How to Add a License (Product Key) to Norton 360

To add a new license to Norton 360 on Windows, open Norton, click your profile icon (your initials) in the top-right corner, click Serial Number, then click Enter a Key, type the 25-character product key, and follow the prompts. Before you do, know that Norton doesn’t add the days left on your current subscription to the new one, so the timing matters.

These steps are for the current Norton 360 app on Windows, the one with a profile icon in the top-right corner, and follow Norton’s help pages. There are also sections for an expired subscription, for adding the key through your Norton account on the web (the route that works on a Mac or a new computer), for phones and tablets, and for the older version 22 app.

Before You Enter the Key

A Norton product key is a 25-character code made of letters and numbers, shown as five groups of five characters separated by hyphens. Where you find it depends on where you bought it:

• Norton’s own store: in your purchase confirmation email, which has the key or instructions for getting it.
• Store-bought box or card: on a card or sticker inside the box.
• Online retailer such as Amazon or Best Buy: in your order confirmation email or the retailer’s digital locker. Check your spam folder if you can’t find the email.
• Internet or phone provider: in your provider’s account portal, where it’s often called an activation PIN.

You only need the key to set up or renew protection. Norton says that once a subscription is in your account, you can reinstall Norton or set up a new computer from your account without typing the key again.

The most important thing to understand is what happens to your current subscription. Norton’s guide to entering your product key says the remaining days on your current subscription are not added to the subscription tied to the new key. The new key starts its own term the day you enter it.

To lose as few days as possible, enter the new key in the last few days before your current subscription ends. Don’t let it run out completely if you want to avoid a gap in protection. If you have a lot of time left and would rather not lose it, contact Norton Member Services & Support before you enter the key and ask what they can do.

Also check whether automatic renewal is turned on for your current plan. A retail key doesn’t cancel it, so you could be charged for a renewal you no longer need. Norton’s guide to stopping automatic renewal lists these steps:

1. Sign in to your Norton account and open My Subscriptions.
2. Click Manage Renewal (or Cancel Subscription Renewal) next to the plan.
3. Click Unsubscribe next to Plan Renewal, choose a reason, and click Next.
4. Skip any offers, click No thanks, cancel my subscription, then click Next.

The change can take up to 24 hours to show in your account. Your current plan keeps working until the end of the time you already paid for.

Add a Product Key in the Norton 360 App on Windows

Use these steps if Norton is installed and your subscription is still active, and you want to renew it with a key you bought.

1. Open Norton 360 from the Start menu, or double-click the Norton icon in the notification area at the right end of the taskbar. If a My Norton window appears, click Open next to Device Security.
2. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner of the Norton window. It usually shows your initials. A menu opens with your account details.
3. Click Serial Number, near the bottom of the menu. An Enter a Key button appears to the right of it. In some builds the button only shows up when you point at Serial Number.

4. Click Enter a Key. A field for the product key opens.
5. Type the 25-character key exactly as it appears on your card or email, without spaces.

6. Click Next and follow the prompts. If Norton asks you to sign in, use the same Norton account that your current subscription is on, so the license stays tied to your account.

When activation finishes, Norton shows your updated subscription. To confirm it worked, open the profile menu again, or sign in to your Norton account on the web and check the end date on the My Subscriptions page.

If you don’t see a profile icon, and instead see Settings and Help links across the top of the window, you have the older app. Skip to the version 22 section below.

If Your Subscription Has Expired

When a subscription has already run out, or you’re still on a trial, Norton shows an activation prompt instead of the normal dashboard. Norton’s activation guide covers both Windows and Mac:

1. Open Norton 360 and click Activate Now or Subscribe in the main window.
2. Sign in with your Norton account.
3. Click Enter a Key or PIN.
4. Type your 25-character product key and click Next.

If your Norton account already holds a valid subscription (for example, you added the key on the web first), you’ll see it in a list with its expiration date instead. Select it and click Next. Your computer needs to be online for activation to complete.

Add the Key Through Your Norton Account (Windows or Mac)

You can also register the key on Norton’s website. This is the easiest route on a Mac, on a new computer that doesn’t have Norton yet, or if you want the subscription in your account before you install anything. Norton’s guide for products bought from a retail store uses these steps.

1. In a web browser, go to norton.com/setup.
2. Enter your product key and click Next.

3. Enter your email address and click Next.
4. Sign in to your existing Norton account. You can click Send me a code to get a sign-in code by email, or type your password and click Sign In. If you don’t have an account yet, click Create an account.
5. If Norton asks for payment details for automatic renewal, you can enter them and click Activate Subscription or Activate Automatic Renewal. This step doesn’t appear for every key.
6. Click Agree and Download after reading the License and Services Agreement.
7. Run the downloaded file and click Install Norton 360. Norton installs and activates automatically.

If Norton is already installed on the computer, you can stop after step 5. Then open the Norton app, click Activate Now (or use the profile menu steps above), sign in, and select the new subscription from the list.

A key for more than one device, such as Norton 360 Deluxe for 5 devices, covers each computer or phone you install it on with the same Norton account. On each extra device, install Norton from your account and sign in. If a device still shows the old subscription, use the Enter a Key steps on that device too.

Add a Key on an iPhone, iPad, or Android Device

Norton’s mobile activation guide lists these steps:

• iPhone or iPad: Open the Norton 360 app, tap Redeem a subscription, tap Activate with a product key, enter the key, tap Next, and sign in when asked.
• Android: Open the Norton 360 app, tap Already purchased?, tap Enter a product key, enter the key, and tap Next.

If you already entered the key on a computer or at norton.com/setup, you don’t need to type it again. Sign in to the app with the same Norton account. If the app still shows the old plan, tap Account, sign out, and sign back in. The Renew option on the same Account screen is for buying a renewal from Norton, not for entering a key you already have.

Older Norton 360 Apps (Version 22 and Earlier)

If your Norton window has Settings and Help links along the top, you’re on version 22 or earlier, and the key goes here:

1. Open Norton. If the My Norton window appears, click Open next to Device Security.
2. Click Help, then Enter Product Key.
3. Type the key, click Next, and follow the prompts.

Norton has announced end of life for version 22.x and earlier and recommends moving to the latest Norton 360 app with its upgrade tool. When you sign in to the new app with the same Norton account, your subscription and remaining days carry over, so it’s worth upgrading before or right after you add your new key. If you use Norton Cloud Backup, back up your data before you upgrade, and check settings such as scheduled scans afterward.

If the Key Doesn’t Work

• “Invalid Product Key” or “This is not a valid product key.” Retype the key slowly. The most common mistakes are mixing up the letter O and the number 0, or the lowercase l, capital I, and the number 1. Remove any spaces.
• The key is for a different product. A Norton AntiVirus Plus key, a key for a different Norton 360 plan, or a Norton Utilities key won’t activate the app you have. Check the product name on the box or receipt. You may need to install the matching product from your Norton account.
• “We are in the process of activating this product key.” Activation is still processing. Wait a little while and try again.
• “This product key has expired.” The key itself is too old to use. Contact the seller or Norton support.
• The key was refunded, disabled, or canceled. Norton blocks keys that were refunded or reported stolen, and the fix is a new key. Buy keys only from Norton or a retailer you trust. Shared, resold, or unusually cheap marketplace keys are often the ones Norton later cancels.
• Norton still says your subscription is expiring. Make sure the Norton app is signed in to the same account you added the key to. The key should appear on the My Subscriptions page of that account.
• “No License Available.” You’re signed in to an account that has no active subscription, or the subscription has expired. Sign out and sign in with the account that holds your new key.

For the full list of messages, see Norton’s page on the Invalid Product Key message. If none of these fixes work, contact Norton Member Services & Support.

Frequently Asked Questions