How to Enable or Disable the SmartScreen Filter in Windows
SmartScreen is designed to automatically block suspicious files, but it often flags genuine downloads as malicious. Here’s how you can disable Windows Defender SmartScreen on Windows 11 to download and run apps.
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. If 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 unrecognized apps and files from the web. It also provides additional reputation-based protection for Microsoft Store apps and can block third-party applications with low reputation scores that are known to cause unexpected behavior.
However, reputation screening can sometimes block apps, even if they come from trusted sources. If you trust the app, you’re able to temporarily turn off the SmartScreen Filter to install and run it, then turn it back on in the Windows Security settings.
Turn Off SmartScreen Using the Windows Security App
The easiest way to turn off SmartScreen is by using the Windows Security app. Let’s see how to do it:
If you are unable to open the Windows Security app, refer to our troubleshooting guide tofix a blank Windows security screen. If any of the SmartScreen filters are grayed out with the message “this setting is managed by your administrator,” you’ll need your administrator to make the changes for you.
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:
How to Enable or Disable SmartScreen Using Registry Editor
You can also turn the Windows Defender SmartScreen on or off using the Registry Editor. This method is useful if you can’t access it from the Settings app.
Note that incorrect modification to the registry entries can cause system malfunction. Therefore,create a restore pointbefore proceeding with the steps below.
You can further tweak the registry to create a newString Valueto set the blocking level toWarnorBlock. UsingWarnwill show a SmartScreen warning with an option to proceed. In contrast, theBlockoption will show a warning and block the app from running on your computer. Here’s how to do it:
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 in your organization, you can use the Group Policy Editor to centrally configure, enable, or disable SmartScreen settings, ensuring consistent security policies across all managed systems.
Group Policy Editor is only available on the Pro, Edu, and Enterprise editions of the Windows OS. If you are using Home, explore our guide toenable Group Policy Editor on the Windows Home edition.
To configure the SmartScreen filter using GPEdit:
SmartScreen provides essential protection against malicious downloads and phishing sites. As such, you should always be sure to turn on SmartScreen after installing the app to continue to receive real-time reputation-based protection from bad apps.
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I used the gpedit.exe to block it. Group Editor alone is worth the extra one has to pay for Windows Pro versions. It allows me to go ‘hog wild’ keeping spyware from the ones who think they own my puter. Microsoft. It also allows me, not them, to control the computer that I bought, not them. I have 23H2 and also used Group Editor to block future downloads of 24H2 which I hated for it’s non-stop intrusiveness and mandatory encryption of everyone’s drive without asking. It gave me 10 days to remove it and that’s just what I did…3 days after downloading it which I didn’t ask for either and was not warned.
My foolproof plan is to use Windows 10 until 2030, with the latest security updates.
Not Linux, not Windows. Something better.
Love fades, even for the best open-source darling.
OneDrive is one of the best, but it has a catch.
This small feature makes a massive difference.
Goodbye sending links via other apps.
