For the unknown, just clicking on the ‘Allow Notifications’ popup of an app/software during the setup process gives internet access to the app. There are other instances as well when you want your applications to connect to a local network and better internet, but not all of them. Here are the top 4 ways to block the app access to the internet on your Windows computers.
In This Article
From Windows Defenders Firewall
Although allowing apps to run online using the internet on the laptop is usually good, there are many reasons to block an app from accessing the internet on your computer. One example is to stop automatic updates of an app or disable an app that cannot be used offline. The following are the steps to block an app on Windows computers.
- Open your computer, go to the bottom left corner on the Search bar and type Windows Defenders Firewall
- On the next page click on Windows Defenders Firewall and open it
- From the left side, panel scroll down and select Advanced settings
- When the Advanced settings program is open click outbound rules from the side panel
- Now from the right-side panel click on New rule
- New Outbound Rule Wizard will open and from the options choose Program and click Next
- From This program, path browse the apps you want to block, select the app, and press Next
- On the next screen tap on Block the Connection
- The program will ask when/where you want to apply this rule, tick on all three options: Domain, Private, Public
- Next name the rule and add a description to it
- Hit finish and the app will be blocked from accessing the internet
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Block Internet access using a network adapter
By disabling the network adapter you can also block the app access to the internet. Access to all utilities or setups of your computers will be blocked if you disable the network and will help the app in denying access to the internet on your computers. Follow the steps to disable the network adaptor.
- Open the Run app on your Windows computers by searching from the search box on the bottom left corner Or you can use the command key Win+R>msc
- Open Device Manager on your computers by searching it from the search box
- From the Device Manager navigate to Network adapters
- From the page click on the arrow icon to expand the list
- From the drop-down page, you will see what applications are connected to the internet
- Select the application or program you want to disable by using right-click
- From the option that appears from the right-click choose to disable
Use Command Prompt
A simple command in CMD can block internet access for any app. But first, you need to copy the app’s path. You can do this by locating the app in its source folder, right clicking on it, and selecting ‘Copy as path’. Once that’s done, launch CMD and enter the following command:
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name=”FF Block In” protocol=TCP dir=in action=block program=(paste the path of the app here)
Use a third-party tool
If the methods mentioned above seem complicated to you, using a third-party tool can make things easier. OneClickFirewall is one such tool. After installing OCF on your PC, simply right-click on the app you want to prevent from using the internet and select ‘Block Internet Access’. It’s that easy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I block an app from accessing the Internet?
You can use Windows Firewall Defender to block an app from using the Internet on your PC. If Firewall Defender is too confusing for you, download OneClickFirewall, right click on the app, and select ‘Block Internet Access’.
How do I block an app from accessing the Internet using Command Prompt?
Copy the app’s path, go to CMD and enter: netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name=”FF Block In” protocol=TCP dir=in action=block program=(paste the path of the app here)
How do I turn off background data usage for an app on Android?
Go to Settings>Apps, select the app, tap on mobile data, and turn off the toggle switch for Allow Background Data Usage.
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Conclusion
These are the top 4 ways to block an app from accessing the Internet on a Windows PC or laptop. Windows Firewall Defender also lets you block apps on your PC from using the Internet. You can make a whitelist of apps for which you don’t want the ban to apply. If you know any other ways to go about this task, let us know in the comments!
