Most of your interactions with the internet start with DNS queries, but public DNS servers are not designed with privacy in mind. So you should use the private DNS feature of your Android phone to enhance your privacy.

But what exactly is DNS, how does it work, and why should you consider using the private DNS feature on your Android device?

What Is DNS?

All devices on the internet, including web servers that serve you content, communicate with each other using IP addresses. But for humans, it is difficult to memorize these complex numbers. The Domain Name System (DNS) eliminates the need for humans to remember IP addresses.

You type a website name in your browser like makeuseof.com, and DNS translates the website name into its corresponding IP address to enable your browsers to load the website.

How DNS Works

Here is the process in detail:

  • You type a domain name into your browser, such as makeuseof.com.
  • The browser sends a query to DNS servers requesting the associated IP address for makeuseof.com.
  • The DNS servers search and locate the correct IP address from its records based on the DNS query it received from the browser.
  • If successful, the DNS servers return its located IP address to the requesting browser.
  • The browser then contacts the target web server using this returned IP address.
  • The web server responds with a connection to the requesting browser.
  • Finally, the browser displays the content on your screen as you initially requested.

Multiple DNS servers are involved in this process. And the entire process occurs in the background so swiftly that you won't see any time delay. You press enter after typing the website's name, and your device loads the website the next moment.

What Is Private DNS?

Private DNS is an option to encrypt DNS queries. This means threat actors cannot know what you are searching online if they are able to intercept your data. Consequently, a private DNS mode can help you protect from eavesdropping.

Widely two protocols are used to create a secure channel between your browser and DNS—DNS over transport layer security (TLS) protocol and DNS over HTTPS protocol.

Why You Should Use Private DNS on a Smartphone

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Threat actors are exploiting vulnerabilities in DNS to carry out various DNS attacks.

According to the latest Global DNS Threat Report, 88 percent of companies experienced one or more DNS attacks last year. And there were seven attacks per year on average for each company.

You might think why you should care for your smartphone. You don't use it for any office-related work. So you may have an impression that hackers won't target you for any DNS-related attack.

These days, people use smartphones for all websites, including banking sites. Mobile searches have a larger volume than desktop searches globally. So smartphones are hackers' favorite target.

That said, you should strengthen DNS security to stay protected. And using private DNS mode on your smartphone can be one way to do it. Encrypting all your DNS queries keeps what you search online hidden from prying eyes.

What's more, public Wi-Fi poses many security threats. So it is better to have your DNS requests encrypted on a public network to enhance your privacy.

Also, by using a third-party DNS service, you can set parental control on your kids' devices.

How to Enable Private DNS on Android

Google introduced DNS over TLS in Android 9 or later devices, enabling you to encrypt all DNS queries on your smartphone. So by default, Private DNS is active on your Android device if you're using Android 9 or later. But if you have messed up your phone's settings and disabled this feature, you can easily enable it.

What's more, you can also choose a private DNS server of your choice in case you don't want to use your default private DNS server, which is often Google DNS.

The process to enable private DNS service is largely the same in most Android smartphones, but the exact path and steps may vary depending on your smartphone's manufacturer. For this example, we are going to use the OnePlus-Nord 2T5G smartphone.

To get started, swipe down your smartphone to access the notification shade on your smartphone. Then, click on the cog symbol to go into the Settings menu.

Inside the Settings menu, click on the Connections & sharing tab. Depending on your device's manufacturer, you might have a different name, like Network & Internet.

In the Connection & sharing menu, click on the Private DNS tab. You will see three options—Off, Auto, and Specified DNS.

Select the Specified DNS option to use a third-party private DNS provider of your choice. If you select this option, you have to enter the Private DNS provider hostname, not the IP address.

You can use one of the following DNS server addresses:

  • Cloudflare: 1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com
  • Quad9: dns.quad9.net
  • Clean browsing DNS: security-filter-dns.cleanbrowsing.org

After entering, the third-party DNS server name, click the Save button. You have enabled private DNS on your phone with a DNS server of your choice. Henceforth, all DNS queries on your smartphone will be encrypted.

For any reason, if you want to disable the Private DNS feature, go to Settings > Connection & sharing > Private DNS. Then, select the Off button. The Private DNS feature on your Android device will be disabled.

Should You Use a Third-Party DNS Service?

Using a third-party DNS service can offer many benefits. You can have better speeds if the third-party DNS server is near your location.

If you are suspicious about your internet service provider recording your browser history, choosing a no-log DNS service can address this issue.

The third-party private DNS servers can help you access region-blocked content, as most censored content is blocked via DNS.

Some private DNS providers can also help you set parental control and custom-filtering on devices. But you may have to pay to use these features.

Enable Private DNS to Stay Safe From Prying Eyes

With threat actors increasingly targeting Android devices, it has become critical for all users to amp up the security of their devices.

Enabling the Private DNS feature on your Android phone enhances your privacy, as your DNS request will be encrypted. Consequently, you will enjoy added privacy and security. Plus, if you are experiencing slow load times, changing your DNS settings might just speed things up.