On this page 8 sections
What proxy settings contain
Every proxy setting, on any device, is some mix of the same five fields. A manual setup needs the first two; the others depend on the proxy.
| Field | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Server (host, address) | Where the proxy is: a hostname or an IP address | gate.proxyfield.io |
| Port | Which door on that server the proxy listens on | 7000 |
| Username and password | The login, if the proxy checks one | your account's proxy credentials |
| Bypass list (exceptions) | Hosts that skip the proxy and connect directly | localhost, *.local, 192.168.* |
| Setup script URL (PAC) | A file that decides per address whether to use a proxy | http:// |
The server and port together are the proxy's address; the proxy server address explainer and the proxy port guide cover each field. The login is covered in proxy authentication, and the script in PAC and automatic proxy setup.
What "Configure Proxy" means on Wi-Fi
"Configure Proxy" (iPhone and iPad) or "Proxy" (Android, Mac, Windows) is the per-network setting that decides whether that Wi-Fi connection uses a proxy. It has three modes everywhere, under slightly different names:
| Mode | iPhone / iPad | Android | Mac | Windows 11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No proxy | Off | None | all boxes unchecked | everything off |
| Typed by hand | Manual | Manual | Web proxy (HTTP), Secure web proxy (HTTPS), SOCKS proxy | Manual proxy setup |
| Script or discovery | Automatic | Proxy Auto-Config | Automatic proxy configuration, Auto proxy discovery | Use setup script, Automatically detect settings |
Where to find it:
- iPhone and iPad: Settings > Wi-Fi > the (i) next to the network > Configure Proxy (iPhone proxy setup).
- Android: Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > the network > edit or Advanced options > Proxy (Android proxy setup). Android warns that the manual proxy "is used by the browser but may not be used by the other apps".
- Mac: System Settings > Network > Wi-Fi > Details > Proxies (Mac proxy settings).
- Windows 11: Settings > Network & internet > Proxy (Windows proxy setup).
The setting belongs to one network. A proxy you type for your home Wi-Fi does not follow you to the office network or to mobile data.
Should proxy settings be on or off?
Off, for most people at home. With Configure Proxy set to Off, your device connects to websites directly through your internet provider, which is how home networks are meant to work.
Turn it on only when one of these is true:
- Your workplace or school requires it. The network administrator gives you the server, port or script address, or pushes it to managed devices.
- You bought or run a proxy and want this device to use it, for example to see a site as a visitor from another country would.
- Windows "Automatically detect settings" is on. That one is normal: it only looks for a proxy announced by the network and does nothing on a home network without one.
If you find proxy settings you did not enter, check where they came from before you delete them: a work profile, a VPN app, a browser extension or unwanted software can all set a proxy. How to turn off a proxy walks through each device, and a browser that says an extension is in charge is covered in proxy settings controlled by an extension.
Where proxy settings apply: system, browser and app
Proxy settings exist at three levels, and each app decides which one it reads:
- System settings (the Wi-Fi or network panel). Safari, Chrome and Edge use them on Mac and Windows, as do many desktop apps.
- App settings. Firefox has its own Network Settings and can use the system's or its own (Firefox proxy setup); Chrome sends you to the system panel (Chrome proxy settings). Tools such as Postman, antidetect browsers and game consoles have their own fields.
- Code and the command line. Scripts usually ignore the system panel and read environment variables such as
HTTPS_PROXY, or a proxy passed in code (command line proxy).
So a system proxy does not cover every app. A browser may use it while a game, a mail client or a Python script connects directly.
What proxy settings are used for
- Company and school networks route web traffic through a filtering or caching proxy.
- Privacy on one app: the site sees the proxy's IP address instead of yours. A proxy does not encrypt traffic by itself; proxy vs VPN explains the difference.
- Regional checks: seeing prices, search results or ads as they look in another country or city.
- Testing and development: inspecting an app's traffic through a local debugging proxy.
- Data collection at scale: scrapers send requests through rotating proxies so the load spreads over many IPs.
What should my proxy settings be?
If you do not use a proxy: Off (iPhone), None (Android), nothing checked (Mac), and on Windows only "Automatically detect settings" on. If your workplace gave you values, use exactly those.
If you use a proxy service, enter what the provider gives you. For ProxyField residential proxies the values are:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Server | gate.proxyfield.io |
| Port | 7000 with a username and password; with the IP allowlist, the port you set up in the dashboard |
| Protocol | HTTP, HTTPS or SOCKS5 |
| Username | your username with targeting, for example <login>-country-us-city-new_ |
| Password | your proxy password |
| Or, no login | add your device's public IP to the allowlist in your account |
Some system panels have no login fields at all (the Windows proxy panel, for example). There, the IP allowlist is the way to connect without being asked for a password. ProxyField residential proxies come with country, region and city targeting, a new IP on every request or sticky sessions up to 36 h, and 412M+ residential IPs in 195+ countries; the quick start goes from purchase to the first request.
How to check or change your proxy settings
- To see what is set now, on any device: how to find the proxy your device uses.
- To remove a proxy: how to turn off a proxy.
- To enter a new one, step by step for each device and browser: how to set up a proxy.
- To test that it works and see which IP sites see: the proxy checker.
What Are Proxy Settings? FAQ
What does configure proxy mean?
ProxyField proxies, from $1.95/GB, go into the Manual mode of "Configure Proxy", the Wi-Fi setting that decides whether your device sends web traffic through a proxy server. It has 3 modes: Off, Manual (you type a server and port, such as gate.proxyfield.io and 7000) and Automatic (a setup script decides).
Should configure proxy be on or off?
Off, unless you have a reason to use a proxy: your workplace or school requires one, or you bought a proxy and want this device to use it. On a home network, Off means the device connects directly, which is the normal setup.
What is a proxy on Wi-Fi?
It is a proxy server set for one Wi-Fi network: while you are on that network, your browser and the apps that respect the setting send their traffic to the proxy, which forwards it to the website. The setting does not apply on other networks or on mobile data.
What are proxy server settings?
They are the values a device or app needs to reach a proxy: the server's hostname or IP address, its port, and, if the proxy checks a login, a username and password. Some setups use a setup script address (PAC) instead of typed values.
What should my proxy settings be?
If you don't use a proxy: Off or None, and on Windows only "Automatically detect settings" on. If you do, enter exactly what your network administrator or proxy provider gives you; nothing else will work.
What are proxy settings used for?
Company and school networks use them to route traffic through a filtering proxy. People use them to send one app's traffic through another IP address, to check how a site looks from another country, to debug an app's traffic, or to spread a scraper's requests over many IPs.
Do system proxy settings apply to all apps?
No. Browsers such as Safari, Chrome and Edge use the system proxy on Mac and Windows, but Firefox can use its own settings, and many apps, games and scripts ignore the system proxy. Android even warns that its Wi-Fi proxy may not be used by apps other than the browser.
Is a Wi-Fi proxy the same as a VPN?
No. A Wi-Fi proxy reroutes the traffic of the apps that read the setting and does not encrypt it by itself; a VPN builds an encrypted tunnel for everything the device sends. Both change the IP address that websites see.
Can I use a SOCKS5 proxy in Wi-Fi settings?
It depends on the device. A Mac's network settings have a SOCKS proxy field, but the iPhone and Android Wi-Fi proxy fields and Windows' manual proxy setup expect an HTTP proxy. Elsewhere, use an app that supports SOCKS5 itself, such as Firefox.
What is the difference between WinINet and WinHTTP proxy settings?
On Windows, WinINet holds the per-user proxy that you set in Settings > Proxy, and browsers and most desktop apps read it. WinHTTP is a separate machine-wide proxy for system services, set with netsh winhttp; changing one does not change the other.