How to turn off proxy?

To turn off a proxy, open the proxy controls for your operating system or browser and switch off both the automatic and manual proxy options. On Windows that lives under Settings, Network & internet, Proxy; on macOS under System Settings, Network, your interface, Details, Proxies. Chrome and Edge simply open these system controls, while Firefox keeps its own setting. On Android and iOS the proxy is set per Wi-Fi network, and in shells you remove it by unsetting the HTTP_PROXY and HTTPS_PROXY environment variables.

Why You Would Turn a Proxy Off

A proxy routes your traffic through an intermediate server. That is useful for caching, filtering, or testing, but a wrong or stale proxy quietly breaks your connection. The most common reasons to disable one:

• Connectivity issues: the proxy server is down or unreachable, so pages fail with errors like "Unable to connect to the proxy server".
• No longer needed: you left a corporate or campus network, or finished a scraping or testing task that required the proxy.
• Wrong or changed address: the proxy host or port moved and the old value is still cached on your device.
• Malware or adware: a potentially unwanted program set a proxy to intercept or redirect your traffic, and removing it restores a direct connection.

If you are unsure whether one is even active, start with How to Check Proxy Settings? and the broader What Are Proxy Settings? explainer, then return here to switch it off.

Turn Off a Proxy on Windows 11 and Windows 10 (Settings)

• Press Win + I to open Settings.
• Go to Network & internet, then select Proxy.
• Under Automatic proxy setup, turn off Automatically detect settings and Use setup script.
• Under Manual proxy setup, click Set up (or Edit), toggle off Use a proxy server, and click Save.

Turn Off a Proxy via Internet Options (Legacy Windows)

Some apps and older policies read the classic LAN settings instead of the modern Settings page, so it is worth clearing both.

• Open Control Panel and select Internet Options (or search "Internet Options" from Start).
• Switch to the Connections tab and click LAN settings.
• Uncheck Use a proxy server for your LAN and, if it is set, Automatically detect settings.
• Click OK, then Apply and OK to save.

Turn Off a Proxy on macOS

• Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings (System Preferences on older macOS).
• Click Network and select your active interface, such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
• Click Details (or Advanced), then open the Proxies tab.
• Toggle off every protocol, including Auto Proxy Discovery, Automatic Proxy Configuration, Web Proxy (HTTP), Secure Web Proxy (HTTPS), and SOCKS Proxy.
• Click OK, then Apply to save the change.

Turn Off a Proxy in Chrome and Edge

Chrome and Microsoft Edge do not store their own proxy. Their proxy buttons open the operating system dialog, so disabling there switches the proxy off for the whole machine.

• Open the browser menu (three dots) and select Settings.
• In Chrome, go to System; in Edge, go to System and performance.
• Click Open your computer's proxy settings.
• In the OS dialog that opens, turn off the automatic and manual proxy options as shown in the Windows or macOS steps above.

Turn Off a Proxy in Firefox

Firefox is the exception: it has its own proxy setting and ignores the system one unless you tell it to follow along. Disable it inside the browser.

• Click the menu (three lines) and open Settings.
• Stay on the General panel and scroll to Network Settings.
• Click Settings to open Connection Settings.
• Select No proxy and click OK.

Turn Off a Proxy on Android

On Android the proxy is configured per Wi-Fi network, so you clear it on the network you are connected to.

• Open Settings, then Network & internet (or Wi-Fi).
• Tap the connected network, then Modify network and expand Advanced options.
• Under Proxy, choose None.
• Tap Save to apply.

Turn Off a Proxy on iOS and iPadOS

• Open Settings and tap Wi-Fi.
• Tap the info (i) icon next to your connected network.
• Scroll to Configure Proxy and tap it.
• Select Off and leave the screen to save.

Turn Off a Proxy via Environment Variables

Many command-line tools, package managers, and CI runners read proxy values from environment variables rather than the OS dialog. Clearing these stops them from routing through a dead or unwanted proxy.

• For the current Linux or macOS shell, run unset HTTP_PROXY HTTPS_PROXY FTP_PROXY ALL_PROXY NO_PROXY and repeat with the lowercase variants (http_proxy, https_proxy, and so on).
• To make it permanent, delete the matching export lines from ~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, or /etc/environment, then restart the shell.
• On Windows, clear each variable under System Properties > Environment Variables, or run setx HTTP_PROXY "" for each one and open a new terminal.

Quick Reference: Where to Turn Off a Proxy

Verify the Proxy Is Off

Reopen the same menu and confirm every automatic and manual toggle is off, then load a website or run curl https://example.com to confirm a direct connection. If a proxy you never set keeps coming back, it is usually being restored by a startup program, so run a malware scan. If you actually wanted a proxy and removed it by mistake, the reverse setup is covered in How to Setup a Proxy Server on Windows?.

A leftover proxy is a common reason local test runs and tunnels fail before they even reach a site. Once your connection is direct again, you can validate the same flows across browsers and operating systems on TestMu AI'sReal Device Cloud, which runs sessions in the cloud without any local proxy plumbing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I connect to the internet after a proxy is set?

If a proxy server is offline, misconfigured, or no longer exists, your device keeps routing traffic to a dead endpoint and pages fail to load with errors like "Unable to connect to the proxy server". Turning the proxy off restores a direct connection.

Does turning off the proxy in Chrome also disable it system-wide?

Yes. Chrome and Edge do not have their own proxy. Their proxy controls open the operating system's proxy settings, so turning the proxy off from Chrome turns it off for the whole system. Firefox is the exception, as it keeps an independent proxy setting.

How do I turn off a proxy that I never set up?

A proxy you did not configure is often added by adware or a potentially unwanted program. Open your OS proxy settings, turn off both automatic and manual proxy entries, then run a malware scan so the proxy is not silently re-enabled on the next reboot.

How do I disable a proxy on the command line?

On Linux and macOS shells, run unset HTTP_PROXY HTTPS_PROXY ALL_PROXY NO_PROXY along with their lowercase variants for the current session, and delete the matching export lines from ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc to make it permanent. On Windows, clear the variables under System Properties or run setx HTTP_PROXY "".

Is turning off a proxy the same as turning off a VPN?

No. A proxy reroutes traffic for a specific app or protocol, while a VPN tunnels and encrypts all traffic at the network adapter level. Disabling the proxy in your network settings will not turn off an active VPN; you disable the VPN from its own client or the network connection.

How do I confirm the proxy is actually off?

Reopen the same proxy menu and confirm every automatic and manual toggle is off, then load a website or run curl https://example.com to confirm a direct connection works. You can also check your public IP, which should now match your real network rather than the proxy.

• What Are Proxy Settings?
• What Is Web Proxy Enabled?
• How to Check Proxy Settings?
• How to Setup a Proxy Server on Windows?