This guide will help you turn on a feature called Enhanced Phishing Protection on your Windows 11 PC. It warns you if you accidentally save your passwords in unsafe places like Notepad or Microsoft Office apps.

Enhanced Phishing Protection is part of Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. It helps keep your passwords safe by warning you about possible phishing risks or unsafe storage.

This protection comes built into Windows 11 and works with Microsoft Defender to protect your device and online accounts. Windows also includes other security features like Controlled folder access, Real-time protection, Tamper protection, and Ransomware protection through Microsoft Security.

When you turn on Microsoft Defender SmartScreen with enhanced protection, Windows will alert you if you save passwords in unsafe apps like Notepad, Word, or other Microsoft 365 apps, and suggest you remove those passwords from the files.

How to Turn On or Off Password Storage Warnings in Windows 11

Follow these simple steps to enable or disable warnings about saving passwords in unsafe apps.

1. Open Windows Security:
   
   Click the search box on your taskbar (the bar usually at the bottom of your screen). Type Windows Security and click the app from the list.
   

   
   

2. Go to App & Browser Control:
   
   In Windows Security, click on the App & browser control tile.
   

   
   

3. Open Reputation-based Protection Settings:
   
   Under Reputation-based protection, click on Reputation-based protection settings.
   

   
   

4. Turn On Phishing Protection:
   
   Find Phishing protection and toggle it to On. When this is on, you can also turn on warnings for unsafe password storage.
   

   
   

Alternative: Use Local Group Policy Editor (For Advanced Users)

If you prefer, or if the above method doesn’t work, you can use the Local Group Policy Editor to change these settings.

1. Click the Start Menu and type Edit group policy, then select it from the list.
   

   
   

2. In the left panel, go to:
   

   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender SmartScreen > Enhanced Phishing Protection

   
   
3. On the right side, find and double-click Notify Unsafe Apps.
   

   
   

4. Choose one of these options:
   
   
   
   • Not Configured (default)
   
   
   • Enabled (turns on warnings)
   
   
   • Disabled (turns off warnings)
   
   
   
   

   
   
   

5. Click OK to save your changes and then close the editor.

Summary

• Enhanced Phishing Protection helps keep your passwords safe by warning you if you save them in unsafe apps.
• You can turn this protection on or off through Windows Security settings.
• Advanced users can also use the Local Group Policy Editor to control these warnings.
• Using these features helps protect your personal info and keep your computer safer.

For more details, visit the full guide here: Enhanced Phishing Protection in Windows 11.