How to Cancel Norton Antivirus in 2026

Norton is one of the hardest antivirus subscriptions to cancel — and one of the most aggressive with auto-renewals. The first-year price is bait; renewal rates are 2-3x higher. Here's how to cancel and what to use instead.

🚨 Warning: Norton auto-renews at significantly higher prices. A plan that cost $49.99 the first year often renews at $109.99-$149.99. Turn off auto-renewal immediately even if you want to keep using it.

Turn Off Auto-Renewal (Recommended First Step)

Go to my.norton.com → sign in
Click My Subscriptions
Find your plan → click Turn Off Auto-Renewal
Confirm — Norton will try to offer discounts to keep you
Keep declining until auto-renewal is actually off

This lets you use Norton until your current period expires without being charged again.

Cancel and Get a Refund

Norton offers a 60-day money-back guarantee on annual plans. If you're within 60 days:

Call 1-800-745-6054 (Mon-Fri 6am-10pm, Sat-Sun 6am-6pm PT)
Say "I want to cancel and request a refund"
You'll be transferred to a retention specialist who will offer discounts
Decline all offers and confirm cancellation
Refund processes within 5-7 business days

Cancel by Chat

Go to support.norton.com
Click Chat with Us
Tell the agent you want to cancel
Expect 3-4 retention offers before they process it

⚡ Retention tip: If you actually want to keep Norton but at a lower price, threatening to cancel is the BEST way to get a discount. Retention agents can offer 50-70% off renewal rates. Just be prepared for a 15-20 minute conversation.

Norton Pricing (The Bait-and-Switch)

Norton AntiVirus Plus: $29.99 first year → $89.99 renewal
Norton 360 Standard: $49.99 first year → $109.99 renewal
Norton 360 Deluxe: $59.99 first year → $129.99 renewal
Norton 360 + LifeLock: $99.99 first year → $179.99+ renewal

That's a 2-3x price increase on renewal. This is Norton's entire business model.

Do You Even Need Antivirus in 2026?

The honest answer for most people: no, not a paid one.

Windows: Windows Defender (built-in, free) scores comparably to Norton in independent tests
Mac: XProtect (built-in) handles most threats. Macs rarely get traditional viruses
Both: Your browser already blocks most malicious downloads

Security experts broadly agree: the best protection is keeping your OS updated + not clicking suspicious links. Paid antivirus adds marginal benefit for most users while slowing down your computer.

Free Alternatives

Windows Defender: Built into Windows 10/11, consistently rated excellent
Malwarebytes Free: On-demand scanning, great for second-opinion scans
Bitdefender Free: Lightweight, minimal impact on system performance
uBlock Origin: Browser extension that blocks malicious ads and scripts

Uninstall Norton After Canceling

Norton is notoriously difficult to fully remove. After canceling:

Download the Norton Remove and Reinstall Tool from norton.com/nrnr
Run it to completely remove Norton (regular uninstall often leaves remnants)
Restart your computer
Windows Defender activates automatically once Norton is removed

💡 Pro tip: If Norton already auto-renewed at the higher price, call within 60 days for a full refund. Even outside 60 days, you can often get a partial refund or credit by being persistent. Having Norton's renewal price compared to free alternatives ready helps your case.

Annual Savings: $90-$180/Year

Switching from Norton to free Windows Defender saves $90-$180/year with equal or better protection for the average user. Independent testing consistently shows paid antivirus provides minimal additional protection over free alternatives.

🔍 Norton isn't the only sneaky auto-renewal on your statement. Upload your bank statement to JustCancel — we'll find every subscription charging you on autopilot.