> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://launchdarkly.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Turning flags on and off
This topic explains how to enable and disable flags in the LaunchDarkly platform.
**The flag toggle button is a circuit breaker for any feature**
The flag button lets you turn off a feature that's misbehaving without needing to touch any code or re-deploy your application. Wrap the entire feature in a feature flag to control or revoke its rollout seamlessly.
## Turn on flags
When you create a new flag, it is turned **Off** by default. You can turn the flag **On** by clicking the flag toggle button on the flag's **Targeting** tab.
To turn on a flag:
1. In the left sidebar, click **Code**. The CodeControl menu appears.
2. Click **Flags**.
3. Click on the name of the flag you want to turn on. The flag's **Targeting** tab opens.
4. Click on the tab for the environment you want to turn on the flag for. If the tab for the environment is not displayed, click the **+** to display the list of environments, and select the environment you want:
5. Click the flag toggle. The toggle turns green and displays the word **On**.
6. Click **Review and save**.
To learn more about creating flags, read [Creating new flags](/docs/home/flags/new).
## Turn off flags
When you turn a flag to **Off**, you disable the targeting rules for that flag. Instead of serving an active variation, you serve the off variation.
On the flag's **Targeting** tab, you can set an off variation for both boolean and multivariate flags. Boolean feature flags default to `false` when the feature flag is **Off**.
To turn a flag **Off**:
1. In the left sidebar, click **Code**. The CodeControl menu appears.
2. Click **Flags**.
3. Click on the name of the flag you want to turn on. The flag's **Targeting** tab opens.
4. Click on the tab for the environment you want to turn off the flag for. If the tab for the environment is not displayed, click the **+** to display the list of environments, and select the environment you want:
5. Set the toggle to **Off**. The variation the flag will serve when you save your changes appears:
6. Click **Review and save**.
If you do not specify an explicit default off variation, LaunchDarkly serves the [fallback value](/docs/home/getting-started/vocabulary#fallback-value) for the flag. You can specify the fallback value in your code's variation calls. View the fallback value in the flag's **Targeting** tab.
**Planning feature flags for future events**
You can schedule a flag for a particular date using scheduled flag changes, or you can use targeting rules to control what it affects and when. For example, you can serve `false` to deprecate a feature after a date of your choosing, or you can target a specific context or segment to be removed from the flag's targeting settings. To learn more, read [Target with flags](/docs/home/flags/target).
## Watch for changes in your application
When you turn a flag on and off, you should immediately see the corresponding changes in your application. You can try this yourself by following the in-app [Quickstart](/docs/home/getting-started) or running `ldcli setup` in the [LaunchDarkly CLI](/docs/home/getting-started/ldcli).
If you do not see changes in your application when you turn the flag on and off, try checking the following:
* **Does your SDK successfully initialize?** Look in your application logs for a message that says `SDK successfully initialized`. If you find `SDK failed to initialize` instead, check your SDK credentials. You may be using an invalid SDK key, mobile key, or client-side ID.
* **Does your application use a valid feature flag key and SDK credential?** If you are using the in-app [Quickstart](/docs/home/getting-started) or running `ldcli setup` in the [LaunchDarkly CLI](/docs/home/getting-started/ldcli), the flag key and SDK key, mobile key, or client-side ID for your environment are automatically inserted into the sample code that you are prompted to copy. If you are working directly from one of our [Sample applications](/docs/sdk/concepts/sample-applications), you will need to do this manually. Review the README file in the sample application repository for details on where to update your flag key and SDK credential.
* **Does your organization's network close long-lived streaming connections?** You will not see flag updates if you are no longer connected to LaunchDarkly. Try restarting your application to re-open the connection. If this solves the problem, work with your organization to allow longer-lived streaming connections.
* **Does your organization's network use an https proxy?** If all of your network traffic is going through a proxy, your application may take longer to update when you turn flags on and off.
* **Does your organization's network require additional authorization to allow outbound connections?** For example, some organizations require [bearer authentication](https://swagger.io/docs/specification/authentication/bearer-authentication/) for outbound traffic. You may need to update your application code to include this authorization.