In previous article, I mentioned How To Change Default Font In Windows 11 but in this article, I have mentioned how to enable TLS in Windows 11, which helps in maintaining privacy and data security.
Transport Layer System (TLS) is a security protocol that helps you secure computer networking by maintaining privacy and security data. It replaced SSL in previous Windows Versions and authenticates and encrypts data sent on the HTTPS protocol through a TLS handshake process.
The TLS protocol is essential in ensuring your online activities are secure, and enabling new TLS versions like TLS 1.3 on your Windows 11 PC is necessary. Older TLS protocols like the TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 are not so reliable; hence you may need to disable them, especially if you are enabling the latest protocols. This post will show you how to enable or disable TLS Setting in Windows 11.
How To Enable TLS 1.3 In Windows 11
Enabling TLS depends on the application that will use it. You can enable TLS on Microsoft Edge Legacy, Microsoft Edge (chromium), Chrome, and Firefox.
However, Microsoft Edge (chromium) and Chrome are built on the Chromium engine, which does not support the TLS stack. Enabling TLS on these applications is quite different from others, and let's check out each option.
How To Enable TLS 1.3 In Microsoft Edge Legacy
Follow these steps to enable TLS 1.3 in Microsoft Edge Legacy:
- Open the Run Prompt by pressing the Windows button + R.
- Type "inetcpl.cpl" in the text field and hit the Enter key. It will take you to the internet properties screen.
- Next, select the "Advanced" section.
- Scroll down to the security section, then check the TLS 1.3 box.
- Click on the Apply button, and then OK.
- Restart your browser.
How To Enable TLS 1.3 In Microsoft Edge (Chromium)
Follow these steps to enable TLS 1.3 in Microsoft Edge (Chromium):
- Launch the Microsoft Edge browser.
- Open a new tab.
- Type edge://flags in the address bar and hit the Enter button.
- Search for TLS 1.3 in the search flags field and enable it.
It is advisable to use other browsers if you want to enable TLS while you use the internet.
How To Enable TLS 1.3 In Chrome
Follow these steps to enable TLS 1.3 in the Chrome browser:
- Open a new tab.
- Type "chrome://flags" and press the enter key.
- Search for TLS 1.3 and enable it.
How To Enable TLS 1.3 In Firefox
Follow these steps to enable TLS 1.3 in Firefox
- Launch Firefox and open a new tab.
- Type "about:config" and hit the Enter key.
- It will open the configuration area with a search box.
- Locate "security.tls.version.max flag" and double-click to edit its value.
- Change the value from 3 to 4.
If you decide to disable TLS 1.3, you can revert the value to 3.
How To Disable TLS 1.0 In Windows 11
Since most browsers do not support TLS 1.0 as it has become unreliable, it is an excellent choice to disable it. You can disable TLS 1.0 in Windows 11 via "Internet Properties" or the "Registry Editor."
How To Disable TLS Via Internet Properties
Disabling TLS via Internet Properties is the easiest way. Follow these steps to disable this old version of TLS:
- Search for Internet Options with the Windows search button.
- Double-click the icon internet options icon on the search result.
- Go to the "Advanced" tab.
- Scroll down to the "Security" section and find the TLS protocols available.
- Untick the boxes next to each TLS protocol to disable them.
- Click on Apply, then Ok.
How To Disable TLS Via The Registry Editor
To disable TLS via the registry Editor, follow these steps:
- In the search box in your Start Menu, type "Regedit." Select the Registry Editor.
- After you launch the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocol.
- Right-click on "Protocol, then select New > Key.
- You will see the new key in the tree under the Protocols folder.
- Rename the new key TLS 1.0, TLS 1.1, TLS 1.2, or TLS 1.3, depending on the version you want to disable. I will illustrate with TLS 1.0 here.
- Right-click on TLS 1.0, Select New > Key and name the key Client.
- Right-click on Client, Select New > DWORD (32-bit) value.
- Rename the new Value "Enabled."
- The default value of "Enabled" is 0, meaning TLS 1.0 is disabled. You can double-click it to confirm.
After carefully following these steps, you successfully disabled TLS 1.0 on your Windows 11 computer. Again, you can disable TLS 1.1 to 1.3 with the same method. The only difference is that you will rename the first folder corresponding to the TLS version you want to disable instead of the TLS 1.0 I used in the illustration.
Conclusion
TLS helps secure your data and ensure unwanted third parties can not access it. However, this security is more assured in the latest TLS 1.3 than in the older TLS 1.0. You should ensure TLS 1.3 is enabled on your Windows 11 computer and TLS 1.0 is disabled.
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