This easy guide will help you turn Smart App Control on or off in Windows 11.

What is Smart App Control?

Smart App Control (SAC) is a security feature that helps protect your PC from harmful or suspicious apps. It comes with Windows 11 (starting from build 22567) and works together with other security tools like Microsoft Defender.

It blocks apps that may harm your computer or slow it down, show unwanted ads, or install extra software you don’t want.

How Does Smart App Control Work?

Evaluation Mode: When first turned on, SAC watches how you use your PC to see if it’s a good fit for you. During this time, it won’t block any apps.
Automatic On/Off: After evaluation, SAC will turn on automatically if your PC is a good candidate. If not, it stays off.
Manual Control: You can also turn SAC on or off yourself, but once you do, you can’t go back to evaluation mode without resetting or reinstalling Windows.

Important Things to Know

Smart App Control is only available on a clean install of Windows 11. This means it’s not available if you upgraded from an older Windows version.
If you turn SAC off and want it back, you’ll need to reset or reinstall Windows.
You can’t skip or bypass SAC for individual apps. If an app is blocked, you can ask the app maker to sign their app properly.
Some reasons SAC might be off include:

– Your PC was found not suitable during evaluation.

– SAC was turned off by you or someone else.

– Your PC is running Windows in S mode (which restricts apps).

– Optional diagnostic data is turned off on your PC.
Note: SAC is mainly recommended for users in North America and Europe for now.

How to Turn Smart App Control On or Off Using Windows Security

Open Windows Security.

Click App & browser control on the left side.

Then click the Smart App Control settings link on the right.
Choose On to turn it on or Off to turn it off.

Tip: Starting with Windows 11 build 26220.7070 and newer, you can switch SAC on or off without reinstalling Windows. For older versions, a clean install or reset is needed to turn it back on after turning it off.

How to Turn Smart App Control On or Off Using Registry (Advanced Users)

Warning: Editing the registry can cause problems if done incorrectly. Please follow the steps carefully or ask for help.

Open Windows Terminal as administrator and run one of these commands by saving the text below as a .reg file and running it:

Turn On Smart App Control

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CI\Policy" /v VerifiedAndReputablePolicyState /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Set Smart App Control to Evaluation Mode

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CI\Policy" /v VerifiedAndReputablePolicyState /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f

Turn Off Smart App Control

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CI\Policy" /v VerifiedAndReputablePolicyState /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Summary

Extra Security: SAC helps block bad apps and keeps your PC safer.
Evaluation Time: It checks if your PC is ready before fully turning on.
Manual Control: You can switch SAC on or off but turning it back on might need a reset or reinstall (depending on your Windows version).
Only Clean Installs: SAC works best on fresh Windows installs.
No App Bypass: You can’t allow apps manually if they’re blocked.
Admin Access: You need to be an administrator to change SAC settings.

By using Smart App Control, you can keep your Windows 11 PC safer from risks without much hassle!

More Info and Help

Example: When Smart App Control Blocks an App

If SAC blocks a suspicious app, you will see a message like this:

Categories:

Windows

Tags:

Windows 11

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How to Turn On or Off Smart App Control in Windows 11