A lot of users have this problem that the App and Browser Control feature is missing on their Windows 11/10 computers. While App & browser control feature is visible in the Settings app, the same entire section is missing in the Windows Security app. And, clicking on the same option present in the Settings app doesn’t help in any way. If you are also experiencing the same problem, then the solutions covered by us will come in handy.
App and Browser Control Missing in Windows 11
If App and Browser Control is missing on your Windows 11/10 system, then you can fix it using the solutions covered below. Before you do that, you should check for Windows updates. If there are some pending security updates and/or new updates available, install them and see if it works. If this doesn’t work, use the following solutions:
- Directly open App & browser control
- Delete the culprit folder
- Use Group Policy Editor to show App & browser control
- Show App & browser control using Registry Editor
- Switch from Insider Preview to Stable Build
- Reset the Windows Security app.
Let’s go through each step one by one.
1] Directly open App & browser control
This is one of the best solutions as it solved this problem for so many users. If you can’t see App & browser control section in Windows Security because of some bug or another reason, then you can open it directly. For this, use the Windows 11/10 Search box, type app and browser control, and press the Enter key.
Another way to do it using the File Explorer or Run Command box. Simply open File Explorer or Run Command box, type the following path in the address bar of File Explorer or text field of Run Command box, and hit the Enter key:
%windir%\explorer.exe windowsdefender://appbrowser
This will open the Windows Security app with App & browser control section. Now you can manage Reputation-based protection settings and other security settings present under that section. The next time you will open Windows Security, App & browser control should be visible. If this doesn’t work, check the other options.
2] Delete the culprit folder
Check if there is a folder something like 1.0.2109.27002-0 as the folder name under the SecurityHealth folder on your Windows 11/10 computer. If yes, delete that culprit folder. It’s a leftover folder from the previous Windows upgrade. Some users find that the App & browser control feature is restored after deleting that folder completely. So, this could work for you as well.
Open the File Explorer (Win+E) and navigate to the following folder:
C:\Windows\System32\SecurityHealth
Open that folder, find the culprit folder, and delete it. You may need to take full ownership of the folder to delete it from your system.
Once you’ve deleted that folder, check if you have any system updates. If yes, install them, and restart your computer.
Related: Cloud-delivered protection is off, Your device may be vulnerable
3] Use Group Policy Editor to show or enable App & browser control
There is a dedicated setting in Group Policy Editor that lets you completely hide the App & browser control section of Windows Security. If that setting is configured, then that would be the reason for this problem. So, you need to access that setting and change it.
While Group Policy Editor is available in the Pro edition, it doesn’t come pre-installed in the Home edition of Windows 11/10. So, you need to add Group Policy Editor to Windows 11/10 Home Edition (if you’re using one) and then follow these steps:
- Open Group Policy Editor
- Select the App and browser protection folder
- Access the Hide the App and browser protection area setting
- Select the Not Configured option
- Save the changes.
Let’s check these steps in detail.
Type gpedit in the Search box of your Windows 11/10 PC and use the Enter key. This will open the Group Policy Editor window.
After that, select the App and browser protection folder. You need to use the following path:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Security > App and browser protection
From the right section of this folder, access the Hide the App and browser protection area setting by double-clicking on it.
A new window will be in front of you. Select the Not Configured option in that window. Finally, save the changes by using the Apply button and OK button. Close the new window and Group Policy Editor window.
Restart File Explorer (if needed) and open the Windows Security app. It should bring back the App & browser control feature.
Read: Windows Defender: This setting is managed by your administrator
4] Show or enable App & browser control using Registry Editor
Registry Editor (or Windows Registry) is another option that can help you show or enable the App & browser control feature of Windows Security. Before you rush to try this option, we advise you to take a backup of Registry Editor as it includes crucial system settings. Now follow these steps:
- Open the Registry Editor
- Access the App and Browser Protection key
- Delete the UILockdown DWORD value
- Close the Registry Editor.
First of all, type regedit in the Run Command box (Win+R) or Search box of your Windows 11/10 PC. Press the Enter key and it will open the Registry Editor.
After that, access the App and Browser protection Registry key present under the Microsoft key. Its path is:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender Security Center\App and Browser protection
On the right-hand section, look for the UILockdown DWORD value. Right-click on that value and use the Delete option. Confirm the delete value action using the Yes button.
If you want, you can also delete the entire App and Browser protection key, but that will delete any other settings configured by you. Therefore, you have to delete the UILockdown value only to get back the missing App & browser control feature.
5] Switch from Insider Preview to Stable Build
This problem started occurring for most of the users when they switched from Windows 11 stable build to insider preview. Beta and Dev build users are affected by this problem the most. So, if this is the case, you should switch from the Insider preview to the stable build and this would solve this problem.
Or else, if you want to continue using the insider build, then check for Windows updates, and install the new updates to fix it (as that would be a temporary issue that can be fixed with new updates). Once the updates are installed, don’t forget to restart your system.
6] Reset the Windows Security app
If App & browser control is still missing on your Windows 11/10 PC, then you should reset the Windows Security app using PowerShell, Settings app, or any other preferred way. Resetting the app will delete all its data but it can be helpful to get back the App & browser control feature of Windows Security. You should restart your system after resetting Windows Security.
Hope these solutions will help.
Also read: Windows Security in Windows 11 not opening or working
Where is App and Browser Control in Windows 11?
You can find the App and browser control in the Window Security app. For that, you need to open the Windows Security app first on your computer. Here you can find some tabs on the left-hand side. From there, switch to the App & browser control tab. Following that, you can find all the options included in this section.
Do I need Windows App and Browser Control?
App & browser control is a native feature of Windows Security in Windows 11/10. It contains crucial Smart App Control settings, Reputation-based protection settings like SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge, Phishing Protection, potentially unwanted app blocking, etc. All these options help you protect your device from dangerous sites, downloads, files, and apps. So yes, if you need all such protection features, then you will need App & browser control.
Read next: Windows Security says No Security Providers in Windows 11/10.
