How to Enable or Disable the SmartScreen Filter in Windows 10 & 11

Here's how to toggle Windows' SmartScreen filter on and off in a few clicks.

Microsoft Defender SmartScreen is part of the Windows Security solution. It helps you protect against common threats by warning against downloading or installing potentially malicious files from other computers.

SmartScreen is enabled by default in Windows. However, sometimes you may want to disable the feature if it identifies and blocks genuine apps and files as malicious. Fortunately, you can disable SmartScreen really easily. Here we show you the many ways to disable the SmartScreen filter in Windows.

How Does Windows SmartScreen Filter Work?

SmartScreen relies on reputation-based protection to protect your device from malicious or potentially unwanted apps and websites.

When enabled, SmartScreen screens your downloads against known suspicious sites and developers. When a match is found, it blocks the download or site access and warns the user about the action taken.

You can configure it to block apps and files by checking unrecognized apps and files from the web. It can also protect you from Microsoft Store and third-party sourced apps that are low on reputation and known to cause unexpected behavior.

SmartScreen is also part of Microsoft Edge's security settings. When enabled, it helps protect your computer against malicious and phishing sites and block downloads.

SmartScreen is enabled by default on all the Windows OS running systems. However, some experienced users may find the feature annoying as it can even block safe apps requiring additional steps to run the setup.

While we recommend you have the SmartScreen filter turned on all the time, you can disable it easily from the Windows Security settings. Here's how to do it.

1. How to Turn Off SmartScreen via Windows' Security Settings

The easiest way to turn off SmartScreen is via the Windows Settings panel. You can configure all the aspects of your system security from the Windows Security panel. Here's how to do it.

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Open the Privacy and Security tab in the left pane.
3. Click on Windows Security.
   
4. Next, click on Open Windows Security.
   
5. Open the App & browser control tab in the left pane.
6. Click on Reputation-based protection settings under Reputation-based protection.
   
7. Here, you'll find four different SmartScreen filters you can individually enable or disable. If you want to turn off the filter for files and executables, then turn off Check apps and files and Potentially unwanted app blocking filters. The other two filters are for Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Store apps.
   
8. If you want to turn off SmartScreen completely, then disable all four filters.

If you have difficulty accessing the Windows Security window, refer to our troubleshooting guide to fix a blank Windows security screen.

If any of the SmartScreen filters are grayed out with the message saying "this setting is managed by your administrator," you will need to contact your administrator or try another method.

2. How to Disable SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge has a built-in option to enable and disable Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. Here's how to access it.

1. Launch Microsoft Edge and click the three-dots menu icon in the top right corner.
2. Click on Settings.
3. Open the Privacy, search, and services tab in the left pane.
4. Now, scroll down to the Security section. Here, toggle the switch for Microsoft Defender SmartScreen to turn it off. This will disable the Block potentially unwanted apps option as well.
5. If you choose to enable SmartScreen again, you'll need to enable the Block potentially unwanted apps feature manually.

3. How to Turn Off Windows Defender SmartScreen Using Internet Properties

You can turn on or off Windows Defender SmartScreen using the Internet Properties dialog. Also known as Internet Option, it lets you configure security and access settings, add-ons, Active-X controls, and more.

Follow these steps to turn off SmartScreen via Internet Options:

1. Press Win + R to open Run.
2. Type control and click OK to open the Control Panel.
3. Click on Network and Internet.
4. Next, click on Internet Options.
5. In the Internet Properties window, open the Advanced tab.
6. Scroll down to the Security section.
7. Uncheck the Enable Windows Defender SmartScreen option.
8. Click Apply and OK to save the changes.

Note that, on a newer version of Windows, you may not find any option to enable or disable Windows Defender SmartScreen in Internet Properties.

4. How to Enable or Disable SmartScreen Using Registry Editor

You can also turn on or off the Windows Defender SmartScreen using the Registry Editor. Useful if you are unable to access the Settings UI or Internet Properties.

Note that incorrect modification to the registry entries can cause system malfunction. Therefore, make sure to create a restore point before proceeding with the steps below.

1. Press Win + R to open Run.
2. Type regedit and click OK to open the Registry Editor. Click Yes if prompted by UAC to grant administrative privilege.
3. In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following location:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsSystem

4. In the right pane, locate the EnableSmartScreen filter value. If no value is found, you will need to create a new value.
   
5. To create a new value, right-click on the System key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
6. Rename the value as EnableSmartScreen.
7. Next, right-click on the EnableSmartScreen value and select Modify.
   
8. Type 0 in the Value data field and click OK to save the changes.
9. If you want to enable the SmartScreen filter, type 1 in the Value data field and click OK.
10. Close the Registry Editor and restart your PC to apply the changes.

5. How to Turn the SmartScreen Filter On or Off Using the Group Policy Editor

If you want to manage the SmartScreen filter for multiple computers at your organization, you can use the Group Policy Editor to do this task.

Note that Group Policy Editor is only available on Windows Pro, Edu, and Enterprise editions of the OS. If you use Home, explore our guide to enable Group Policy Editor on the Windows Home edition.

To configure SmartScreen filter using GPEdit:

1. Press Win + R to open Run.
2. Type gpedit.msc and click OK to open the Group Policy Editor.
3. Next, navigate to the following location in Group Policy Editor:

   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer.

4. In the right pane, right-click on Configure Windows Defender SmartScreen policy and select Edit.
   
5. To disable SmartScreen, select Disabled.
6. If you want to enable SmartScreen, select Not Configured or Enabled.
   
7. Click Apply and OK to save the changes.
8. Close Group Policy Editor and restart your PC.

Enable or Disable the SmartScreen Filter in Windows

While you can easily disable the SmartScreen filter in Windows, it is an extremely useful security tool. It can protect you against malicious files and programs and screen and block suspicious sites. It's an added layer of protection to Windows Defender and helps keep your PC safe.