App & Browser Control in the Windows Security App

This toggle turns on Microsoft Defender SmartScreen to evaluate the reputation of apps and files you may download from the web.

When you're using the new Microsoft Edge as your browser, Microsoft Defender SmartScreen can help evaluate websites or downloads to see if they are known to be malicious, such as phishing sites, or tech support scams.

If you try to go to a site that is known to be dangerous, SmartScreen will show you a warning screen that clearly identifies the suspected threat and gives you a chance to close the browser tab before anything bad can happen. 

When you attempt to download a file that SmartScreen finds suspicious, Edge warns you that the file may be untrusted and gives you the opportunity to cancel the download before it takes place.

Phishing protection helps protect your password from being stolen, or phished, on malicious sites and apps pretending to be safe.

If you sign into Windows 11 using a password, phishing protection alerts you if you type that password into a malicious website or into an application connecting to a known malicious site. Phishing protection helps protect your password in four ways:

• If you type your Microsoft account password into a site that SmartScreen finds malicious, phishing protection will alert you. It will also prompt you to change your password so attackers can't gain access to your account

• Reusing the same password makes it easy for attackers who compromise your password to gain access to your other accounts. Phishing protection can warn you if you reuse your Microsoft account password on other sites or apps and prompt you to change your password

  Tip: For an engaging short story about the dangers of password reuse see Cameron learns about reusing passwords.​​​​​​​

• Since it's unsafe to store your password in text editors, phishing protection can warn you if you type your password into Notepad or a Microsoft 365 Office application like Word or OneNote

• If you type your Microsoft account password into a website or app that SmartScreen finds suspicious, phishing protection can automatically collect information - such as content displayed, sounds played, and application memory - from that website or app to help identify security threats

Under ​​​​​​​Phishing protection, select the settings you want. By default, you are only protected against entering your password into malicious content.

Potentially unwanted apps (PUA) aren't malware, but they might display advertising, use your PC for crypto mining, or do other things you'd prefer they not do. Microsoft Defender tries to identify those apps for you and block them before they can install, or download, and cause issues with your system.

For more information see Protect your PC from potentially unwanted applications.

While Microsoft Defender SmartScreen can protect you from malicious files or apps you may encounter in the Microsoft Edge browser, SmartScreen for Microsoft Store provides another check on content that is used by Microsoft Store apps. This is just another layer of security to protect you.