LG has been criticised after it emerged that its Monitor App Installer is silently installed on Windows 11 PCs when certain LG monitors, including the new UltraGear model, are plugged in for the first time. The software uses a legitimate Windows 11 feature that lets device makers auto-install management apps via the Microsoft Store, but in LG's case the app serves adverts, including for McAfee, without ever notifying the user it has been installed. This matters because the mechanism, intended to make it easier to install manufacturer software, is being used in a way Microsoft itself acknowledges can leave users "confused and frustrated" and unaware of what has been added to their system.

The issue came to wider attention after YouTube channel Gamers Nexus documented the process following a surge in user complaints, with its presenter noting that the app effectively has permission to access "all system resources" and can collect location, device, and activity data. Installing the app manually via the Microsoft Store requires explicit user consent and displays its permissions, but the automatic route bypasses this entirely, requiring only that Recommended Settings were enabled during Windows setup and the user is signed into the Store while online. LG's Monitor App Installer currently holds a 1.3-star rating on the Microsoft Store. The Register has contacted both LG and Microsoft for comment and clarification on whether the auto-install process might be tightened.