If you've ever noticed that a website takes a long time to load, that certain pages don't even appear, or you're worried that your internet provider is monitoring your online activity too closely, you'll probably be interested in this. Change your Android's DNS settingsYou don't need to be an engineer: with a few taps in the settings you can gain speed, privacy and a bit more security while browsing.
Furthermore, many website blocks by governments or internet service providers are implemented precisely through DNS settings. By modifying this parameter on your mobile device or router, You can bypass some filters, improving the browsing experience and even strengthen protection against malicious websites, all for free and in a matter of minutes.
What is a DNS and what exactly is it used for?
When you type an address like "xatakandroid.com" or "google.com" into your browser, your phone doesn't actually understand names, but numbers; underneath it needs an IP address like 216.58.211.142. That's where the Domain Name System or DNS, that It acts as an internet address book or phone book., translating those easy-to-remember names into IP addresses that devices understand.
The DNS server is responsible for this translation: your phone asks it, "Where is this website?" and it responds with the correct IP address. You'll typically use your internet service provider's DNS servers automatically, configured through your router or phone, but not all DNS servers are equally fast, secure, or private, so it makes sense to change them.
In addition to translating domains to IPs, many modern DNS servers They cache recent responses This speeds up subsequent queries. In other words, if you frequently visit the same website, the DNS will remember your IP address for a while and be able to respond much faster, reducing page load times by a few milliseconds.
What is a DNS server and what types can you use?
Among the best knownThe following providers stand out, which you can use on both Android and other devices:
- Google DNS8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 for IPv4, 2001:4860:4860::8888 and 2001:4860:4860::8844 for IPv6. They are free, widely used, and are usually fast and stable.
- Cloudflare (1.1.1.1)1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 for IPv4. Cloudflare focuses heavily on privacy and indicates that It does not sell your data and purges records within 24 hours., in addition to being one of the fastest DNS servers.
- OpenDNS (Cisco)Other public DNS servers add features such as content filters and protection against malicious websites, especially useful for businesses, educational institutions, or parental control.
- Quad9 and other security resolvers: they specialize in blocking domains linked to malware, phishing, or botnets, providing a extra layer of protection while browsing.
In many cases you can mix suppliers, for example, use Cloudflare as primary DNS and Google as a secondary option, so that if one fails, the other will. It continues to resolve domains and you maintain internet access.
Why is it worth changing your Android's DNS settings?
Changing the DNS settings on your smartphone or tablet isn't just a geeky whim. There are several compelling reasons why it might be worthwhile, and most of them directly impact how comfortable and unrestricted your daily browsing experience is, since It affects both speed and privacy, and the blocks you experience..
On one hand, there are performance aspects: if the DNS responds faster when you request a website's IP address, The pages start loading soonerDon't expect miracles of going from slow to ultra-fast internet, but you will gain extra speed and reduce some latency, especially if you access many different domains, play online games, or stream.
Secondly, there are security issues. DNS servers can suffer cache poisoning attacks, where an attacker manipulates responses to redirect you to fake websites. Some public providers include blacklists of dangerous domains for Automatically block phishing websites, malware, or DDoS attack campaignswhich helps to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Finally, there is the issue of censorship and blocking. Many governments and operators They block access to certain websites simply by preventing their DNS servers from resolving those domains.If you use a different DNS server, these blocks often stop being applied and you can access pages that previously appeared "down" but were actually just being filtered.
Changing DNS on Android: basics and versions
On Android, the way to configure DNS depends heavily on the system version and the manufacturer's skin. Since Android 9 (Pie), there's an option called Private DNS that It allows you to configure a single provider for the entire system, for both WiFi and mobile data., using DNS-over-TLS to encrypt queries.
However, in Android 8 and earlier versions, there isn't a unified setting for the entire connection; you can only change the DNS for each Wi-Fi network individually. This means that, Each time you connect to a different WiFi network, you will have to manually adjust its DNS settings. if you want to stop using the router's.
It's also worth noting that some manufacturers will rename the menus: what appears as "Network and Internet" on one phone might be called "Connections" or "Networks and Connections" on another. Essentially, however, The steps and location of the private DNS option or the DNS1 and DNS2 fields are very similar between brands.
How to set up private DNS on Android 9 and later
If your phone or tablet runs Android 9 (Pie) or later, you have the easiest option. This system includes the private DNS feature, which forces you to use a specific provider for all compatible connections and uses DNS-over-TLS. In this way, Your DNS queries are encrypted between your device and the server.preventing curious onlookers from seeing them online.
To configure private DNS on most mobile phones with Android 9 or higher, The general steps are these:
- Open the app System settings on your Android device.
- Enter the section Network and Internet (on some models it may be called "Connections" > "Connection settings").
- Look for the option Private DNSSometimes it's directly in this menu, and other times under an "Advanced" submenu.
- Select option Private DNS provider hostname to be able to write a custom supplier.
- Enter the name of the service you want to use, for example:
- dns. google to use Google's public DNS with DNS-over-TLS.
- one.one.one.one if you prefer Cloudflare DNS with encryption.
- Press on Save and wait a few seconds for the changes to take effect.
If at any time you want to return to the original settings, simply open this menu again and choose the option AutomaticIn this way, the phone recovers the DNS settings provided by the networks it connects to, just as they came from the factory.
It's worth noting that, in certain combinations of Android 9 and some older VPNs, private DNS may be disabled or ignored. This is because Some third-party VPN apps or DNS changers take control of the queries and they stop sending DNS-over-TLS traffic to your chosen provider. In Android 10 and later, Google fixed many of these issues, but if you're using a VPN, it's worth checking which DNS your connection is actually using.
How to change DNS on Android 8 and earlier versions (WiFi)
If your device runs Android 8 or an earlier version, you won't have the option for a system-wide private DNS setting. In this case, you can only configure a custom DNS on each individual Wi-Fi network you connect to. Even so, It remains a good way to bypass blocks and gain some privacy when browsing over WiFi.
The typical procedure To adjust the DNS settings of a WiFi network on Android 8 or earlier, follow these steps:
- Connect your device to the WiFi network where you want to change the DNS.
- Open the app Settings and go to the "Network and Internet" or "WiFi" section depending on your manufacturer's interface.
- Tap on WiFi to see the list of available networks and locate the one you are connected to.
- Press and hold the connected network until a pop-up menu appears, then choose Modify network o Manage network settings.
- Expand the section AdvancedIf you're still unsure, it might be under "IP settings".
- In the section IP settings, changes the mode from "DHCP" to StaticThis allows you to manually enter the device's IP address, gateway, and, most importantly, the DNS fields.
- Move to the fields DNS 1 y DNS 2 and enter your preferred servers. For example:
- Google DNS: 8.8.8.8 in DNS 1 and 8.8.4.4 in DNS 2.
- Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1 on DNS 1 and 1.0.0.1 on DNS 2.
- Save the changes using the button Save or "Accept" and wait for the network to reconnect.
Once the WiFi is reconnected, name queries for that network will go through the DNS servers you entered, allowing you to avoid some censorship, gain speed, and use additional security filtersIf at any point the network starts to misbehave or you want to return to the original configuration, you can switch the IP mode back to "DHCP" and the router's DNS will be restored.
Private DNS on Android: enabling, disabling, and warnings
On many recent phones with Android 10, 11, 12 or higher, private DNS is enabled by default. This means the system will try to use DNS-over-TLS with the server provided by the network, and if it doesn't support it, It will revert to traditional unencrypted behavior without the user having to do anything.
If you want to force a specific provider because you trust them more or need to bypass filters, you have to choose the mode of Private DNS provider hostname and enter the service's domain (dns.google, one.one.one.one, etc.). This setting will affect all networks that can use private DNS, both Wi-Fi and mobile data, and It's the easiest way to unify DNS behavior across your entire Android device..
However, it's worth noting a couple of practical details. First, if you type a hostname incorrectly or the private DNS service stops responding, You might run out of name resolution and feel like the internet is dead.Even if you still have a connection, simply return to your private DNS settings and select "Automatic" or "Disabled" to restore browsing.
Second, and very important for advanced users, private DNS only protects DNS queries; the rest of the traffic (web, apps, etc.) It is not encrypted simply by using DNS-over-TLSIf you want true anonymity or to protect all the content on your connection, you need to complement it with a trusted vpn that keeps your traffic encapsulated and encrypted end-to-end.
DNS on other devices: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, ChromeOS and routers
Although this article focuses on Android, in practice, it's ideal for all devices on your network to use a consistent DNS, either by configuring it individually or directly on the router. This way, You ensure that mobile phones, computers, tablets, consoles and smart TVs share the same benefits in terms of speed, privacy, and page unlocking.
In Windows 10 and 11, you can change the DNS settings from your network adapter's configuration: go to "Settings" > "Network & Internet" > "Network Properties," or to the "Network and Sharing Center" in Control Panel, and in the IPv4/IPv6 properties, select "Use the following DNS server addresses." There, you can enter, for example, 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, or any other IP addresses you prefer. All traffic from that computer will be redirected to resolve domains using the server you have set up..
On macOS, the setting is in "System Preferences" > "Network". Select your interface (WiFi or Ethernet), click on "Advanced", and within the "DNS" tab you can Add servers with the + button and remove unwanted ones with the – buttonBy ordering them, you can determine which DNS is used first and which acts as a backup.
In many Linux distributions with Network Manager, you access "Network Connections" from the system panel, select the connection, and in the IPv4/IPv6 settings, add the IP addresses of the desired DNS servers in the "DNS Servers" field. If you are not using Network Manager or are on a server, you can edit the settings directly. /etc/resolv.conf or the DHCP client configuration, specifying "nameserver" lines with the public addresses of Google, Cloudflare, or others.
On iPhone and iPad, the process is done via Wi-Fi and Ethernet, just like on older Android devices: go to Settings > Wi-Fi, tap the "i" icon for the connected network, go to "Configure DNS," and choose "Manual." From there you can Delete the DNS settings provided by the router and add your own.However, they will only apply to that specific WiFi, not to mobile data.
ChromeOS (Chromebook) also allows you to change DNS settings from the network section of the settings: open "Settings," go to the network in use, and under "Name servers" choose either "Custom Name servers" or the "Google Name servers" option. Whatever value you enter there... It will be used by both the browser and many Android or Linux apps that run on the Chromebook itself.unless they themselves overwrite them.
If you prefer not to go device by device, the cleanest way is to adjust the DNS on your router. Access your router's IP address (typically 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1, 192.168.2.1, or similar) through your web browser, log in with your username and password, and look for the Internet, WAN, or LAN settings. There you will usually find the fields for... Primary and secondary DNSwhere you can replace your ISP's IPs with those from Google, Cloudflare, or others. Once you save and restart, all devices that obtain IPs via DHCP from that router will be affected. They will automatically use those DNS servers without you having to touch anything on each computer..
DNS, SmartDNS and VPN: differences and when to use each one
Manually changing the DNS on your Android device or router already gives you considerable control over your browsing, but there are other related tools worth distinguishing: SmartDNS and VPN. A SmartDNS service typically replaces your ISP's DNS servers with others optimized to bypass geographical restrictions, so that Some websites think you're connecting from a different locationeven if your real IP address doesn't change.
The problem with smart DNS is that, generally, They don't encrypt your connection or protect your dataThey simply modify how services detect your location. This allows you to access streaming catalogs or websites that were previously blocked, but your provider, governments, or attackers on the network can still see what you're doing if you don't have any extra layer of protection.
A VPN (virtual private network), on the other hand, goes a step further: it creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and a remote server, changing your outgoing IP address and encapsulating all your traffic. By using a quality VPN, in addition to hiding your real IP address, All the content of your connection travels encrypted.And in many cases, the VPN itself also manages the DNS to prevent leaks and avoids filtering queries to the ISP.
Some providers combine both into a single product: a full VPN for maximum security and privacy, and a SmartDNS service for devices where VPNs cannot be installed (such as some smart TVs). Thanks to this combination, You can choose whether to prioritize speed and access to content or strong security, according to what suits you at any given time.
If you just want something simple and free, setting up a public DNS on your Android device or router is a good start. If you're truly concerned about anyone being able to track your online activity, and that your data is encrypted, completely prevent DNS leaksSo it makes sense to make the switch to a VPN with a strict no-logs policy.
DNS is a key part of how you reach each website you visit; by controlling it yourself instead of always leaving it in the hands of your internet provider, You regain some control over your browsing speed, your privacy, and the content you can access.especially on Android, which is currently the device we use most to connect to the Internet. Share this tutorial and more users will know all about how to change the DNS on Android.
