# Enabling and disabling breakpoints

Breakpoints can be enabled and disabled as needed. When a breakpoint is enabled, thread execution suspends before that line of code is executed. When a breakpoint is disabled, thread execution is not suspended by the presence of the breakpoint.

To disable a breakpoint in the Breakpoints View:

1. Open the breakpoint's context menu and select Disable, or deselect the breakpoint's checkbox.
2. The breakpoint image will change to a white circle and its checkbox will be empty.

To disable a breakpoint in the marker bar of an editor:

1. Open the breakpoint's context menu and select Disable Breakpoint.
2. The breakpoint image will change to a white circle.

To enable the breakpoint in the Breakpoints View:

1. Open the breakpoint's context menu and select Enable, or select the breakpoint's checkbox.
2. The breakpoint image will change back to a blue circle, and its checkbox will be checked.

To enable a breakpoint in the marker bar of an editor:

1. Open the breakpoint's context menu and select Enable Breakpoint.
2. The breakpoint image will change to a white circle.

### Related concepts

Debugger
Java perspectives
Java editor

### Related tasks

Applying hit counts
Catching Java exceptions
Removing breakpoints
Setting method breakpoints
Managing conditional breakpoints
Stepping through the execution of a program

### Related references

Breakpoints view