The Windows Defender Security Center icon sits on the right side of your Windows 11/10 taskbar, ready to warn you if your PC requires your attention. When all is good, it will display the green check mark on the white shield icon. If something requires your attention, it will display a red cross sign.
Windows Defender Security Center act as a dashboard for all of your security features, including third-party security to give a clearer view of any risks your PC may face. It’s been specially designed to simplify and unify all the various security settings of Windows in the same place
Disable Windows Defender Security Center taskbar icon
If you do not like looking at the icon, you can simply drag and drop it into the Hidden icons bin.
But if you want to disable the icon from starting up and displaying in the taskbar, you will have to disable it from the startups.
- To do so, right-click on the taskbar and click on Task Manager. Now click on the Startup tab.
- Look for the Windows Defender notification entry. Right-click on it and select Disable.
- Restart your computer and you will not see the icon.
How do I hide Windows Defender icon from Taskbar?
To hide the Windows Defender or Windows Security icon from the Taskbar, you need to open the Taskbar setting panel. For that, press Win+I and go to Personalization > Taskbar. Then, expand the Taskbar corner overflow section and toggle the Windows Security button to turn it off.
How do I turn off the security icon in Windows 11/10?
To turn off the security icon in Windows 11/10, follow the aforementioned guide. There are mainly two ways to do this. First, you can use the Taskbar settings panel. Second, you can disable the Windows Security app using the Taskbar.
You can also use any third-party Startup Manager software to disable this icon or manage your startup programs.
Does this also disable windows defender or just the icon showing up on the taskbar…
Just the icon.
Thanks
Personally I’d rather know if there are any security issues I should be aware of
I agree. I have kept mine ‘to show’.
Strange – mine displays just the white shield, with neither green nor red signs!?!
It works. It is strange, an app to view the icon of another app ?
how do you access it again after hiding it? Where do you find it?
Windows Defender Security Center’ in Start Search.
Right-click on the Windows icon, then click-on search and type Windows Defender security center.
Man Windows Defender slows your PC a whole lot. You can feel the sluggishness even though programs seems fast. I disabled it and my PC is so responsive when I open up programs now. My picture and game icons used to have to load up after just a few minutes of using another program. It’s terrible.
If I were you, I’d disable Windows Defender and then just install an Ant-Virus software when you want to do a scan. Seriously, if you think your PC is still fast enough you won’t believe the little increase that makes it seem like you just got a new PC. Microsoft should be ashamed, forcing us to use it without a choice before the Creators Update. It’s so responsive now. Just turn off Real-time protection, Cloud-based protection and Automatic sample submission.
How do you disable it entirely? I updated my PC and it turned on but I used a paid Bitdefender and Paid Malwarebytes, So it shouldn’t have turned back on.
– Can’t figure it out lol.
I don’t think you can. I just disable it after a restart or shutdown