How to Turn On or Off Internet Printing in Windows 11

Internet Printing is a Windows feature that allows users to print documents over the internet using the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP). While convenient for remote work, this feature can pose a security risk if not managed properly. This article shows how to enable or disable Internet Printing in Windows 11 using Group Policy and the Windows Registry.

Method 1: Enable or Disable Internet Printing Using Registry Editor

This method works on all editions of Windows 11, including Home.

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter. Confirm the User Account Control (UAC) prompt.

2. Navigate to the following key in the address bar:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT

3. Right-click on the Windows NT folder, select New > Key, and name it Printers.

4. Right-click on the new Printers key, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it DisableWebPrinting.

5. Double-click this new value to edit it:

• To disable Internet Printing, set the Value data to 1.
• To enable Internet Printing, set the Value data to 0.

6. Click OK, close the Registry Editor, and restart your computer for the change to take effect.

Method 2: Enable or Disable Internet Printing Using Group Policy

This method is available only on Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions. It offers a centralized administrative interface.

1. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.

2. Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Printers.

3. In the right-hand pane, find and double-click the policy named Activate Internet printing.

4. Choose Enabled to turn on internet printing or Disabled to turn off the internet printing.

5. Click Apply and OK. 

Conclusion

Internet Printing is rarely needed on modern Windows 11 systems. Using Group Policy or the Registry allows administrators and advanced users to easily control this feature without affecting normal printing functionality. If your environment doesn’t require IPP-based printing, disabling Internet Printing is a safe and reasonable choice.