Tried searching and could not find anything relevant so sorry if this is asked/answered…
I installed avast free on my Wife’s laptop. The next thing I knew, it became installed on 2 smart phones, 3 tablets… How? Why? This is certainly NOT what I wanted.
I also suspect that this same behavior recently changed my default web browser to Yahoo on EVERYTHING I own, Laptops, desktops, phones, tablets, even my corporate laptop. How do I stop this? This is NOT what I wanted.
avast doesn’t install itself without permission/you telling it that it should install.
avast doesn’t change your default browser, unless you give permission to do so.
And it doesn’t install the Yahoo browser.
If you give the permission it installs Chrome and set that as default browser.
A Clarification… Since I use Firefox, and since Firefox 34, the default search provider was changed to Yahoo. So I stand corrected on that part of the post :-[ but the first question still stands:
How did installing Avast on my Wife’s windows 7 laptop, result in Avast ‘becoming available’ on 5 different mobile devices :o Technically you are correct that it did not install, but I sure as hell had an avast icon on 5 different android based devices in my home, without putting it there, that I had to go into settings/applications/ and uninstall it.
This is creepy, unwanted, and I want it to stop.
As I said, avast doesn’t install itself without permission.
Someone there must have installed it on the Android devices.
No, No they did not. 100% sure on that.
Does registering with our family’s gmail account automatically push it out to everything?
If you are viewing this an experienced the same behavior, please reply!
Hei Chris,
I actually chose to install Avast on my smartphone … I was very satisfied with the install on my tablet.
BUT I also have now seen that many of the Apps I have installed on my tablet are ‘ready’ to install on my smartphone eg they are listed in the All Apps though (as far as I know) not yet installed. It must be something that similar operating software devices (I use Android) have auto link up in much the same way as Gmail synchs between devices.
Hopefully someone knows the answer ‘how to stop’ Apps synchronising.
Ron
Ron to your point…I am a iPhone/iPad family but this very thing happens…once you install an app it can be used across all devices associated with that iTunes account…which all my family is allon one. While I have Avast on my PCs, I do not have on my iphone or ipad…nor do I own Android…BUT…the “share/sync” in iTunes is by “default”…you have to turn it off on each device. Why do I know this ?..because I do not want all the flippin games on my iphone my young teens put on their iPads…and the very day they got their ipads apps strarting popping up on my and my wife’s iphones. 
Here is Apple thread on the subject: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4690757?start=0&tstart=0 …I know, not Android…but I’m sure they must do similiar type thing…worth the research/googling to find out. Bottom line is I bet it has something to do with this versus Avast itself.
I’ve tried it with 3 tablets and 2 mobile phones (all Android).
All reset to factory default and then connected them to my network.
On none of the devices avast was installed automatically, nor did I got a question if I wanted to install avast.
Thanks for this info. Seems that if an App installed on one device is ‘offered’ to another (not installed) then you can delete this ‘offer’ without deleting the App elsewhere.
Ron
I saw this post when I found the avast app on my 2 phones so i decided to film what happened once i switched on the wifi for my tablet, and surprise, surprise! avast installing itself without my permission!!! :o i didnt give permission on the desktop program, it just started installing itself! and i have the avast account registered on a different email account to my android account so it rules out the desktop program!!!
Hi,
we offer the installation on mobile devices during installation of desktop client, you had to agree to this offer (see attached).
Galion_Chris, I am wondering… Where is the “ready to install” status showing, exactly? Is the app installed, or not? Could you maybe post a screenshot of the device where it’s visible?
Thanks
Vlk
This is outrageous, it certainly did install itself on both of my windows machines!! I work in IT, you can’t tell me it didn’t. Furthermore, I never was able to see an uninstall option in control panel, I had to use a third party Cleaner utility. A quick google search will reveal that this is not uncommon. It must be secretly bundled with another application that is not revealing itself and I will get to the bottom of this.
avast! does NOT auto install itself on Windows. It was however offered to certain CCleaner users. Maybe that could be the reason.Or a bugged offer in CCleaner since t happened before for Chrome in avast! too getting auto installed by itself…