Proxy requires a username and password

Short answers

Which username and password should I enter?

Use the credentials issued for the proxy shown in the prompt. For Portproof, copy the complete generated username and proxy password from the connection builder. Your Portproof account password and API key do not authenticate that connection.

Why does the prompt appear when I never bought a proxy?

A network setting, automatic configuration, browser extension or managed profile may select a proxy. Inspect the configured route before entering anything. On a work or school device, ask the administrator to identify the server.

Can I turn the proxy off?

You can remove a proxy you added to your own device when you no longer need it. Record the old settings first. A managed device or required network proxy needs the administrator’s guidance; removing its profile can remove associated settings, apps and data.

Does a repeated prompt prove the password is wrong?

No. Confirm the host, port, complete username and the client handling authentication. A browser may not use credentials saved in system settings. If the gateway reports 407, use the separate authentication guide to check the status and any gateway code.

If your screen says The proxy requires a username and password, start with the server it names, when one is shown. Prompt wording varies by app and release. This guide was checked against Apple’s macOS Tahoe 26 settings documentation, Apple’s iOS 14.7-and-later developer walkthrough and Chromium’s current references on 4 October 2026. These steps were not walked through on a device.

Find out which proxy is asking

Cancel an unexpected prompt while you inspect the settings. Note the server address and port if the prompt shows them; do not guess a password.
Check whether you recently added a proxy, changed Wi-Fi networks, enabled a browser extension or connected to a work network.
Compare the configured host with the connection details supplied by the proxy operator. An account login page and a proxy endpoint can have different addresses.
If a school or employer manages the device or network, send the administrator the prompt text and configured server. Keep the required configuration in place until they explain the change.

A profile can supply a proxy even when you did not enter one manually. Apple’s Global HTTP Proxy payload supports a manual server with authentication or an automatic PAC URL. On iPhone and iPad, inspect installed profiles under Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. See Apple’s managed proxy reference and profile guidance.

Use the connection credentials

Credentials with different jobs
Credential	Where it belongs
Proxy username and password	The proxy authentication fields or the sign-in prompt for the recognised gateway.
Wi-Fi password	Joining the wireless network. It is not automatically the proxy password.
Apple Account or device password	Apple services or device access. Do not try it as a proxy password unless your administrator explicitly tells you that it is the required account.
Website username and password	Signing in to the destination website after the connection works.
Portproof account password or API key	Account or API access, separate from the traffic gateway credential.

For Portproof, open the connection builder and copy all four connection values together: host gw.portproof.org, HTTP port 7000, the complete generated username and the current proxy password. The username carries your chosen pool, country and rotation settings. Keeping only the account prefix drops part of the connection configuration.

Enter original credential values in separate username and password fields. Do not URL-encode those fields or paste a full credential-bearing URL into the Server field. Preserve password whitespace; check for an extra line break introduced when copying. The 407 guide explains URL encoding when a client actually needs a proxy URL.

Check where this app gets its settings

Mac system settings

In Apple’s macOS Tahoe 26 documentation, open Apple menu > System Settings > Network, select the active network service, then choose Details > Proxies. For a manual entry, check the server and port, enable Proxy server requires password if needed, and enter the issued username and password. Save with OK. Apple’s setup steps.

iPhone or iPad Wi-Fi settings

Open Settings > Wi-Fi, inspect the connected network, then choose Configure Proxy under HTTP Proxy. Apple’s developer walkthrough documents Manual with Server, Port and Authentication settings, or Automatic with a configuration URL. With a manual proxy you recognise, check the authentication fields and tap Save. See Apple’s Wi-Fi proxy walkthrough.

Chrome on a Mac

Chromium says Chrome does not use credentials embedded in manual proxy settings. A password saved in the Mac’s network pane therefore does not establish that Chrome will use it. Chrome handles the proxy challenge through its own authentication flow. Check the recognised gateway in the browser prompt or the authorised extension managing that profile. Chromium’s credential behaviour.

When the prompt keeps coming back

Change one thing at a time. Re-copy the complete connection username and current password, then retry one small authorised page. Confirm that the prompt names the same gateway. If it names another server, return to the routing settings; editing the first proxy’s password will not explain a challenge from a second one.

Check the protocol and port together. For Portproof’s authenticated HTTP connection, use the HTTP port 7000. HTTPS websites can use an HTTP proxy with CONNECT; changing to a SOCKS port merely because a page uses HTTPS is a different configuration. Chrome does not support SOCKS5 username/password authentication. See HTTP and SOCKS5 settings.

If the connection returns 407 Proxy Authentication Required, stop guessing from the prompt alone. Confirm the account balance and any gateway error code in the 407 diagnostic. An exhausted balance and rejected credentials can require different fixes. If the error is a refusal or timeout instead, no successful authentication exchange has been established.

Using Proxies.sx? Its authentication checklist covers that service’s credentials and connection settings. Use the details issued by your operator; Portproof’s username format applies only to Portproof.

Remove a proxy you no longer use

On your own unmanaged device, record the selected mode, host, port and any PAC URL before removing an entry you added. On a Mac, turn off that entry in the network service’s Proxies pane. For a personal iPhone or iPad Wi-Fi entry, select Off in Configure Proxy and save. Reopen a small page on that same network and check the result.

If the setting returns, investigate the profile, extension or network configuration supplying it. Do not repeatedly delete required managed settings. Apple warns that deleting a profile also deletes its associated settings, apps and data. The administrator can correct the credential or reachability issue without losing that configuration.

Sources and scope

Primary references checked on 4 October 2026. Apple does not verify the literal prompt text for every app or current OS release in these references.

What is not allowed

Use a proxy only for services you are permitted to access. Follow the acceptable-use policy.

The proxy requires a username and password