Discontinued Operations (Income (Loss) From Discontinued Operations) (Details) - Information Management - Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Dec. 30, 2016	Jul. 01, 2016	Jan. 01, 2016	Dec. 30, 2016	Jan. 01, 2016
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Income Statement Disclosures [Abstract]
Net revenues	$ 22		$ 570	$ 145	$ 1,749
Cost of revenues	(3)		(92)	(12)	(292)
Operating expenses	(2)		(377)	(26)	(1,135)
Gain on sale of Veritas	0	$ 38	0	38	0
Other expense, net	0		8	0	2
Income from discontinued operations before income tax	17		109	145	324
Income taxes expense (benefit)	(85)		53	49	73
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	$ 102		$ 56	$ 96	$ 251

Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Other Income (Expense), Net

No definition available.

Name:	symc_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationOtherIncomeExpenseNet
Namespace Prefix:	symc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount before tax of gain (loss) not previously recognized resulting from the disposal of a discontinued operation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3B
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65878427&loc=SL51721525-107759

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64827811&loc=d3e1361-107760

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65878427&loc=d3e957-107759

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationGainLossFromDisposalOfDiscontinuedOperationBeforeIncomeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount before tax of income (loss) from operations classified as a discontinued operation. Excludes gain (loss) on disposal and provision for gain (loss) until its disposal.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5B
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64827811&loc=SL51721673-107760

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65878427&loc=d3e957-107759

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65878427&loc=SL51721523-107759

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationIncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationDuringPhaseOutPeriodBeforeIncomeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount after tax of income (loss) from operations classified as a discontinued operation. Excludes gain (loss) on disposal and provision for gain (loss) until disposal.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5C
-Subparagraph (b)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64827811&loc=SL51721675-107760

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65878427&loc=SL51721523-107759

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65878427&loc=d3e957-107759

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationIncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationDuringPhaseOutPeriodNetOfTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of tax expense (benefit) attributable to income (loss) from operations classified as a discontinued operation. Excludes tax expense (benefit) for gain (loss) on disposal and for provision for gain (loss) until disposal.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65896914&loc=d3e38679-109324

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5C
-Subparagraph (b)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64827811&loc=SL51721675-107760

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65878427&loc=SL51721523-107759

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65882285&loc=d3e32672-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationTaxEffectOfIncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationDuringPhaseOutPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of costs of goods sold attributable to disposal group, including, but not limited to, discontinued operation.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationCostsOfGoodsSold
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of operating expense attributable to disposal group, including, but not limited to, discontinued operation.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationOperatingExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of revenue attributable to disposal group, including, but not limited to, discontinued operation.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DisposalGroupNotDiscontinuedOperationIncomeStatementDisclosuresAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis=symc_InformationManagementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DisposalGroupClassificationAxis=us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationsDisposedOfBySaleMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: