How to Disable Windows 11 Firewall

Who does not love his/her privacy and security? Whether it is real life or our computer one, we all want to be as safe as possible from any kind of malice. There is a solid reason for that. For the past few years, we have seen technology’s explosion and our dependence on it has grown significantly too. But, as advanced as technology got, cybercrimes have paved their way through our society really fast. Nowadays, cybercrimes are as common as finding an American who loves apple pie…come on, who doesn’t? 

With this increase in security breaches, the users and developers had to take necessary actions, right? That’s why different programs were made to prevent malicious apps and unethical hackers from damaging anyone’s privacy and those programs are our antiviruses and firewalls. 

One such firewall has been added to our Windows devices too so that we and our privacy can be safe and sound. The Windows Firewall prevents different unverified apps from entering the system. It does not even let malicious websites open on our system. So basically, if you try to install any app from an unknown, unverified source, or open any potentially harmful website, the Firewall on your Windows 11 computer may not allow you to do so. This is all of your safety and you know that, right? 

But there are many users who prefer using third-party antivirus software which can be a good thing in many cases. Usually, when we install and launch any such antivirus software in our Windows computers, the Windows Firewall takes the backseat and lets the antivirus handle things from there. But sometimes because of one reason or another, the Windows Firewall does not get disabled and hinders the performance of the antivirus too. It may not allow you to install an app to your Windows device even if the app is 100% safe. Different users may face different problems due to this situation.

Thankfully, Windows gave the authority to its users to enable and disable the Windows Firewall manually at their will. So here, we will show you how to enable and disable the firewall on your Windows 11 device. Go right ahead:-

1. Open the ‘Settings’ App. This can be done in more than one ways. You can press the ‘Windows + I’ keys together or go to the Start menu and launch the ‘Settings’ App from there.
2. When the ‘Settings’ App opens, look at the left pane and you’ll find the ‘Privacy & Security’ tab. Click on it.
3. From the right side of the screen, find and click on the ‘Windows Security’ option.
4. You’ll reach the Windows Security page. On the top of the page, you’ll find the option ‘Open Windows Security’, click it.
5. On the next page, find and select the ‘Firewall & network protection’ tile.
6. And, you’ll reach the window where you can find all the settings related to the Windows Defender Firewall.

You can now easily disable the Windows Firewall permanently or disable it for some particular apps of your choice. You can also restore the settings to default. We’ll now discuss how to permanently or partially disable the Windows Firewall or restore the Windows Firewall settings to default in your Windows 11 device. Here we go:-

Disable the Firewall permanently in Windows 11

First of all, we do not recommend disabling the Windows Firewall completely without installing another efficient, trustworthy antivirus or Firewall because once you disable the Windows Firewall,  your Windows 11 device will be completely off-guard and it’ll be really easy for malicious apps and software to create problems for your device. Although if you’ve already taken the necessary precautions, disabling the Windows Firewall permanently is not a bad idea. Follow these steps for the same: 

1. In the last window which you opened earlier, you’ll find a network profile which will have ‘active’ next to it. Click that network profile.
2.  Now, navigate yourself to the ‘Microsoft Defender Firewall’ toggle bar and turn it off. 
3. A pop-up window will then appear, it is an UAC (User Account Control) pop-up window which requires the admin’s permission to disable the Windows Firewall. If you are not logged in with your admin account in your Windows 11 device, enter the required credentials and if you have already logged in with your admin account, click on the ‘Yes’ option. 

And, the Windows Firewall on your Windows 11 device is permanently disabled now. 

Disable the Firewall for Apps Individually in Windows 11

This is probably the best solution if you are annoyed by the Windows Firewall but do not want to permanently disable it. You can disable the Windows Firewall in your Windows 11 device Individually for different apps by following the steps mentioned below: 

1. Get to the ‘Firewall & network protection’ window and click on ‘Allow an app through firewall’, which is present right below the network profile, mentioned above.
2. A new window will get opened. It is the ‘Allowed apps’ window where you have to find the ‘Change settings’ option on the right side of the screen.
3. This is the point where you have to choose to disable or enable the Windows Firewall for different apps individually. Simply click the checkbox for the apps which you want to allow access to the Internet. You can also allow different apps to use the ‘Private’ profile by clicking on the checkbox situated at the right side of all the tiles for different apps.
4. If you are unable to find an app which should have the access to the Internet, click on the ‘Allow another app’ option and search for that particular app’s ‘.exe’ file in the list displayed on the screen.
5. Click on the ‘OK’ button and yup, that’s all!

You have successfully enabled/disabled the Windows Firewall for different apps individually. 

Restore the Default Windows Firewall Settings

Although you willingly disabled the Windows Firewall permanently or for different apps individually, there is still a possibility that you may need the Firewall again in the future and thankfully, you can do it very easily. Just follow these simple steps:

1. Open the ‘Settings’ App. I presume that you already know how to, right?
2. Click on the ‘Privacy & security’ option on the left side of the screen.
3. Select the ‘Windows Security’ option present on the right side.
4. Click on the ‘Open Windows Security’ option.
5. Just like earlier, click on the ‘Firewall & network protection’ button.
6. Get to the bottom of the page and there, you will find an option that says ‘Restore firewalls to default’. Click on it.
7. Lastly, click on the ‘Restore defaults’ option and the Windows will recover the default settings for the Windows Firewall on your Windows 11 device. 

Firewall is an essential part of your Windows system and we all know its importance too. So make sure not to make any mistakes because when it comes to the Windows Firewall, your privacy is at risk. Do not try anything with the Windows Firewall on your Windows computer until and unless there is antivirus software installed on the device. It is wisely said that prevention is better than cure and thus, make sure you are always prevented from the risk of any cybercrime. 

Rest assured, if you know what you are doing, follow the steps mentioned above to fulfill your motive, and feel free to ask any questions or comment down your thoughts on the same.