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How to Set Up a Proxy on Windows, macOS, iPhone, and Android

Get the correct proxy address, port, or configuration URL, then set it for the relevant Windows, Mac, iPhone, or Android connection. App support and settings paths vary.
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To set up a proxy, first get the correct server address and port, or the exact automatic-configuration URL, from your network administrator or proxy provider. Then enter those details in the settings for the relevant connection. The steps differ by device, and a system proxy setting does not guarantee that every app will use the proxy.

Before you change proxy settings

Ask whoever supplied the proxy for the required connection method and values. Depending on the network, you may need a hostname or IP address and port, a PAC or setup-script URL, login credentials, or an exclusion list. Do not guess these details: an incorrect or outdated address will prevent a connection.

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If the device is managed by work or school, check with IT before editing settings. The organization may require a particular script, server, or bypass list.

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Choose the configuration method you were given

Method What to enter Use it when
Automatic detection No server address is entered manually; the network must support discovery. Your network administrator says to use automatic detection.
Automatic configuration (PAC or setup script) The exact configuration URL supplied by the administrator or provider. You were given a script or PAC URL. The device uses its instructions to determine proxy behavior.
Manual proxy Proxy hostname or IP address and port; credentials or bypass exceptions if required. You were given a specific server and port rather than a configuration URL.

Not every device offers every method in the same way. Android’s documented automatic and manual choices are described for managed devices, while consumer phone menus vary.

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Set up a proxy in Windows 10 or Windows 11

Windows offers automatic detection, a setup script, and manual proxy entry. Microsoft documents the following route for Windows 10 and 11 in Use a proxy server in Windows.

  1. Open Settings > Network & internet > Proxy.
  2. For network discovery, turn on Automatically detect settings under automatic proxy setup if your network supports it.
  3. For a supplied script, select Use setup script > Set up, enable it, enter the script address, and save.
  4. For a server and port, select Manual proxy setup > Use a proxy server > Set up. Enter the server name or IP address and port, add any required exceptions, choose whether to bypass the proxy for local intranet addresses, and save.

Microsoft recommends bypassing local intranet addresses unless your organization requires them to go through the proxy. A proxy associated with a VPN connection is configured separately in that VPN connection’s advanced proxy settings; see Microsoft’s Windows proxy configuration guidance.

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Set up a proxy in macOS

Apple’s macOS 26 guide puts proxy controls on the selected network service, rather than in one universal setting for all connections. The labels may change in later macOS releases. Follow Apple’s Mac proxy settings guide.

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  1. Open Apple menu > System Settings > Network.
  2. Select the network service you are using, then choose Details > Proxies.
  3. For automatic discovery, enable Auto proxy discovery. For a supplied PAC file, enable Automatic proxy configuration and enter its URL.
  4. For manual configuration, enable the proxy type your administrator or provider specified—HTTP, HTTPS, or SOCKS—and enter its address and port.
  5. If required, enable proxy authentication and enter the supplied username and password. Add any hosts or domains that should bypass the proxy.

Set up a proxy on iPhone

Apple’s consumer instructions place this setting on an individual Wi-Fi network. They do not establish a general cellular-data proxy setting or guarantee that every app uses the proxy. To configure the connected Wi-Fi network, follow Apple’s iPhone Wi-Fi instructions.

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  1. Join the Wi-Fi network that needs the proxy.
  2. Open Settings > Wi-Fi, then tap the Info button beside the connected network.
  3. Open HTTP Proxy and enter the details supplied for that network.

Find proxy settings on Android

Android proxy configuration is associated with Wi-Fi, but the exact path and labels depend on the phone maker and software version. On a consumer phone, open the connected Wi-Fi network’s settings or details and look for its proxy option. If it is not there, consult the manufacturer’s instructions, as Google’s Android network guidance advises.

For managed Android Enterprise devices, Microsoft documents None, Manual, and Automatic choices. Manual setup uses a server address and port, with an optional exclusion list; automatic setup uses a URL for a proxy configuration file. Those documented choices describe managed-device configuration, not a universal consumer-phone walkthrough. Details are in Microsoft Intune’s Android Wi-Fi settings documentation.

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Check whether the app is using the proxy

A successful system setting does not mean all traffic from the device will use the proxy. Some applications do not obtain proxy settings from the operating system and may need proxy support or settings of their own. Microsoft also notes that PAC behavior for Microsoft Store apps can depend on the app; see its Windows proxy guidance. If a browser connects through the proxy but another app does not, check that app’s settings or support documentation.

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If the proxy does not connect

  • Confirm the hostname or IP address and port with the administrator or provider.
  • Check that you entered the exact PAC or setup-script URL, including its spelling and path.
  • Verify credentials, exceptions, and bypass settings against the instructions you received.
  • Make sure you configured the network or connection in use: for example, a selected Wi-Fi network, a macOS network service, or a VPN connection on Windows.
  • On Android, check the phone maker’s instructions if the menu path or available options differ.

Repeatedly toggling settings will not correct a stale endpoint or an incorrect configuration URL; confirm the values with their source.

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Proxy versus VPN

A proxy and a VPN are different connection methods, and configuring one does not configure the other. Microsoft says a VPN generally provides a more secure connection than a proxy, while noting that a proxy associated with a VPN has its own settings area in Windows. Treat that as Microsoft’s general comparison, not a guarantee about every product or threat model.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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