How to change DNS on Android for better Internet
Changing DNS on Android or on Windows and macOS is super easy and smooth. If you know why you want to change your existing DNS (Domain Name System) then most probably you also be knowing the benefits of having a good DNS. People switch from their default DNS provided by their ISP (internet service provider) to other third party DNS service providers for many reasons . But before we get into the technicalities and the procedure, lets understand what is a DNS?
You definitely must be knowing this “172.217.160.228”. No? C’mon, you know this for sure. Ok, let me tell you, this exact number is Google.com! Don’t believe me? Copy and paste this number in a new tab and hit enter and bam! It’s Google. You got my point? Names are easy to remember than long strange numbers. So, the purpose of DNS is to change or resolve the name into the correct number and the number is known as IP address.
You must also be wondering why we can’t have names for humans and machine as well, why to use numbers for machines and names for humans? because number are easier for machine to work on. Every website has unique IP address. Whenever you type anysite.com then DNS will find the IP address associated with that name and then you access the website.
Also Read – How to unblock blocked websites at school/college or Office
But some DNS are not very fast and take more time than required the resolve the IP address. If you also believe that your DNS is taking long to resolve the address then you can also switch to other third party DNS providers.
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Steps to change DNS setting on Android
- Open Setting
- Tap on WiFi
- Long press your current network
- Tap on “Modify network“
- Tick on “Show advance Options” check box
- Change “IP Setting” from DHCP to Static
- Type in DNS server IPs in “DNS1” and “DNS2” and click Save.
- Reconnect to your network to implement changes.
*Note- DNS1 is Primary DNS server and DNS2 is secondary DNS server. This done because if one server goes down i.e. primary DNS then secondary or backup server is always there to serve your request.
Also the above method only applies to the network you have changed the settings while rest and cellular network will continue to use their default settings. For this reasons app are better option as they work on all networks.
FREE Apps to change DNS on Android
There are also apps available on Android Playstore to configure these DNS setting. Use these apps to change DNS setting on Android.
dnspipe -You have to manually enter the DNS server IP.
Change DNS – I would recommend this app to change DNS on Android as here you have some pre-installed DNS setting with an option to enter manually any DNS server IP address.
Hold on! What value to put in the fields DNS1 and DNS2? If you have a particular DNS provider then enter the values and go on. But if you are not sure which one is better, we will help you decide with the best DNS option.
Some best third party FREE DNS providers
Cloudfare – Fastest DNS Server (FREE)
Primary DNS servers (DNS1) : 1.1.1.1
Secondary DNS servers (DNS2): 1.0.0.1
In many different tests conducted by independent authority, Cloudfare came out with flying colors in speed and performance. If speed and performance is your top priority then pause right here and set Cloudfare as your default DNS server. BUT if you also want a security wall then other alternatives are also there.
OpenDNS
Primary DNS servers (DNS1): 208.67.222.222
Secondary DNS servers (DNS2): 208.67.220.220
This particular DNS service owned by Cisco comes in two versions; Free and Commercial. For daily users free version is more than enough which provides 100% uptime, high speeds, parental control and most importantly protection from fraud phishing websites. While the paid version also lets you view browsing history of your internet upto a year and you can even restrict other users on your network from accessing website based on content. Which means you can block all adult, social media or any other websites based on content.
Google Public DNS
Primary DNS Server (DNS1): 8.8.8.8
Secondary DNS servers (DNS2): 8.8.4.4
When it comes to web related services then how we can miss Google! Privacy is good with high speed DNS servers which everyone looks for. Everything is good and matches industry standards. If you are not very much sure and trust then going for Google DNS won’t disappoint you.
Also Read – Fix your slow WiFi by changing router’s channel
There are many more but these three are industry leading with reliable service. Don’t get an image that number three is bad or three is bad, the difference in speed is only by few milliseconds. You can even try using all three and see which one is good for you.
That was it on How to Change DNS on Android. If you have any doubt or facing any issue then you can let us know in the comment section below. Did you learn something new today? If yes, help others by sharing it with your friends.
