How to Temporarily Turn Off Your Antivirus Software (and When You Should)

Antivirus software is crucial for protecting your devices against cyber threats like malware, ransomware and spyware. However, there may be rare occasions when you need to temporarily disable your antivirus program. This guide will walk through how to safely turn off antivirus software on Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices. We’ll also look at reasons why you might need to disable antivirus and best practices for minimizing risk.

How to Disable Antivirus Software on Major Platforms

The steps to turn off antivirus protection vary slightly depending on your operating system. Here‘s a look at how to disable security software on the most common platforms.

Windows

On Windows PCs, most antivirus programs can be disabled from the system tray icon:

1. Click the up arrow on the taskbar to show hidden system tray icons.

2. Right-click the antivirus program icon.

3. Select an option like "Disable protection", “Turn off” or “Stop”.

4. Confirm disabling protection when prompted.

Alternatively, open the antivirus software and look for a “Settings” or “Protection” section with an option to pause or turn off real-time scanning.

Mac

On Mac computers, the simplest way to access antivirus settings is via Spotlight search:

1. Click the magnifying glass icon in the top right corner or press Command + Space bar.

2. Type the name of your antivirus software.

3. Click the program icon when it appears.

4. Look for a “Turn off” or “Disable” option.

You may also be able to right-click the antivirus menu bar icon and select “Quit” to disable it.

Android

For Android 8.0 and higher, you can disable antivirus via the persistent notification:

1. Swipe down to open the notification tray.

2. Long press the antivirus app notification.

3. Tap the settings gear icon.

4. Turn off “Persistent notification”.

On older Android versions, force close the antivirus app via Settings > Apps. Just be aware protection will restart when you next open the app.

iOS

To turn off antivirus on an iPhone or iPad:

1. Tap the antivirus app icon to open it.

2. Go to its menu and select “Turn off” or “Disable”.

3. Confirm disabling protection when prompted.

Chrome Browser

If you have an antivirus extension installed in Chrome:

1. Click the 3-dot menu > More Tools > Extensions.

2. Find the antivirus extension and click Remove.

This will permanently delete the extension, so you‘ll need to reinstall it later.

How to Disable Specific Antivirus Programs

Steps to disable protection may also vary depending on which antivirus solution you use. Here‘s how to turn off some of the most popular options:

Windows Security / Windows Defender

Windows 10 and 11 have built-in Windows Security. To disable:

1. Open Windows Security via the start menu.

2. Click Virus & Threat Protection > Manage Settings.

3. Turn off Real-time Protection.

Avast Antivirus

1. Right-click the Avast system tray icon.

2. Hover over “Avast Shields Control”.

3. Choose a duration to disable shields.

AVG Antivirus

1. Open the AVG interface and click “Computer Protection”.

2. Toggle off “File Shield” and “Behavior Shield”.

3. Select a disable duration.

Bitdefender Antivirus

1. Open Bitdefender and click Protection > Antivirus > Open.

2. Go to the Advanced tab and select “Bitdefender Shield”.

3. Pick a disable duration.

Malwarebytes

1. Right-click the Malwarebytes system tray icon.

2. Uncheck all “Real-Time Protection” components.

3. Click Yes to allow changes.

McAfee Antivirus

1. Right-click the McAfee system tray icon.

2. Open Real-Time Scanning.

3. Click Turn Off.

Norton Security

1. Right-click the Norton system tray icon.

2. Choose “Disable Auto-Protect”.

3. Pick a disable duration.

Trend Micro Antivirus

1. Right-click the Trend Micro system tray icon and select Exit.

2. Alternately open the Trend Micro Security app and disable scans.

Webroot Antivirus

1. Right-click the Webroot system tray icon.

2. Click “Shut Down Protection”.

3. Confirm disabling Webroot.

Refer to your antivirus provider‘s instructions for exact steps to disable real-time protection.

Why Would You Need to Disable Antivirus?

There are a few scenarios where temporarily turning off antivirus shields could be beneficial:

• Troubleshooting conflicts – Other software may not install or work properly due to antivirus blocking access. Temporarily disabling protection can help resolve the issue.

• Improving performance – Antivirus scanning can consume CPU, memory and disk resources. Turning it off may provide a performance boost for resource-intensive tasks.

• Addressing false positives – If your antivirus wrongly flags legitimate files as malicious, you may need to disable it to recover access.

• Using unrecognized files – Downloading certain files from unknown sources that antivirus blocks may require temporarily allowing access.

• Running scans – You may need to disable active scanning to perform a boot-time or offline malware scan.

• Changing settings – Some antivirus settings are locked while real-time protection is active. Turning it off allows changing whitelisting rules for example.

The key is that antivirus software should only be disabled when absolutely necessary and re-enabled immediately after.

Is It Safe to Turn Off Antivirus Software?

Operating without active antivirus protection does open your device up to potential threats. Malware and hackers are continuously scanning for vulnerable targets.

However, briefly disabling antivirus to address a specific issue is generally low risk. The chances of your device being compromised in the short timeframe needed to troubleshoot conflicts or improve performance is relatively slim.

Just be sure to only disable protection for as long as required. Never leave your device indefinitely exposed by forgetting to re-enable your antivirus software.

Best Practices for Disabling Antivirus

To minimize risks when temporarily turning off antivirus shields:

• Only disable when absolutely needed to resolve a problem.

• Note the exact time you turned off protection.

• Do not visit suspicious or risky websites when antivirus is disabled.

• Avoid downloading files from unknown sources.

• Disconnect from public WiFi networks if possible.

• Complete required tasks quickly then immediately re-enable antivirus.

• Scan your device with a full antivirus scan when you re-enable protection.

How to Turn Antivirus Back On

Once you’ve addressed the issue requiring antivirus to be temporarily disabled, turning protection back on is simple:

• Automatic – Most antivirus software will automatically restore disabled shields after the chosen duration.

• System tray icon – Right-click and re-enable your antivirus.

• Main interface – Open your antivirus settings and turn real-time scanning back on.

• Reboot – Restarting your device will load antivirus services at startup.

After re-enabling protection, it‘s also wise to run a full antivirus scan. This helps detect and remove any potential threats that slipped through.

You should then check for available software updates. Having the latest antivirus engine and definitions helps ensure you have optimal protection enabled.

Key Takeaways on Disabling Antivirus

• Antivirus software is important – only disable as a last resort when troubleshooting issues.

• Temporarily turning off antivirus exposes devices to cyber threats.

• Disable antivirus for as short a time as possible to minimize risk.

• Avoid risky online activities and downloads with antivirus disabled.

• Re-enable real-time protection immediately after resolving the problem.

• Run a full scan after re-enabling antivirus software.

While antivirus programs are designed to protect devices, there may be rare instances where temporary disablement is required. Just be sure to minimize disable duration and exposure. With proper precautions, briefly turning off your antivirus can be done relatively safely.