How to Disable Circle on Netgear Router?

Are you looking for ways how to disable Circle on Netgear router? Luckily, we have the answer for you!

Some users claim that Circle affects their WiFi and want to disable it.

If you no longer need to use Circle or simply want to remove it from your kid’s device, the steps to do so are simple.

How to disable Circle on Netgear router is easy. In this article, we’ll guide you every step of the way.

If you encounter issues related to your Circle app, disabling the app may clear it. To do so, log in to your Netgear router’s interface and cancel your subscription. If the problem persists, update the firmware or revert your router to factory defaults.

Before we move on to the actual steps of disabling your Netgear router, let us discuss everything you need to know about Circle.

What You Need to Know About Netgear Router Circle Disable

Netgear Circle is a parental control technology that helps you monitor your kid’s wireless devices.

It is built into your Netgear router and available for free. You just need to download the app from the App Store or Google Play.

1. Circle-Embedded Netgear Routers

Certain Netgear routers have Circle technology built-in. It is a smart way for you to manage your kid’s content and time online.

2. Premium Circle Membership

Premium lets you use all Circle features, including limits for specific categories, platforms, and time.

It costs about 4.99 USD per month and is billed through your Apple and Google Play Store ID.

3. Disable Through Subscription Apps

If you are subscribing through to Circle with Netgear’s Premium subscription, you can only disable it using Apple and Google Play.

You cannot personally cancel or refund the service.

4. Disable Through The Router

This is the most dramatic step you can take. Change your WiFi information to remove devices and disable Circle completely from your kid’s phone or tablet.

Now that you know everything about Netgear router Circle disabled let us get into the details of the disabling process.

How to Disable Circle on Netgear Router

Are you sure you no longer want to use Circle? Before you disable Circle on your Netgear router, let us review the features you will miss if you do so.

Free Features

Pause – Pause the Internet connection of specific devices or family members.
Filters – Select what websites and platforms are allowed.
History – View the websites visited by anyone in your circle.

Premium Features

Time Limits – Limit the online activity of every family member.
BedTime – Disable the Internet when it’s time to sleep and enable it again in the morning.
OffTimes – Disable the Internet at certain times.
Rewards – Extend the length of other premium features for a day.
Usage – View detailed info about a family member’s online activity.

If you’re certain you don’t want to avail of the above Circle features anymore, continue to Step #1 of the disabling process.

Step #1: Log in to Your Netgear Router’s Web Interface

Circle Parental Control is a filtering device you can use on your network to manage screen time and access different online content.

Their partnership with Netgear embeds their technology into the routers for that added content filtering feature.

Since Circle is already in your Netgear router, one of the ways that you can configure it would be through the web interface.

All of Circle’s settings are found in your router’s dashboard, so you’ll need to log in.

Here’s how to access your Netgear router’s web interface:

Open a web browser from your device.
Type in routerlogin.net in your browser’s address bar.
Type in your router’s admin username and password.
Press Enter to go inside your router’s dashboard.

Note: If you forgot your username and password, you could recover them by accessing the Router Password Recover window.

Step #2: Update Your Router’s Firmware

The next step that you need to do would be to update your router’s firmware.

This is an important step that you must not forget to make sure that you’ll be able to configure all of Circle’s settings.

Not all of Netgear’s routers will have Circle built-in, so you’re going to need to update the firmware to get the latest settings.

There could be new settings that you might need to disable Circle successfully.

Here’s how to update your router’s firmware:

Under the Advanced menu, select Administration.
Select Firmware Update.
Click on the Check button.
Select Yes if a new firmware is available.

Note: Do not go online or switch off your router while the update process is ongoing.

Step #3: Disable Circle Parental Controls on Your Router’s Dashboard

After a successful firmware update and restart, you’re going to need to log in to your router’s web interface again.

New configuration options for Circle should be visible for you to play around with.

At this point, you can now disable the Circle features from your Netgear router.

Here are the steps to disable Circle Parental Controls on your Netgear router:

Go to the Advanced menu.
Select Parental Control.
Toggle the switch to the left to disable Circle.

Note: This step will turn off Circle on your Netgear router. However, if you have a Circle subscription, you’re going to need to cancel it.

Step #4: Cancel Your Circle Subscription via Apple ID

At this point, you’ve only turned it off on your Netgear router. You’re not going to be able to enjoy the benefits that Circle’s parental control features offer.

Although, this is not going to be much of a problem since you’re looking to disable it anyway.

If you have Circle Premium, one of your issues is that you’re going to have an active subscription for their service.

Disabling their features on your router means you will also want to cancel your Circle subscription.

Here’s how to cancel your Circle subscription on Apple:

Tap the App Store on your phone.
Tap on View Apple ID and log in.
Go to Account Settings, then scroll down to Subscriptions.
Select Manage, then your Circle Premium subscription.
Turn off Automatic Renewal.

Note: Your subscription is going to be canceled but will not take effect until the end of your billing period.

Step #5: Cancel Your Circle Subscription via Google Play Store

With your Circle Premium subscription, you will need to cancel using the device and account you used to sign up.

If you have an Android device, Google manages all of your subscriptions that you got from the Google Play Store.

To cancel your Circle Premium subscription, you’re going to need to find it under Google Play Store.

You’ll need to change it so you can cancel it, and it won’t charge the card linked to your account.

Here’s how to cancel your Circle subscription from the Google Play Store:

Open the Google Play Store app on your phone.
Go to your profile to access your account information.
Select Subscriptions.
Find your Circle subscription.
Tap on Cancel.

Note: If you want a refund from your Circle subscription, you’ll need to contact Google or Apple, not Circle.

Step #6: Revert Your Netgear Router to Factory Defaults

Resetting your Netgear router won’t necessarily cancel your Circle subscription, but it can disable it on your router.

Although it’s not going to be the most elegant solution, a reset should remove all of Circle’s settings from your router.

Here’s how to reset your Netgear router:

Find the Reset button at the back of your router.
Use a paper clip or pin to poke into the button.
Press and hold the Reset button for around 7 seconds.
Release the Reset button as your router resets.

Tip: You need to perform the reset process while your Netgear router is switched on.

These are the steps on how you will successfully disable Circle on your Netgear router.

You’ll also need to cancel your Circle Premium subscription to stop paying for a feature you’ve disabled on your router.

Contact Circle customer support for assistance if you have any issues with disabling it.

Additionally, you can call your credit card to cancel making payments to Circle to disable and cancel your account successfully.

Bottom Line

Now that you know how to disable Circle on Netgear router, you can successfully get rid of it from your network.

There are users that are experiencing a lot of issues with Circle on Netgear, and disabling it is one of the ways to not deal with these issues.

Kevin Wood

Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites.