How to Add Proxy to Chrome and the Unable to Connect Errors

Working online can sometimes mean running into possible restrictions and limits. If you’re operating with multiple accounts or simply want to bypass or avoid them, then there are several ways to do so. One of them is using proxies. You can add them to your favorite browser, but this article will solely focus on how to add a proxy to Chrome.

After reading this text you will have all of the knowledge necessary to do these things:

• **Connecting **to proxies while using Google Chrome on Windows and macOS
• Turning off proxies in Google Chrome on Windows and Mac
• **Solving **the “Unable to connect to proxy” error
• **Changing proxy servers **on Windows 10, 11, and macOS
• **Knowing the things that may cause issues **to the performance of proxy servers in Google Chrome

To learn how to do all of it, you will have to check out a detailed step-by-step guide on adding a proxy. I will include all of the information that you might need to know.

How to Add Proxy to Chrome

And now it’s time to move on to practical things. The next few sections will include detailed tutorials on how to add a proxy in Chrome browser on Windows and Mac. There will also be information on how to turn it off. Note that Chrome doesn’t have its own proxy settings, so in all cases, the steps will take you to the System Settings on your Windows or Mac machine. Let’s check it all out.

How to Add Proxy to Chrome on Windows

Windows is the most popular consumer desktop operating system, and with Chrome being the most common browser choice for the platform, the guide below can be helpful for a large number of users. The process of adding proxy is easy and straightforward and should not take long.

1. Launch Chrome and hit the menu button with three dots on the top right corner of the screen.

2. In the menu, click on the Settings button.

   

3. Then select “System.”

4. In the new window, hit the “Open your computer’s proxy settings” button.

5. The new window will appear. At the bottom of it, take a look at the “Manual Proxy Setup” section and click “Set Up.” This will take you to the next window. There, you can toggle on the “Use a Proxy Server” switch. There, you can enter the IP address of a proxy server, as well as its port. The window also allows you to enter the list of exceptions in the separate field.

Finally, you can apply the changes. As you can see, the process isn’t difficult at all, although some steps might not be very obvious.

How to Turn Off a Proxy Server in Google Chrome on Windows

Being able to use a proxy is great and all, but you have to know how to turn it off as well. This is even easier than adding it, since it just involves toggling off the settings. The guide below will show all of the needed steps you have to take to disable the proxy in Google Chrome on Windows.

1. Click on the “three dots” button and go to “Settings” from the menu that has just opened.

2. Select “System.”

3. Toggle off the “Use a proxy server” button.

How to Add Proxy to Chrome on Mac

Similarly to the situation on Windows, Chrome on Mac does not have its own proxy settings, so the user has to go to the system-wide ones. Overall, the process is quite similar to that on Windows, although the UI and some of the settings will look different. The tutorial below will guide you through all of the steps of this process.

1. Open Chrome and go to its menu by clicking on the three dots button on the top-right corner. In the menu, pick the “Settings” option.

2. Find the “System” tab in the “Advanced” section. Now you must click on the “Open your computer’s proxy settings” button. This will take you to the window with system-wide proxy settings.

3. The new window will feature all of the things related to using proxies on Mac. There are three types of proxy servers that you can select: Web proxy, secure web proxy, and SOCKS. Pick one depending on what kind of server you are going to use. Now you can enter its IP number and port. You can also provide the exceptions. Click “Ok” to apply any changes.

How to Turn Off a Proxy Server in Google Chrome on Mac

And now it’s time to check out how to disable the proxy connection for Google Chrome on Mac. There’s nothing difficult about it: macOS makes the process extremely straightforward. Check out the step-by-step guide on how to turn off a proxy server and learn how to get back to a regular connection. Here are the steps:

1. Launch the browser and click on three dots and find the “Settings” button in the menu.

2. Scroll down to the “System” section and click on the “Open your computer’s proxy settings” button.

3. In the new window, toggle off any existing proxies. Click “Ok” to apply the changes.

How to Fix The Unable To Connect To Proxy Error

No process is perfect. And while adding a proxy to Chrome and connecting to it is something quite simple that you can achieve just by following a few steps, there’s still a possibility to run into issues. In the case of using proxies, the most common error is the “Unable to connect to proxy” message. Let’s check out how to fix this issue.

Step 1: Find Internet Option On Your Device

The first thing to do is to find the settings for your Internet connection. This is easy on both Windows and Mac. On Windows, you can simply go to the “Start” menu and enter “Internet options.” On Mac, click on the Apple logo and then on “System Preferences.” Then select “Network.”

Step 2: Tick The Delete Personal Settings Box And Reset

Then it’s time to remove your profile and add a new one. Below, I will provide information on how to do so.

On Windows, simply click the “Reset” button in the Internet Options menu that you opened in the previous step. Another window will appear, where you will have to tick the “Delete personal settings” box. Then click “Reset” and restart your computer.

On macOS, you have to select your connection in the “Network” menu and click on the “-” (minus) button. Then press “Apply.” This will remove your connection.

How to Change Chrome’s Proxy Settings

And now it’s time to check out how to change proxy settings in this browser. In the following sections, I will provide detailed guides on how to do so in Windows 10, 11, and macOS. Thankfully, the differences aren’t large but they’re worth checking out. The methods are quite similar to what we’ve described in some of the previous sections.

How to change a proxy server in Windows 11

Windows 11 is the latest iteration of the most popular desktop operating system in the world. Let’s find out how to change proxies in this system.

1. Launch your browser and click on the “three dots” button. Go to the “Settings” option.

2. Select “System.”

3. Go to “Open your computer’s proxy settings.”

4. You will see the platform’s settings. Under the “Manual Proxy Setup” section, click on the “Set Up” button.

5. You can select a type of a proxy, enter or edit its IP address, port, and even add the list of exceptions.

How to change a proxy server in Windows 10

The process is quite similar to that of Windows 11, since despite all of the differences between the operating systems, many UI elements remained similar. The first few steps that cover using the browser are identical. Let’s check out a step-by-step guide covering how to change this server.

1. Run Chrome on your Windows 10 machine. On the top-right corner of the screen, click the icon that looks like three dots. It will take you to the main menu. There, you will find the “Settings” button. Click on it.

2. Now it’s time to press the “System” button.

3. You will see the window of system-wide proxy settings of Windows 10. Toggle on the switch.

4. Enter the IP address and port of a server. Optionally, add exceptions.

How to change a proxy server on macOS

Google Chrome uses system settings for such servers on all systems, including macOS. So the first few steps of the process will also be identical to those on Windows 10 and 11. But the set up window will look different. Either way, in the guide below I will provide all of the needed information that you can use to change the server.

1. Launch the browser, click on the button with three dots and go to “Settings.”

2. Scroll down to “Advanced” and find the “System” section. Click on the “Open your computer’s proxy settings” button. It might have a different name depending on the macOS version you’re using.

3. You will see a new window. You can select a proxy type from a list, including HTTPS, SOCKS, and other options, type in the address, port, or optionally add the exceptions.

As you can see, the process is straightforward on all three operating systems. Many steps are nearly identical, especially those that cover using the browser before you go to the system-wide settings of the platform.

What Can Cause Proxy Issues in Chrome

As I have already stated in previous sections, the problems may arise while using proxies. The majority of them are minor and can be solved with ease. Below is the list of potential causes of the problems that you may encounter.

1. Profiles. Chrome allows its users to create multiple profiles. This feature is very helpful when several people use the same device or to separate work and life profiles for a single user. Either way, there’s a possibility that using several profiles might create issues for using proxies, although the chances are low, since Chrome uses system-wide settings to connect to the servers.
2. Proxy Google Chrome Extensions. This is a very modular browser that features a long list of extensions, add-ons, and plug-ins. Those can enhance user experience, change the way many things work, and make working with some features easier. Proxies are no exception, and there are plenty of extensions that offer such services. Sometimes, they might be incompatible with system settings or cause other problems, so I recommend disabling them when adding a proxy to Chrome by using my guide.
3. Proxy system settings. As you can see in your guides, this browser uses system settings. So, obviously, if there’s anything wrong with them, then this will totally affect the connection.
4. Plugins. As I have already stated, Google Chrome features plenty of extensions and plugins that may affect the performance of proxies. I have already covered those that use the same functionality, but others can also affect it.
5. **Other Chrome components. **Sometimes, it is possible that other additional things related to Chrome can cause issues. I recommend trying to disable all add-ons, plugins, and extensions to see whether the connection to a proxy server will be successfully established.

Conclusion

All in all, using proxies is essential for some experts, especially those working with target, arbitrage, referrals, and other online features. In this article, I provided plenty of information on how to add a proxy to Chrome in Windows and Mac, and even included detailed tutorials.