Disable proxy settings in Windows

1. Go to **Start Menu** or **Cortana**. 2. Search for **Settings** and open it. 3. Select **Network & Internet**. 4. From the left pane, click on **Proxy**. 5. Under **Automatic proxy setup**, turn off **Automatically detect settings** option. 6. Under **Manual proxy setup**, disable **Use a proxy server** option. 7. Close the settings window and restart your PC.

Disable proxy settings on a Mac

To change these settings: 1. Choose **Apple menu** > **System Settings** 2. Click **Network** in the sidebar> 3. Cick a network service on the right 4. Click **Details** 5. Click **Proxies** (you may need to scroll down). Here are Apple’s descriptions of [different proxy settings.](https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mchlp2591/mac)

How to disable proxy in Chrome on Mac

1. Click the **Chrome Menu** on the browser toolbar. 2. Select **Settings**. 3. On the left-hand side of the screen, click **System**. 4. Click **Open your computer’s proxy settings**. This will open the **Network Settings** window. 5. In the **Proxies** tab, toggle every protocol off. 6. Click **OK**. You can close the settings window now.

How to disable proxy in Chrome on Windows

1. Click on the menu button **⋮** in the upper right corner and choose **Settings** 2. In the left sidebar click on **System** 3. Click on **Open your computer’s proxy settings** 4. On Windows 10, this will open the **Proxy settings** window 5. Under **Automatic proxy setup**, switch off: **Automatically detect settings & Use setup script** 6. Under **Manual proxy setup**, switch off: **Use a proxy server**, then click on **Save**

How to disable proxy in Mozilla Firefox

1. Click on the **Menu** button in the upper right corner 2. Select **Options** 3. Scroll down to **Network Settings** and click on the **Settings** button 4. In the **Connection Settings windows**, select **No proxy** 5. Click on **OK**

How to disable proxy in Microsoft Edge

1. Click on the **Menu** button situated in the upper right corner 2. Click on **Settings** 3. Access **System** on the left hand side menu, then click on **Open your computer’s proxy settings** 4. Set the switches under **Automatically detect settings & Use setup script** to **off** 5. Set the switch under **Use a proxy server** to **off**, then click on **Save**

What security risks arise if proxy settings remain enabled after VPN activation?

Leftover proxy configurations may bypass the VPN tunnel for certain apps, exposing IP or DNS data to local network or ISP, while other traffic remains encrypted—creating inconsistent protection.

Can rogue or system-wide proxies persist after reset on shared devices?

Yes—malicious or corporate-managed proxy profiles can reapply automatically unless fully removed at the OS level. A VPN client with forced routing helps ensure proxy bypass is consistent.

Are proxy settings on mobile (iOS/Android) enforced per-app or system-wide?

On mobile, proxies may be configured at system or per-Wi-Fi profile level but often not enforced for app VPN. This can result in some app data bypassing proxy or VPN tunnels unexpectedly.

How does using a VPN eliminate dependence on browser-specific proxy configurations?

A VPN applies encryption at the network layer—so traffic from all apps, not just browsers, is tunneled and protected. This avoids manual proxy toggling in multiple apps for comprehensive privacy.

What diagnostic tools can help verify all proxy settings are disabled across platforms?

Use network diagnostic tools or leak tests to confirm DNS and IP appear VPN-exit-based not proxy-based. OS‑level profiles and browser proxy overrides should be audited and removed.

Tutorials

How to turn off proxy on your computer

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

Dario RamponiSEO Manager

Casey Ford. PhDTechnical reviewer

May 25, 20247 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.

Disabling proxy

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.

Try NymVPN for free today

Proxies hide your IP

Nym encrypts and anonymizes.

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Turning off proxy: FAQs

About the authors

Dario Ramponi

SEO Manager

Dario is a core member of NymVPN's Marketing team, responsible for crafting our general announcements and writing news related to privacy and VPNs.

Casey Ford. PhD

Technical reviewer

Casey is the Head of Communications, lead writer at Nym, and editorial reviewer at Nym. He holds a PhD in Philosophy and researches the intersection of decentralized technologies and social life.

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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.

Features	Description
Auto proxy discovery	Configure proxy server settings automatically
Automatic proxy configuration	Use a proxy auto-configuration (PAC) file > Enter the address of the PAC file in the URL field
Web proxy (HTTP)	Use a web proxy server > Enter the server address and port number > If needed, turn on “Proxy server requires password”, then enter your user name and password
Secure web proxy (HTTPS)	Use a secure web proxy server > Enter the server address and port number > If needed, turn on “Proxy server requires password,” then enter your user name and password
SOCKS proxy	Use a SOCKS proxy server > Enter the server address and port number > If needed, turn on “Proxy server requires password”, then enter your user name and password
Exclude simple hostnames	Bypass proxies for network destinations with simple hostnames (for example, https:// + server)
Bypass proxy settings for these hosts & domains	Enter the hosts and domains to bypass. Separate multiple items with commas

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.

How to turn off proxy on your computer

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Disabling proxy

Proxies hide your IP

Turning off proxy: FAQs

About the authors

Table of contents

New low prices

New low prices

Keep Reading...

Proxy vs VPN: Which one is better?

How to turn off a VPN on Android and iPhone

Nym is more than a VPN

Decentralized VPNs (dVPNs): What are they?

Turning off proxy: FAQs

Why deactivate proxy?

Risks of turning off proxy

How to remove proxy settings in your browser

Summary