Automatic protection in a security suite, or a second opinion you ask for. What each checks, where it works, what it costs, and which fits you.
McAfee Scam Detector and Shieldr both help you answer one question: is this message a scam? They come at it from different directions. McAfee's tool is part of a full security suite that watches your texts, email and videos automatically. Shieldr is a single iPhone app you share a message to when something feels off.
Got a message like this? Check it in seconds.
Check it with ShieldrShieldr is our app, so we've tried hard to be fair. McAfee covers more ground, on more devices, and for many people that settles it. Everything we say about McAfee comes from McAfee's own pages, linked at the bottom, as of October 2026.
| Shieldr | McAfee Scam Detector | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Shieldr | McAfee |
| How you get it | A standalone iPhone app | Included in McAfee's core plans (McAfee+, Total Protection, LiveSafe), in the U.S., UK and Australia |
| What it checks | Texts, screenshots, emails, voicemails, links, photos of letters you share to it | Texts across messaging apps, email in Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo, deepfake audio in videos; on-demand checks of screenshots, messages, links and QR codes |
| Automatic or on demand | On demand: you share what you want checked | Both: automatic alerts plus on-demand Scam Check |
| On iPhone | Works from the share sheet | Suspicious texts are filtered into a separate folder, with a manual scam check available |
| Other devices | iPhone only | Android (texts scanned as they arrive) and other devices covered by McAfee plans |
| Price | Solo $9.99/mo or $39.99/yr; Family $14.99/mo or $59.99/yr | Plans listed from $39.99 for the first year (Essential), with first-term introductory pricing for new customers |
| Also included | Scam checks only | Antivirus, VPN, identity monitoring and more, depending on the plan |
| Voicemails | Transcribed, then judged | Not listed on McAfee's Scam Detector pages |
| The answer | Safe, suspicious or scam, with a one-sentence reason | Flags with an explanation of why |
| After the answer | Report to 7726, block sender, or draft a reply | Safe Browsing can block dangerous sites if you click |
McAfee Scam Detector covers text, email and video. McAfee says it detects suspicious messages across apps like iMessage, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, flags phishing email in Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo (up to 10 addresses per account), and checks videos on platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Facebook for AI-generated or manipulated audio. You can also upload a screenshot, message or link for an on-demand Scam Check, and McAfee's product page lists on-demand QR code scans. (McAfee, McAfee)
Shieldr doesn't watch anything in the background. You share a message to it when you're unsure: a text, a screenshot, an email, a link, a voicemail (transcribed before it's judged) or a photo of a paper letter, like a fake invoice. Links are checked against Google's list of known malicious sites.
This is the biggest difference. McAfee is built to catch scams before you notice them. On Android, McAfee says messages are scanned as they arrive and flagged before you open them; on iPhone, suspicious texts are filtered into a separate folder. You can choose High, Balanced or Low sensitivity. (McAfee)
Shieldr is a second opinion you ask for. That means it only helps if you stop and check, but it also means it doesn't sort or hide your messages. If you want something that works in the background, McAfee is the better fit.
McAfee doesn't sell Scam Detector on its own; it comes with McAfee's plans. Its product page lists Essential at $39.99 for the first year for 5 devices, Advanced Individual at $89.99 and Advanced Family at $119.99, all marked as first-term introductory prices for new customers, with higher listed regular prices. Those plans also include antivirus, a VPN and identity monitoring. (McAfee)
Shieldr is $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year for one person, or $14.99 a month or $59.99 a year for the Family plan. It only checks messages. If you'd use McAfee's other features, its plan gives you more for the money. If you only want scam checks, you'd be paying for things you don't need.
McAfee says Scam Detector uses on-device AI wherever possible, so messages aren't sent to the cloud for analysis. (McAfee) Shieldr's privacy policy says it sends the message for analysis and then discards it, keeping only the verdict, the explanation and the sender's number or email where one can be extracted.
Share the text, screenshot, email, voicemail or a photo of a letter to Shieldr and get a plain-English verdict (safe, suspicious or scam) with a one-sentence reason. It's one more check before you tap anything, not a guarantee.
Get Shieldr on the App StoreUse McAfee Scam Detector if you want automatic protection that works in the background, you use Android or several devices, or you'd also use antivirus, a VPN and identity monitoring. For a household that wants one security subscription, it's a strong choice.
Use Shieldr if you're on iPhone and want a simple second opinion on a specific message, you get scam voicemails or letters as well as texts, or you're looking out for a parent with the Family plan, without buying a full security suite.
Whichever you choose, no tool catches everything. If a message involves money, a password or a one-time code, contact the company using a number or website you looked up yourself. More comparisons: Shieldr vs Norton Genie, Shieldr vs Bitdefender Scamio and Shieldr vs Malwarebytes Scam Guard.
McAfee says Scam Detector is included in its core plans (McAfee+, Total Protection and LiveSafe) for customers in the U.S., UK and Australia, rather than sold separately.
Yes. McAfee says that on iPhone, suspicious texts are filtered into a separate folder and you can run a manual scam check. On Android, messages are scanned as they arrive.
No. Shieldr checks what you share to it. It doesn't scan your messages in the background.
McAfee details come from McAfee's own pages, checked in October 2026. Features and prices may change.