How to turn off proxy on your computer

Disabling a proxy can be both necessary and risky, but here’s how to do it

May 25, 20242 mins Read

A proxy server is an intermediary between your device and the public web. It masks your IP address, adds a firewall between your device and the web, and can help to block mal/adware from connecting with your device. If properly configured, a proxy can be a reliable privacy and security tool, but it is by no means as comprehensive as a good Virtual Private Network (VPN) can be. Before disconnecting from your proxy, read up on the difference between a proxy and a VPN.

Users may encounter many issues when using a proxy server: connection problems, latencies, configuration errors, and desired web services getting blocked. For these reasons users may want to turn off their proxy server temporarily. The big downside of proxies is that they are usually application specific rather than system-wide, so you will need to manually enable and disable the proxy settings on each desired application (e.g., on your browser, operating system, or communications apps, etc.).

If you need to do so, Nym will walk you through the privacy risks in disconnecting from a proxy, as well as the steps for managing your proxy’s settings on both your operating system and in particular browsers. You should keep in mind that problems with a proxy server might be avoided altogether by using a privacy-focused VPN instead.

Would you like to know more about proxies? Read our article that explains what a proxy is.

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Why deactivate proxy?

Users may experience a number of performance issues with proxy servers that might provoke users to disable their proxy connection.

Connection problems: Users may experience dropped connections and time-outs. This can be due to several factors on the proxy-side: traffic congestion, data overhead, network maintenance, or bandwidth limitations.
Latency: Slowness in connection can be a common problem with proxies, given that data has to pass through an intermediary server which may be geographically distant or overloaded.
Configuration issues: Proxies require a good amount of client-side configuration, for example, to choose what to filter out, block, or admit in terms of connections and traffic. This can create occasional configuration issues which disabling the proxy, or altering the configurations, may resolve.
Firewalls: A proxy server might be blocked by a certain network firewall which doesn’t accept known proxies or VPNs. Turning off the proxy would be a way to get around this, but at the cost of privacy.
Connection blocks: Certain desired content might be blocked by your own proxy’s firewall. Disabling it will allow you to access the content you need.

It should be noted that any multi-server network, whether a proxy server or a VPN, will likely experience occasional connection issues and latency. This is for the simple reason that the connection is not direct, but rather relayed through additional stops which need to process traffic in specific ways. In the end, the benefits of enhanced privacy online might require tradeoffs with speed. But many commercial VPNs far exceed the performance of proxy servers.

Risks of turning off proxy

Whether disabling a proxy or VPN, it is important to keep in mind that this will remove any security and privacy features that they provided, potentially putting user data at risk. This can include:

Visible IP address: Proxies work very different from one another depending on user configuration, but one thing they all do is replace your personal IP address with the proxy server’s. By turning off the proxy, your IP address will be visible to any connection online.
Traffic surveillance: With your IP address exposed, you can be more easily tracked in what you do online. Your IP address can reveal your Internet Service Provider (ISP), proximate geolocation, device type, etc. It will also be used in associating your browsing histories and habits with you.
In-transit cyber attacks: Proxy do not encrypt user data, but with your IP address exposed your data in-transit can be the target of hackers looking to exploit your personal data, metadata, and online activities.
Increased advertising: One function of a proxy server is to filter out known advertising clients. Disabling the proxy will result in an increase of advertising.
Potential malware exposure: Proxies can be effective at blocking malware before your device encounters it. Turning off the proxy will remove these protections while disabled.

If you need to do it here, here are the steps for operating systems and browsers.

Disable proxy settings in Windows

Go to Start Menu or Cortana.
Search for Settings and open it.
Select Network & Internet.
From the left pane, click on Proxy.
Under Automatic proxy setup, turn off Automatically detect settings option.
Under Manual proxy setup, disable Use a proxy server option.
Close the settings window and restart your PC.

Disable proxy settings on a Mac

To change these settings, choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Network in the sidebar, click a network service on the right, click Details, then click Proxies (you may need to scroll down). Here are Apple’s descriptions of different proxy settings:

How to remove proxy settings in your browser

Proxies are primarily used by browsers, and need to be configured through the browser’s network settings. Here are four commonly used browsers:

How to disable proxy in Chrome on Mac

Click the Chrome Menu on the browser toolbar.
Select Settings.
On the left-hand side of the screen, click System.
Click Open your computer’s proxy settings. This will open the Network Settings window.
In the Proxies tab, toggle every protocol off.
Click OK. You can close the settings window now.

How to disable proxy in Chrome on Windows

Click on the menu button ⋮ in the upper right corner and choose Settings
In the left sidebar click on System
Click on Open your computer’s proxy settings
On Windows 10, this will open the Proxy settings window
Under Automatic proxy setup, switch off: Automatically detect settings & Use setup script
Under Manual proxy setup, switch off: Use a proxy server, then click on Save

How to disable proxy in Mozilla Firefox

Click on the Menu button in the upper right corner
Select Options
Scroll down to Network Settings and click on the Settings button
In the Connection Settings windows, select No proxy
Click on OK

How to disable proxy in Microsoft Edge

Click on the Menu button situated in the upper right corner
Click on Settings
Access System on the left hand side menu, then click on Open your computer’s proxy settings
Set the switches under Automatically detect settings & Use setup script to off
Set the switch under Use a proxy server to off, then click on Save

Summary

If you’re struggling with proxy settings on your apps or device, consider the advantages of using a VPN instead. A VPN will provide the same IP address obfuscation, but for all of your network traffic with the click of a button. There is no need to worry about whether there are unsecured connections going in and out of your system from different apps. VPNs will also encrypt all your traffic between your device and the VPN server, something proxies do not do on their own.

If you need to custom configure what traffic uses a VPN proxy, to optimize speed for certain apps, then a VPN that permits split tunneling for VPN traffic customization will be ideal. NymVPN provides the same privacy features as a proxy service, but is easier to manage all while protecting your data and traffic in a much more comprehensive way. No more toggling many individual proxies on and off on a case-by-case basis!