How to Hide the Virus &Amp; Threat Protection Section in Windows 11 Security App

Why Hide or Disable Security Settings?

Windows Security is the central dashboard for the PC’s safety tools. Hiding the Virus & threat protection section keeps other users from opening it and changing important settings, such as scan options or real-time protection. People usually do this when they run a third-party antivirus program, or when a PC is shared with family members or coworkers.

You need an administrator account for all three methods below. Pick the one that matches your edition: Group Policy for Pro and Enterprise, the registry for any edition including Home, or PowerShell if you want the fastest route.

Safety and Security Risks

Hiding the interface of Windows Defender (the built-in Windows security software) does not stop its background service. Real-time protection keeps checking for malware, ransomware and viruses whether or not the tile is visible. The change only affects what people see in the app.

Because of that, make sure your third-party antivirus is installed, active and up to date before you hide anything. Otherwise you end up with a PC where nobody can easily reach the protection settings, and nothing else is guarding it. You can undo every method below, and each one explains how.

Method 1Using Local Group Policy Editor

The Local Group Policy Editor (a tool for managing system settings and configurations) lets you hide virus protection by turning on a single policy. This method works on Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise. It is the cleanest way to lock down the security dashboard and prevent unauthorized changes.

It does not work on Windows 11 Home. Home does not include the Local Group Policy Editor, so the Run command in step 1 will report that Windows cannot find the file. If that happens, use the registry method further down.

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter. The Local Group Policy Editor window opens. If a User Account Control prompt appears, click Yes.

2. In the left pane, expand the folders in this order: Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Security\Virus and threat protection
3. Click the Virus and threat protection folder. Its policies are listed in the right pane.

3. Double-click Hide the Virus and threat protection area. A settings window opens for that policy.

4. Select Enabled to hide the section, or Disabled to show it. Not Configured also shows it, and it is the default.
5. Click Apply, then OK.

Close and reopen the Windows Security app. The Virus & threat protection tile should now be gone from the dashboard. If it is still there, restart the PC. To undo the change later, return to the same policy and set it to Not Configured or Disabled.

Method 2Using the Windows Registry

The Windows Registry (a hierarchical database that stores low-level operating system settings) lets you hide virus protection by creating a single DWORD value. This is the right choice on Windows 11 Home, where the Group Policy Editor is not available. It also works on Pro and Enterprise.

Be careful in the Registry Editor. A wrong change can cause problems, so edit only the key named below. If you want a safety net, click File › Export and save a backup of the registry first.

1. Press the Win and R together to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type regedit (the Registry Editor) and press Enter. Click Yes if User Account Control asks for permission.

3. In the left pane, go to: 🗝️HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender Security Center\Viruscopy and threat protection
4. If the Windows Defender Security Center or Virus and threat protection key does not exist, create it. Right-click the parent key, select New › Key, and type the name exactly as shown. Then select the new key.

5. Right-click an empty space in the right pane and select New › DWORD (32-bit) Value.
6. Name the new value UILockdown and press Enter.

7. Double-click the new value to open the Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value window.
8. In the Value data box, enter 1 to hide the section, or 0 to show it.
9. Click OK, then close the Registry Editor.

Restart the computer to apply the changes. After you sign back in, open Windows Security. The Virus & threat protection tile should no longer appear.

To undo the change, set the value to show the section as described in step 8. You can also delete the value by right-clicking it in the Registry Editor and selecting Delete. Restart again afterwards.

Method 3PowerShell Method

PowerShell (a command-line shell for system administration) lets you hide virus protection by running a single command with administrator rights. It is the fastest method, because you skip the policy editor and the registry clicking. It works on all editions, Home included.

1. Right-click the Start button and select Terminal (Admin). This opens a command-line window with elevated rights.
2. Click Yes if User Account Control asks for permission. The window should show a PowerShell prompt. If it opens a Command Prompt tab instead, open a PowerShell tab from the drop-down arrow at the top of the Terminal window.

3. To hide the area, run this command:

   ⬛PowerShell

   Copy

   Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender Security Center\Virus and threat protection" -Name "UILockdown" -Value 1

4. To show it again, run the same command with the value changed to 0.

Close and reopen Windows Security to check the result. If the tile is still showing, restart the PC.

Summary

You can hide the Virus & threat protection section in Windows 11 through the Group Policy Editor, the Windows Registry or PowerShell. Group Policy suits Pro and Enterprise, and the registry and PowerShell also work on Home. Hiding the tile only changes what the Security app shows, not whether protection runs, so check that your antivirus is active before you hide it. To get the tile back, reverse the setting with the same method you used.