Browsers and Mail Enable or Disable Microsoft Defender SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off Microsoft Defender SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge for your account or all users in Windows 11.

Microsoft Defender SmartScreen protects against phishing or malware websites and applications, and the downloading of potentially malicious files.

Microsoft Defender SmartScreen helps protect your device from malicious sites and downloads while you browse the web in Microsoft Edge.

You can turn on or off Microsoft Defender SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge if wanted in Windows 11.

On = Warns users that sites and downloads are potentially dangerous but allows the action to continue while running in Microsoft Edge.

Off = Turns off Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, so a user isn't alerted or stopped from downloading potentially malicious apps and files.

Microsoft Defender SmartScreen determines whether a site is potentially malicious by:

• Analyzing visited webpages for indications of suspicious behavior.
• Checking the visited sites against a dynamic record of reported phishing sites.

If Microsoft Defender SmartScreen determines that a page is malicious, it will show a warning page to notify the user that that site is reported as unsafe. The next screenshot shows an example of a Microsoft Defender SmartScreen warning page when a user tries to open a malicious website.

References:

Turing off Microsoft Defender SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge will also turn off potentially unwanted app blocking for downloads.

EXAMPLE: Microsoft Defender SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge warning

Safe test site: Windows Defender SmartScreen Demo

1 Open Microsoft Edge.

2 Click/tap on the Settings and more (Alt+F) 3 dots menu icon, and click/tap on Settings. (see screenshot below)


3 Click/tap on Privacy, search, and services in the left pane, and click/tap on Security in the right pane. (see screenshot below)

If you do not see a left pane, then either click/tap on the 3 bars menu button towards the top left OR widen the horizontal borders of the Microsoft Edge window until you do.

4 Turn On (default) or Off Protect from harmful sites and downloads for what you want. (see screenshot below)


5 You can now close the Settings tab in Microsoft Edge if you like.





1 Open Windows Security.

2 Click/tap on App & browser control. (see screenshot below)


3 Click/tap on the Reputation-based protection settings link. (see screenshot below)


4 Turn On (default) or Off SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge for what you want. (see screenshots below)


5 You can now close Windows Security if you like.





1 Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you would like to do.

This is the default setting

(Contents of REG file for reference)





(Contents of REG file for reference)

4 Save the REG file to your desktop.

5 Double click/tap on the downloaded REG file to merge it.

6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7 You can now delete the downloaded REG file if you like.

You must be signed in as an administrator to use this option.

Settings in this option can be verified using Option Two.

This option uses the SmartScreenEnabled policy for Microsoft Edge.

1 Do step 2 (always enable), step 3 (disable), or step 4 (default) below for what you want.






(Contents of REG file for reference)






(Contents of REG file for reference)

This is the default setting.

(Contents of REG file for reference)

5 Save the REG file to your desktop.

6 Double click/tap on the downloaded REG file to merge it.

7 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

8 You can now delete the downloaded REG file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink