LG monitor app is drawing complaints over McAfee pop-ups on Windows
Gamers Nexus says Windows Update installed LG’s monitor app without a prompt, then showed repeated ads for McAfee and LG software.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Windows 11 PCs connected to at least one LG UltraGear monitor are installing an LG monitor utility through Windows Update without asking the user first, according to testing by Gamers Nexus. The finding adds to complaints that the software is also pushing large desktop notifications for McAfee and LG apps.
Gamers Nexus said its test began after connecting a new LG UltraGear display to a Windows 11 PC for the first time. Windows Update then installed LG driver updates and the LG Monitor App Installer without a permission prompt or notification, according to the video.
The Verge reported that the LG app does not appear to offer its own monitor controls. Instead, it directs users toward other LG software and McAfee antivirus, according to the report.
Pop-ups appeared repeatedly in testing
The Verge cited recent Reddit complaints from users who said large ads for McAfee and LG’s own apps began appearing in the lower-right corner of the Windows desktop. Gamers Nexus said the pop-up appeared on 31 of 32 bootups during its testing.
The issue appears to predate the latest complaints. The Verge pointed to a Microsoft Tech Community discussion from 2024 in which users described LG’s monitor app installing without their notice.
LG’s Microsoft Store listing for LG Monitor App Installer shows McAfee alongside LG’s own apps, according to a screenshot referenced by The Verge. The monitor model shown in The Verge’s report, the LG 34GX900A-B, was identified as one of the displays associated with the automatic app installation.
Microsoft allows automatic hardware app installs
Microsoft’s documentation says developers can pair a Hardware Support App in the Microsoft Store with a device so that Windows can install it automatically based on that device’s metadata. The same Microsoft documentation warns that the automatic installation feature does not notify users when the app is installed.
Microsoft’s documentation also says some users may find that experience confusing and frustrating and may respond by giving the app a poor rating. In this case, the user complaints focus not only on the quiet installation, but also on the follow-up notifications.
The Verge noted that this kind of automatic monitor-related app install is not limited to LG. Tom Warren of The Verge previously pointed out that Dell’s Alienware Command Center can install automatically in Windows when a user connects an Alienware monitor.
The difference highlighted by The Verge is the ad behavior reported around LG’s utility. Gamers Nexus and Reddit users described repeated desktop prompts tied to McAfee and LG software after the installer arrived through Windows Update.
The Verge also reported that users have discussed ways to block the behavior, though the publicly available portion of its report did not detail a specific fix. LG and Microsoft responses were not included in the available report.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.