How to Enable or Disable IPv6 in Windows 11

This post shows students and new users how to turn IPv6 on or off in Windows 11. IPv6 is turned on by default in Windows 11. If you don’t need IPv6 or want to disable it so it doesn’t interfere with your applications, you can do so with just a few clicks.

Why IPv6?

IPv6 is the next-generation Internet Protocol (IP) standard. It’s meant to eventually replace IPv4. IPv6 has more features and supports more addresses than IPv4. However, some areas are slow to adopt IPv6. For older systems, it may not be available at all.

Most home users and people using Windows 11 for everyday work don’t need to worry about IPv6. Having both IPv4 and IPv6 running on your computer won’t cause problems in most cases. There are very few situations where you actually need to disable IPv6.

Windows 11 includes many new features for your desktop. You’ll notice a centered Start menu and taskbar, rounded corners on windows, and modern themes and colors.

How to Turn Off IPv6 in Windows 11

Using System Settings

Why do this? You might turn off IPv6 if a specific application needs it disabled or if you’re troubleshooting network issues.

What happens? Your computer will stop using IPv6 and rely only on IPv4.

Windows 11 keeps most settings in one central location. You can change everything from system configurations to creating new users and updating Windows in the Settings app.

To open System Settings, press Windows key + I on your keyboard. Or click Start > Settings, as shown in the image below:

You can also search for “Settings” in the taskbar search box and select it to open.

The Settings app should look similar to the image below. In Windows Settings, click Network & Internet. Then select Advanced network settings on the right side of your screen, as shown below:

Select More network adapter options in the Advanced network settings pane.

This opens your network adapter settings. You’ll see your Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections. Select either your Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection. Right-click it, then choose Properties.

When the Properties window opens, scroll down the list. Find Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) and uncheck the box next to it, as shown below. After unchecking it, click OK to save your changes.

Using PowerShell to Disable IPv6

Why do this? PowerShell lets you turn off IPv6 faster if you know the commands. It’s useful if you need to disable it on multiple adapters at once.

What happens? IPv6 stops working on your network adapter or adapters.

⚠️ Admin Required: This method requires administrator privileges.

Another way to disable IPv6 is through PowerShell. Click the Start button. Search for and select PowerShell. Right-click Windows PowerShell and choose Run as administrator.

When PowerShell opens, run this command to see all network adapters on your system:

Get-NetAdapterBinding -ComponentID ms_tcpip6

Look at the list and note the adapter names in the Name column.

To turn off IPv6, run this command using your adapter name:

Disable-NetAdapterBinding -Name "Adapter Name" -ComponentID ms_tcpip6

Replace “Adapter Name” with the actual name of your network adapter.

If you want to turn off IPv6 on all adapters at once, run this command:

Disable-NetAdapterBinding -Name "*" -ComponentID ms_tcpip6

How to Turn On IPv6 in Windows 11

Why do this? You might enable IPv6 if you disabled it and now need it for a new application or service.

What happens? Your computer will use IPv6 again alongside IPv4.

If you change your mind about disabling IPv6, you can turn it back on. Just reverse the steps above using System Settings. Recheck the IPv6 box in your network adapter properties.

⚠️ Admin Required: This method requires administrator privileges.

To enable IPv6 using PowerShell, run this command:

Enable-NetAdapterBinding -Name "*" -ComponentID ms_tcpip6

That’s all you need to do!

Summary

• IPv6 is turned on by default in Windows 11, but you can disable it if needed.
• You can turn IPv6 off through System Settings by unchecking it in your network adapter properties.
• You can also disable IPv6 using PowerShell commands if you prefer the command line.
• Most home users don’t need to worry about IPv6. IPv4 and IPv6 can run together without problems.
• Disabling IPv6 may only be necessary if a specific application requires it or if you’re fixing a network problem.
• You can easily turn IPv6 back on if you change your mind.
• Always consider the effects of disabling IPv6. Be ready to turn it back on if you encounter compatibility issues.