How to Disable a Proxy Server or Change Proxy Settings

To disable a proxy server, switch off the proxy option in the settings of the device or browser that uses it. On Windows 11 that is Settings > Network & internet > Proxy, on a Mac it is the Proxies tab of your network connection, and on an iPhone, iPad or Android phone it is in each Wi-Fi network's settings. Chrome and Edge use the computer's settings, while Firefox can keep its own. Turning the setting off is also how you disconnect from a proxy server, and the same screens let you add or change one. If you're new to proxies, start with how a proxy server works.

What Proxy Server Settings Are

Proxy server settings tell a device, browser or app whether to send web traffic through a proxy, and which one. Most settings screens ask for some of these:

• Address: the proxy's hostname or IP address (Windows calls the field Proxy IP address but accepts a hostname).
• Port: the number the proxy listens on, which comes with the address. Our guide to proxy server ports explains the common numbers and how to find yours.
• Username and password, for proxies that require sign-in.
• Exceptions: addresses that should connect directly, such as devices on your home network.
• Automatic options: auto-detect, which uses a proxy only if the network publishes one, and the address of a setup script (a PAC file).

System settings apply to every app that follows them, and a browser can follow them or override them. Windows 11, iPhone, iPad and Android settings expect an HTTP proxy, while macOS and Firefox also have a SOCKS field for the tools described in our HTTP vs SOCKS5 comparison.

How to Tell If a Proxy Is On

The quickest check is the IP address websites see. Open BuyProxy's IP address checker: if the network it reports is your own internet provider, your traffic goes out directly, and if it's a company you don't recognize, a proxy or a VPN is routing it (see our proxy vs VPN comparison). Then find where the proxy is set:

Checking From the Command Line

In Windows PowerShell, this command shows the proxy saved for your account, and ProxyEnable 1 means a manual proxy is on:

Get-ItemProperty 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings' | Select-Object ProxyEnable, ProxyServer, AutoConfigURL

On a Mac, scutil --proxy lists the active settings, where HTTPEnable : 1, HTTPSEnable : 1 or SOCKSEnable : 1 means that proxy is on. On macOS or Linux, env | grep -i proxy shows proxy environment variables, which curl uses even when the system proxy is off.

How to Turn Off a Proxy on Windows 11, macOS, iPhone and Android

Windows 11

1. Open Settings > Network & internet > Proxy.
2. Under Manual proxy setup, select Set up (or Edit) next to Use a proxy server, switch Use a proxy server off and select Save.
3. Under Automatic proxy setup, open Use setup script the same way and switch it off if it holds a script address.
4. Leave Automatically detect settings on if you like: it only picks up a proxy that the network publishes.

A VPN connection can carry its own proxy settings, under its Advanced options in Settings > Network & internet > VPN. Microsoft's guide to using a proxy server in Windows covers these screens.

macOS

1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Network in the sidebar.
2. Select the network service you use, such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and click Details.
3. Click Proxies.
4. Switch off Web proxy (HTTP), Secure web proxy (HTTPS) and SOCKS proxy, plus Auto proxy discovery and Automatic proxy configuration if you don't rely on them, then click OK.

Each network service keeps its own proxy settings, so change both Wi-Fi and Ethernet if you use both. Safari and Chrome follow these settings, and Apple's guide to changing proxy settings on Mac describes every option on the tab.

iPhone and iPad

Menu names can differ slightly between iOS versions.

1. Open Settings > Wi-Fi.
2. Tap the info button (i) next to the network you're connected to.
3. Scroll to the bottom and tap Configure Proxy.
4. Choose Off, then tap Save.

The setting belongs to that one Wi-Fi network; other saved networks keep their own.

Android

On Pixel phones and Android's own settings app (other makers rename some menus):

1. Open Settings > Network & internet > Internet (Wi-Fi on older versions).
2. Tap the gear icon next to your Wi-Fi network, then the pencil icon to edit it.
3. Open Advanced options and find Proxy.
4. Set Proxy to None and tap Save.

On other phones, look for Proxy in the Wi-Fi network's own settings. It applies only to that network, so mobile data doesn't use it.

Chrome, Edge and Firefox Proxy Settings

On Windows and macOS, Chrome and Edge use the system proxy settings. Chrome's Settings > System page links to them with Open your computer's proxy settings, and Edge has a similar link under Settings > System and performance. If Chrome shows a note there saying it is using proxy settings from an extension, turn that extension off at chrome://extensions; if the note names your administrator, a work or school policy set them.

Firefox follows the system by default but can keep its own settings. Open Settings, type proxy into the Find in Settings box and click Configure proxy (in older versions, Settings under Network Settings). No proxy turns the proxy off for Firefox only, and Use system proxy settings hands control back to Windows or macOS. If the window says an extension controls how Firefox connects to the internet, use its Disable Extension button.

How to Set Up a Proxy That Needs a Username and Password

Most paid proxies ask for a username and password. macOS and iOS have fields for them; Windows 11 and Android don't, so there the browser or app has to ask, which is why one proxy line can work on a Mac and fail on an Android phone.

Windows 11

In Settings > Network & internet > Proxy, select Set up next to Use a proxy server and switch it on. Enter the host in Proxy IP address and the number in Port. Microsoft recommends ticking Don't use the proxy server for local (intranet) addresses unless your organization says otherwise. Select Save, then open a website: Chrome and Edge show a Sign in box saying the proxy requires a username and password, and Firefox asks too. Apps that can't show such a prompt won't connect through the proxy.

macOS

In the Proxies tab, switch on Web proxy (HTTP), enter the host and port, then switch on Proxy server requires password and enter the username and password. Do the same under Secure web proxy (HTTPS): that entry is the proxy macOS uses for HTTPS sites, so it takes the same HTTP proxy host and port. Click OK. HTTPS traffic stays encrypted end to end through the proxy.

iPhone and iPad

In Settings > Wi-Fi, tap (i) next to the network, then Configure Proxy > Manual. Enter the host in Server and the number in Port, switch on Authentication, type the username and password, and tap Save.

Android

Set Proxy to Manual, fill in Proxy hostname and Proxy port, and tap Save. There is no username or password field, and Android's own screen warns that the browser uses the HTTP proxy but other apps may not. Only an app or browser that asks you for the proxy's credentials can sign in, so for an authenticated proxy use one that prompts for them or has its own proxy settings with username and password fields. BuyProxy's iPhone and Android setup guide gives the same advice.

Using a BuyProxy Line

Every BuyProxy line uses a username and password. In the dashboard, generate a line with HTTP as the protocol for system and phone settings: Windows, iPhone and Android settings take an HTTP proxy only, and Chrome can't sign in to a SOCKS5 proxy, according to the Chromium project's proxy documentation. The dashboard shows each line as user:pass@host:port or host:port:user:pass; split it into the four fields and copy the username in full, since the country and session options you chose are part of it. The host and port depend on the product, so take them from the line. Scripts and scraping tools take the proxy in their own settings, as our setup guide with Python, Node.js and cURL examples shows.

When the Proxy Won't Turn Off or Won't Connect

If the setting keeps coming back, check these causes:

• The device is managed. Windows notes that your organization manages some settings, and a configuration profile can lock them on a Mac, iPhone or iPad. Ask the administrator.
• An app turns it on. Browser extensions, VPN apps and some debugging tools do this while they run. Quit or remove the app, and if a proxy keeps returning with no app to explain it, run a malware scan.
• A setup script is still on: Use setup script on Windows, or Automatic proxy configuration on a Mac.

When Chrome says there is something wrong with the proxy server, or the address is incorrect, the proxy in your settings is down or its host or port is wrong; turn the setting off to get back online, then fix the details. A Sign in box that keeps coming back means the proxy is refusing your credentials, and our guide to the 407 Proxy Authentication Required error covers the fixes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is it safe to turn off proxy settings?
On your own device, yes: traffic goes out directly, nothing is deleted, and you can turn the proxy back on with the same details. On a work or school network that requires its proxy, pages stop loading until you switch it back on.

Q: Does a proxy on iPhone work on mobile data?
No. The setting belongs to one Wi-Fi network and only applies while you're connected to it; the Settings app has no proxy option for mobile data.

Q: Can I use a SOCKS5 proxy in iPhone or Android settings?
Not in the built-in Wi-Fi settings, which take an HTTP proxy only. To use SOCKS5 on a phone, you need an app that supports it.

Q: What does Automatically detect settings do in Windows?
It asks the network whether it publishes proxy settings, a method called WPAD, and uses them if it finds any. It is on by default and doesn't mean a proxy is in use; turn it off if you never want Windows to pick up a network's proxy.

Q: Why does Chrome ask me for a proxy username and password?
The proxy in your computer's settings requires sign-in. Enter the username and password from your proxy provider. If you never set up a proxy, cancel and check your proxy settings, because something else switched one on.

Summary

Every platform keeps its proxy switch in a predictable place: Settings > Network & internet > Proxy on Windows 11, the Proxies tab of each network service on a Mac, and each Wi-Fi network's settings on a phone. Check the IP address websites see to confirm that a change worked.

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