How to Enable or Disable a Firewall on Windows and Mac
May 18, 2023 | Share 
How-To, Technology
We’ll never tell you to disable the firewall on your computer. Oh no. Doing so opens the door to hackers and malware, all eager to seize your computer and steal your data. Not fun.
But there will be times when you may need to disable the firewall on Windows or Mac temporarily to troubleshoot issues. We’ll show you where to disable and enable the firewall on Windows PCs, desktop Macs, and MacBooks.
Are you troubleshooting speed issues?
You may not need to disable your firewall on Windows or Mac if you’re having internet speed issues. Connect a different PC to your router and run our speed test to compare the speeds.
How to enable or disable the firewall on Windows 11
You can take two paths to access the Microsoft Defender Firewall toggle. We’ll first give you Microsoft’s official instructions, followed by a shorter route we like better through the hidden icons menu.
The Start button route
Step 1: Click on the Start button.
Step 2: Select Settings on the Start Menu.
Step 3: The Settings panel appears on your screen. Select Privacy & Security on the left.
Step 4: Select Windows Security on the right.
Step 5: Select Firewall & network protection from the following list appearing on the right.
Step 6: The Windows Security panel appears on your screen with the Firewall & network protection category already selected. Choose Domain network, Private network, or Public network (see FAQ).
Step 7: Under Microsoft Defender Firewall, click on the toggle to set it to On or Off.
The hidden icons route
Here’s the shorter route to accessing the Microsoft Defender Firewall toggle. In our case, the Windows Defender icon resides in the hidden icons pop-up balloon. However, you may see the icon seated on the Taskbar instead.
Step 1: Click on the Show hidden icons button (up arrow) on the Taskbar.
Step 2: Click on the Windows Security icon.
Step 3: The Windows Security panel appears on your screen. Select Firewall & network protection on the left.
Step 4: Select Domain network, Private network, or Public network (see FAQ) on the right.
Step 5: Under Microsoft Defender Firewall, click on the toggle to set it to the On or Off position.
How to enable or disable the firewall on Windows 10
The instructions to reach the firewall toggle are different on Windows 10 than on Windows 11. But like Windows 11, you have two ways to reach the firewall toggle: using the traditional Start button method or the (faster) hidden icons route.
The Start button route
Step 1: Click on the Start button.
Step 2: Click on the Settings icon.
Step 3: The Settings panel appears on your screen. Select the Update & Security tile.
Step 4: Select Windows Security on the left.
Step 5: Select Firewall & network protection on the right.
Step 6: The Windows Security panel appears on your screen. Select Domain network, Private network, or Public network (see FAQ).
Step 7: Under Microsoft Defender Firewall, click on the toggle to set it to the On or Off position.
The hidden icons route
You can bypass the Settings window altogether and go directly to the Windows Security screen using these instructions.
Step 1: Click on the Show hidden icons button (up arrow) on the Taskbar.
Step 2: Click on the Windows Security icon in the pop-up menu.
Step 3: The Windows Security panel appears on the screen. Select the Firewall & network protection tile.
Step 4: Select Domain network, Private network, or Public network (see FAQ).
Step 5: Under Microsoft Defender Firewall, click on the toggle to set it to the On or Off position.
How to enable or disable the firewall on Mac
Apple keeps your route to the firewall toggle pretty simple, although you’ll have a faster trip if the System Settings icon is on the Dock. These instructions are based on macOS Ventura.
Step 1: Click on the Apple menu icon in your screen’s top left corner.
Step 2: Select System Settings on the drop-down menu.
Alternative method: Click on the System Settings icon if it appears on the Dock.
Step 3: The System Settings panel appears on your screen. Select Network on the left.
Step 4: Select Firewall on the right.
Step 5: Click on the toggle to enable or disable the firewall.
FAQ about enabling and disabling a firewall
What is a firewall?
With Windows and macOS, a firewall is a security component built into the operating system that monitors all local network and internet traffic coming in and out of your computer. Pre-set inbound and outbound rules define what apps, programs, and services can and can’t transmit to and from any network, whether they’re private or public.
Should I turn off my firewall?
Generally, you should never turn off the firewall on Windows PCs and Macs. Firewalls block malware and other malicious data that could sneak past a router or gateway’s built-in firewall. They also block infected apps and programs installed on your computer.
Also, firewalls are highly configurable, so you can make exceptions to specific applications without completely lowering your guard against all things unsavory lurking on the internet.
Can I temporarily disable my firewall?
You’re safe in temporarily disabling your computer’s firewall, but we don’t suggest keeping it disabled for very long. Firewalls keep you safe from the bad actors lurking on the internet—and possibly even on your local network.
When can I temporarily disable my firewall?
You should only disable your firewall temporarily if it does the following:
- Interferes with hardware installation
- Blocks driver downloads and system updates
- Prevents apps and programs from connecting to a remote server
What are the Domain, Private, and Public profiles in Windows Defender Firewall?
Here’s a brief description of what each profile covers:
- Domain – Computers connected to a network managed by a domain controller. This profile usually applies to corporate-level connections, like a group of servers.
- Private – Computers connected to a business or home network that’s not directly connected to the internet. This profile applies to everyone with a router or hardware firewall.
- Public – Computers connected to the internet in coffee shops, libraries, malls, and so on. This profile applies to everyone connecting to publicly available Wi-Fi and wired connections.
Windows selects Public as the default because it has the highest level of security.
Author - Kevin Parrish
Kevin Parrish has more than a decade of experience working as a writer, editor, and product tester. He began writing about computer hardware and soon branched out to other devices and services such as networking equipment, phones and tablets, game consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom’s Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others. At HighSpeedInternet.com, he focuses on network equipment testing and review.
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