The new, slicker Microsoft Defender Preview is now available in the Microsoft App Store for regular users.
The app showed up in the store some months ago, but was then only available for internal testers.
The app appears to be more a dashboard for PC security rather than a replacement for your antivirus, with the app’s actual name being Windows Security.
The app features a 3 pane Fluent design, with the left pane featuring security tips, the middle pane called “this device” offering specific security information about the present device, such as last scan times, and the right pane encouraging you to install the app on your other devices.
Information includes your last scan times, ransomware protection, when your last updates were downloaded etc. and other devices being protected.
If you select those other devices you will be able to see similar security status information on those devices.
It appears Microsoft plans to bundle the app with Microsoft 365, with the store listing noting:
“No subscription is required for Microsoft Defender Preview. In the future, Microsoft Defender will require a Microsoft 365 Family or Personal subscription.”
The app is currently available for US users (or those with a VPN) at this link here and requires Windows 10 or higher.
