How to Turn off the Phishing Filter in Internet Explorer GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Internet, Networking, & Security > Browsers

How to Turn off the SmartScreen/Phishing Filter in Internet Explorer

Steps to turn off the SmartScreen Filter or Phishing Filter in IE 8-11

By Tim Fisher Tim Fisher Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability Emporia State University Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on July 2, 2022 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Browsers Microsoft Chrome Safari Firefox

What to Know

From the Internet Explorer menu bar, choose Tools. Next, select Windows Defender SmartScreen Filter or SmartScreen Filter.Select Turn off Windows Defender SmartScreen or Turn off SmartScreen Filter. This article explains how to turn off the SmartScreen Filter in Internet Explorer (called Phishing Filter in IE7), which warns you if certain websites appear to be stealing your personal information. Microsoft no longer supports Internet Explorer and recommends that you update to the newer Edge browser. Head to their site to download the newest version.

Turn off the SmartScreen Filter in Internet Explorer 11 10 9 and 8

From the Internet Explorer menu bar, choose Tools, then (depending on how your computer is set up) either Windows Defender SmartScreen Filter or SmartScreen Filter, and finally the Turn off Windows Defender SmartScreen or Turn off SmartScreen Filter option. Press Alt if you don't see the Tools menu at the top of Internet Explorer. In the new window that opens, called Microsoft Windows Defender SmartScreen or Microsoft SmartScreen Filter, select the Turn off Windows Defender SmartScreen or Turn off SmartScreen Filter option is selected. Click or tap OK to save the changes. If you were troubleshooting a problem, repeat whatever steps caused your problem to see if disabling the SmartScreen Filter in Internet Explorer has corrected it.

More on Internet Explorer Phishing Filters

With the SmartScreen Filter, every download and website is checked against an ever-growing list of phishing and malware sites. If the filter finds something suspicious, it prompts you to exit the page or continue through to the unsafe website. Downloads from reportedly harmful websites are also blocked when the SmartScreen Filter is enabled, so you can only download those kinds of files by disabling the SmartScreen Filter. Downloads that are accepted through the filter are those that have been downloaded by many people and are therefore considered safe, as well as files that have not yet been explicitly marked as dangerous. You can check a specific website that you suspect is dangerous, through the same menu as above; just choose the Check this website option from that menu. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire What Is a Windows SmartScreen Filter? How to Selectively Disable Internet Explorer Add-ons How to Reset IE Security Settings to Default Levels How to Manage AutoComplete in Internet Explorer 11 How to Use ActiveX Filtering in Internet Explorer 11 How to Use the Pop-Up Blocker in Internet Explorer 11 How to Disable Protected Mode in Internet Explorer How to Modify Text Size in Internet Explorer How to Uninstall or Remove Internet Explorer Improving Performance in Internet Explorer 11 Adding Favorites to Internet Explorer 11 How to Clear Your Internet Explorer History How to Change the Internet Explorer Home Page When Is Internet Explorer End of Life? Managing Add-Ons in Internet Explorer 11 How to Disable JavaScript in Internet Explorer 11 Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies