Windows 11 Smart App Control blocks apps Microsoft assesses as malicious or potentially unwanted. It can also block unsigned or invalidly signed code when its cloud service cannot confidently judge whether it is safe. To disable it, open Windows Security > App & browser control > Smart App Control settings and select Off. Microsoft does not provide a per-app exception.
What Smart App Control blocks
Smart App Control combines Microsoft’s cloud app-intelligence service with Windows code-integrity checks. It is not a blanket rule that blocks every unfamiliar app: the outcome depends on the service’s assessment and, when that assessment is inconclusive, the app’s signature.
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- If Microsoft’s service predicts an app is safe, Smart App Control can allow it.
- If it identifies an app as malicious or potentially unwanted, it blocks it.
- If it cannot make a confident prediction, it checks whether the app has a valid signature from a certificate authority in Microsoft’s Trusted Root Program. A valid signature can allow it; unsigned code or an invalid signature is treated as untrusted and blocked.
Microsoft describes the feature as protecting against malware, potentially unwanted apps, and unknown unsigned code. Its Smart App Control overview explains the assessment and signing logic.
What the three settings mean
| Windows Security setting | What it does | Protection status |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluation | Observes activity in the background while Windows determines whether the feature is suitable for the device. | Not actively enforcing blocks |
| On | Enforces Smart App Control decisions and blocks apps it considers unsafe or untrusted. | Active |
| Off | Stops Smart App Control from running. | Inactive |
Microsoft documents these modes in its overview. Labels can vary slightly between Windows builds.
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How to disable Smart App Control
- Open Windows Security.
- Select App & browser control.
- Open Smart App Control settings.
- Select Off.
Microsoft documents this user-facing route in its Smart App Control FAQ. The feature is built into Windows; you do not need to install another tool to change this setting.
If Smart App Control blocks one app
Microsoft says there is currently no way to create an exception for a single app. Before turning the protection off, verify that the app came from its official developer and look for a properly signed version. Developers—not end users—sign applications. Microsoft’s stated alternatives are to use a validly signed version or turn Smart App Control off.
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If the setting is unavailable or Smart App Control is already off, its status may relate to enterprise management, Developer Mode, Windows S mode, optional diagnostic data settings, or a prior manual change. These are possible explanations, not a definitive diagnosis for every device; see Microsoft’s FAQ.
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Microsoft’s current FAQ says recent Windows updates allow Smart App Control to be enabled again from Windows Security without a clean installation. That does not guarantee the option will be available on every PC: eligibility and behavior can depend on the installed updates and the device’s state. Microsoft’s overview, last updated November 18, 2025, describes version and clean-install requirements; read that alongside the newer FAQ update note rather than assuming the older requirement applies unchanged to every updated device.
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What disabling it changes
With Smart App Control off, that feature no longer provides its app-assessment and code-signing enforcement. Microsoft says it works alongside Microsoft Defender or non-Microsoft antivirus software, rather than replacing antivirus protection. Turning it off therefore removes one additional enforcement layer, not all antivirus protection.
Use the Windows Security setting rather than Registry edits or recovery-environment commands. Microsoft’s testing guidance discusses Registry configuration for testing and warns that it can compromise protection; it is not the ordinary user-facing disable route.
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