses and I will not renew next time.

Thank you.

Flexx · March 1

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/335582#Comment_335582

I know what it means, but using such words on the forum is prohibited, and that's why the forum security policies prohibited the displaying of the word completely.

Regards

agozob · March 1

Hi there @henryvoll!

If you open the device Settings for Bitdefender Security and go to "App notifications", there should be a "Notification categories" button (the names could be a bit different on your device) which leads you to a page allowing you to disable certain types of notifications.

Toggling off the "Offers" and maybe "Feature Activation" categories should get you rid of the VPN notification.

Check out the screenshots below.

Screenshot_20240301_083943_Settings.jpg

Screenshot_20240301_083950_Settings.jpg

Alexandru_BD · March 1

Thank you @agozob.

@henryvoll did you check the phone settings menu? 🙂

Jimbo_Check · March 1

I did as instructed see my value is already turned off. See following screen images. There are a total of 3 ads not 1 that prompt me to download and install. I understand the desire for Bitdefender to make more money but I as a consumer with a paid product hope not have to see this nagging over and over trying to get into my wallet.

Screenshot_2024-03-01-08-10-12-69_8142442b4340f41fb3bd44535ad8f76b.jpg

Screenshot_2024-03-01-08-12-26-81_eedb407dc62df2a12bbe07cb9e6d4d49.jpg

Screenshot_2024-03-01-08-12-29-77_eedb407dc62df2a12bbe07cb9e6d4d49.jpg

Screenshot_2024-03-01-08-12-32-46_eedb407dc62df2a12bbe07cb9e6d4d49.jpg

henryvoll · March 1

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/335604#Comment_335604

Yes, but unless I am missing something (which is entirely possible), I do not have the menus Jimbo here shows in his screenshot.

All I have is this under Accessibility, and the other menu for the app itself. That shows permissions, and such things.

Neither one of the menus has me being able to uncheck "offers" or any such thing.

henryvoll · March 1

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/335591#Comment_335591

Hi, and thank you. That is a very good tip, but I do not have the "categories" option. I did think of this, but I did not find anything. - Please check my screenshot.

I did consider turning off notifications all together, but .. that defeats the purpose of a security guide.

Alexandru_BD · March 2

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/335608#Comment_335608

Hi @Jimbo_Check,

You got a recommendation to use the VPN that's already included in your Mobile Security and also to get the free Central app to manage security on the go. There is no conspiracy for your wallet, it's just common sense to push that information to the user since it's useful to know how to make the best out of your security solution. There are users who appreciate this kind of information. Yes, the Password Manager may not be free and what you see there is an invite to try it out, but that should disappear if you click on "learn more".

Regards,

Alex

Jimbo_Check · March 2

Clarification - my role is the family tech support, thus they will mistakenly have difficulty understanding the ad and will incur difficulties and potential cost of those annoying ads.

Thus an alternative for marketing from Bitdefender would be to send an occasional info email to the consumer after they have registered for the paid product. Such info's/News emails would contain webinars, tips and other materials rather than consume a large part of the application space on the opening page at the bottom of and Bitdefender Android mobile app.

Nothing goes away after i click the Learn More button on all three ads.

henryvoll · March 3

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/335635#Comment_335635

It is a weak argument that there is no conspiracy for our wallts when what is included is 200mb (which is nothing nowadays) before I have to pay more. Yeah - I wonder what happens to the naggint then. Does it go away if I install the app and don't pay for more after 200mb?

Still, I know it is included in my subscription - but here is my specific situation:

I have paid for the higher-than-just-antivirus version of bitdefender for years - since before VPN was included. Yes, a while. But the point is that I do not want the vpn. I want everything else that is in there. And I wouldn't mind the recommendation as long as I could turn it off, but I can't.

Since I already have a different vpn solution that gives me more than 200mb, I see no reason - whatsoever - to use bitdefender vpn.

So I am clear - if that ends up being the case, I am switching to something other than Bitdefender because this annoying. I don't want my paid-for software to annoy me.

Jimbo_Check · March 3

I concur - well put!!

Jimbo_Check · March 3

Interesting discovery.

Each time I power off and power on my phone and waiting 10 to 20 minutes to check Bitdefender.

Opening of the main screen indicated I needed to activate App Anomaly.

Today I decided to open Bitdefender and NOT touch the button to activate App Anomaly but rather touch only second icon "malware scan" at bottom and not touching any of the functions or features and then go back to the main screen. Where there was no need to activate App Anomaly it was removed magically.

I perform this test three times perhaps others can chime in with their test results doing the same procedures.

Play store shows that my upgrade to the current version occurred on February the 28th. See screen image.