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How to Change Your DNS on Android (Private DNS)

A clear, step-by-step guide to changing your DNS server on Android using Private DNS (DNS-over-TLS), including per-Wi-Fi alternatives and how to verify it worked.

Updated 3 min

Android Beginner ~3 min

  1. Open Network & internet settings

    Open Settings, then tap Network & internet (on some phones this is under Connections). Look for a "Private DNS" entry — on Samsung devices it's under Connections → More connection settings → Private DNS.

  2. Open Private DNS

    Tap Private DNS to open the picker. You'll see three options — Off, Automatic, and Private DNS provider hostname.

  3. Choose Private DNS provider hostname

    Select "Private DNS provider hostname" to enter a hostname manually.

  4. Enter your resolver's hostname

    Type 1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com for Cloudflare, dns.google for Google, or dns.quad9.net for Quad9 — use the hostname for whichever resolver won your speed test. This is a hostname, not an IP address.

  5. Save

    Tap Save. Android applies Private DNS across every network — Wi-Fi and mobile data — from now on.

Why change your DNS on Android

Android’s newer, cleaner way to change DNS is Private DNS, which uses DNS-over-TLS (DoT) to encrypt every lookup your phone makes. Unlike the old per-Wi-Fi static IP method, Private DNS applies system-wide — it works the same way on Wi-Fi and mobile data, and it’s encrypted by default, so anyone monitoring the network (a coffee-shop router, your ISP) can’t see which domains you’re resolving.

The one thing that trips people up: Private DNS takes a hostname, not an IP address. You can’t type 1.1.1.1 into that field — you type 1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com. Android uses the hostname to negotiate a TLS connection to the resolver on port 853, then verifies its certificate before trusting any answers.

Before you start, run the DNS speed test to see which resolver responds fastest from your connection, then use that provider’s DoT hostname below. You can also browse the full list on the public DNS servers page.

Common DoT hostnames:

  • Cloudflare: 1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com (malware + adult filtering variant: family.cloudflare-dns.com for the 1.1.1.3/1.0.0.3 resolver)
  • Google: dns.google
  • Quad9: dns.quad9.net
  • OpenDNS: dns.opendns.com
  • AdGuard DNS: dns.adguard-dns.com

Alternate method: per-Wi-Fi static DNS

If your device or Android version doesn’t offer Private DNS, or you only want the change to apply to one specific Wi-Fi network, you can set a static DNS IP on that network instead. This only affects the Wi-Fi network you edit — it does nothing for mobile data or any other Wi-Fi network you join.

  1. Open Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi, and tap the gear icon next to your connected network.
  2. Tap Edit (or the pencil icon), then expand Advanced options.
  3. Change IP settings from DHCP to Static.
  4. Scroll down to DNS 1 and DNS 2, and enter 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 (or the addresses for the resolver you chose).
  5. Tap Save.

Because static IP mode requires you to also fill in the gateway and network prefix correctly, most people find Private DNS simpler and less error-prone — use this method only if Private DNS isn’t available or isn’t working for you.

The 1.1.1.1 app option

Cloudflare also publishes the free 1.1.1.1 app (available on the Play Store), which sets Private DNS for you and can optionally add a lightweight VPN-style tunnel (WARP) for extra protection on untrusted networks. It’s a convenient option if you want a one-tap toggle, but it isn’t required — the built-in Private DNS setting above does the same core job without installing anything.

Verify it worked

After saving, reload this site and run the DNS speed test again — the resolver you configured should now show as the one your device is actually using. You can also confirm Private DNS is active by reopening Settings → Network & internet → Private DNS and checking that your hostname is still listed with no error.

If you want a network-level check, open a browser and visit a site you haven’t loaded recently; if the page loads and Private DNS shows no warning icon in the notification shade or settings, encrypted DNS is working.

Troubleshooting

  • “Couldn’t connect to Private DNS provider.” Android shows this if it can’t reach your hostname on port 853 — some restrictive Wi-Fi networks (hotels, offices, some mobile carriers) block DoT outbound. Try a different network, or switch that resolver’s hostname temporarily.
  • You typed an IP address instead of a hostname. The Private DNS field rejects IPs like 1.1.1.1 — you must use the hostname, e.g. 1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com.
  • Pages fail to load intermittently. Double-check for typos in the hostname (a missing dot or letter will silently fail to resolve). Re-enter it carefully or copy-paste it.
  • No speed improvement. DNS only affects the lookup step before a page starts loading — it won’t change your download or streaming speed. If the speed test still shows a fast time but pages feel slow, the bottleneck is elsewhere (signal strength, congestion, or the site itself).

Revert to your old settings

To turn Private DNS off, go back to Settings → Network & internet → Private DNS, select Automatic (uses encrypted DNS opportunistically with your network’s default) or Off (uses your carrier or router’s DNS with no encryption), and tap Save. If you used the per-Wi-Fi static method instead, reopen that network’s advanced settings and switch IP settings back to DHCP.