To temporarily disable Avast, right-click the Avast icon in the notification area of the Windows taskbar, select Shields control, choose a duration and click OK, Stop. When the time is up, protection turns back on by itself. That’s how Avast’s help describes this method for Avast Free Antivirus, Avast Premium Security and Avast One.
Turn off all protection only for troubleshooting: Avast warns plainly that without it your computer is vulnerable to attacks. If a single website, program or game is the problem, it’s usually enough to turn off one component or add an exception — both options are below. Menu names are based on Avast’s help as of October 25, 2026; they may differ slightly in your version of the program.
How to temporarily disable Avast from the tray icon
This is the fastest method: it turns off all Avast components in Windows at once. You don’t even need to open the program.
Find the Avast icon
The Avast icon sits in the notification area — on the right side of the taskbar, next to the clock. If you can’t see it, click the arrow to the left of the icons: that’s where Windows hides some programs. Right-click the Avast icon.
Result: The Avast icon menu is open.
Select Shields control and a duration
In the menu, click Shields control and choose how long to turn off all protection components. Pick the shortest option that’s enough to install the program or check the website.
Result: A list of options for how long to disable protection appears.
Confirm
Click OK, Stop. All Avast components turn off, and when the selected time is up, protection turns back on without you doing anything.
Result: Avast doesn’t protect the computer until the selected time runs out, then turns back on by itself.
How to turn Avast protection back on
You don’t have to wait for the time to run out. Open Avast and turn the components on manually — one slider for each:
- Core Shields. Click ☰ Menu ▸ Settings, select Protection ▸ Core Shields and click the red (OFF) slider so it turns green (ON).
- Web Shield. Open the Scam Protection section and check that the Web Shield slider is green.
- Firewall (Avast Premium Security only). Open Protection ▸ Firewall and click the red (OFF) slider so it turns green (ON).
Then look at the program’s main screen. If active protection is working, Avast shows the message “This computer is protected.”
How to turn off just one Avast component
If a specific feature is getting in the way, turn off only that one: the rest will keep protecting your computer. All the steps below come from Avast’s help for Windows.
All Core Shields
- Open Avast and click ☰ Menu ▸ Settings.
- Select Protection ▸ Core Shields.
- Click the green (ON) slider, choose a duration and click OK, Stop.
Avast counts File Shield, Behavior Shield and Mail Shield as Core Shields. They turn back on by themselves when the set time runs out.
One component: files, behavior or mail
On the same screen, scroll down to Configure shield settings and open the tab of the component you need. Untick the box that enables it (for example, Enable File Shield), choose a duration and click OK, Stop. The component comes back by itself when the time is up.
Keep in mind that Mail Shield only checks email in mail programs such as Microsoft Outlook and Mozilla Thunderbird. If the problem is in your browser, turning it off won’t help.
Web Shield — if a website won’t open
Web Shield used to be one of the Core Shields and now sits in the Scam Protection section. In Avast Free Antivirus and Avast Premium Security, open this section, click the green Web Shield slider, choose a duration and confirm. In the new Avast One, the path is similar: Scam Protection ▸ Web Shield. Then restart your browser and open the website again.
Avast Firewall
Firewall is only available in Avast Premium Security. Open Protection ▸ Firewall, click the green (ON) slider, choose a time interval and click OK, Stop. Avast recommends keeping Firewall on at all times and turning it off only temporarily to find the cause of a problem.
What to do instead of disabling Avast
If it turns out that Avast is what’s blocking the program or website, don’t leave protection off. There are two ways to fix the problem without leaving your computer without an antivirus.
An exception for a file, folder or website
Open ☰ Menu ▸ Settings ▸ General ▸ Exceptions and click Add Exception. You can exclude a website or domain, a file or folder, or a command line. An exception applies to all Avast scans and shields.
Avast advises adding exceptions only for things you’re sure are safe. If you have doubts about a file, check it on VirusTotal or move it to quarantine and send it to Avast Threat Labs. If Avast wrongly flagged a website as dangerous, report a false positive through Avast’s form: confirmed mistakes are usually fixed by a virus definitions update within a few hours.
Passive Mode — if you need another antivirus
Passive Mode turns off all of Avast’s active protection, including Core Shields and Firewall, but the program keeps receiving updates and you can still run scans manually. Avast recommends it if you run Avast alongside another antivirus. If Avast is your only one, turn on Passive Mode only temporarily.
- Open Avast and go to ☰ Menu ▸ Settings.
- Select General ▸ Troubleshooting.
- Tick Enable Passive Mode, click Enable, then Restart.
To leave Passive Mode, open the same section and untick the box.
How to disable Avast on Mac
In Avast Security for Mac, components are turned off one at a time. Open Avast Security, click Avast Shields, then click the green (ON) slider above File Shield so it turns red (OFF). To turn the component back on, click the red slider. This is how Avast suggests finding the component that stops a website or app from opening: turn them off one by one and check the result each time.
Once you’ve found the culprit, add an exception: ☰ Menu ▸ Preferences ▸ Core Shields, the tab of that component, the Add Exceptions button.
How to disable Avast: quick summary
| What you need | Where to turn it off | How to turn it back on |
|---|---|---|
| All protection in Windows | Tray icon → Shields control | By itself when the time is up |
| Core Shields | Protection ▸ Core Shields | Red slider → green |
| One component | Component tab, untick the box | By itself when the time is up |
| Web Shield | Scam Protection | Web Shield slider |
| Firewall | Protection ▸ Firewall | Red slider → green |
| Second antivirus | Passive Mode | Untick the box |
| Mac | Avast Shields | Red slider |
If it didn’t work
- There’s no Avast icon on the taskbar. Open Avast from the Start menu and turn off the components via ☰ Menu ▸ Settings ▸ Protection ▸ Core Shields.
- The website won’t open even with Web Shield off. According to Avast’s help, the cause is then probably not the antivirus. Open the site in incognito mode or another browser, and if that doesn’t help, clear your browser’s cookies and cache.
- The website only opens without Web Shield. Turn it back on and open ☰ Menu ▸ Settings ▸ Scam Protection ▸ Web Shield. Untick Enable HTTPS scanning. If that doesn’t help, untick Enable hardware acceleration for networking on the same page. If turning off HTTPS scanning helped, Avast advises running a repair of the program and restarting your computer.
- Avast blocks a safe website as malicious. Submit it for review as a false positive and wait for the definitions update. Add an exception only if you fully trust the site.
- Windows says Avast is turned off. Check that your subscription is active, the program and virus definitions are up to date, and Avast says “Computer is protected.” Then click the Windows notification and select Turn on Avast Antivirus.
- Your computer is slow and you suspect Avast. Before turning off protection, check other causes — these settings that speed up Windows 11 will help.
Sources and methodology
Analysis of public sourcesChecked 25 October 2026
- Avast — Temporarily disabling Avast Antivirus protection support.avast.com
- Avast — Configuring Core Shields settings support.avast.com
- Avast — Troubleshooting website access issues support.avast.com
- Avast — Using Passive Mode support.avast.com
- Avast — Avast Firewall: getting started support.avast.com
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn Avast back on without waiting for the time to run out?
Open Avast, go to ☰ Menu ▸ Settings ▸ Protection ▸ Core Shields and click the red slider so it turns green. Turn on Web Shield and Firewall the same way in their sections. The main screen should show the message “This computer is protected.”
Does Avast turn back on by itself after being disabled?
Yes, if you chose a duration: according to Avast’s help, protection turns on automatically when the selected time runs out. Passive Mode doesn’t turn off by itself — you have to untick the box manually.
How do I disable Avast for just one program or game?
Add it to the exceptions: ☰ Menu ▸ Settings ▸ General ▸ Exceptions ▸ Add Exception, the files and folders tab. Avast will then stop scanning that program while the rest of the protection keeps working. Do this only with programs you trust.
How is Passive Mode different from turning off the shields?
Turning off the shields is temporary and meant for troubleshooting. Passive Mode is designed for running alongside another antivirus: Avast’s active protection is off, but updates still arrive and manual scans work.
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