Why Change DNS Servers?
By default your devices use the resolver of your internet provider. Public resolvers are an alternative when the provider’s resolver is slow or unreliable, when you want malware or adult-content filtering, or when you prefer a resolver with a clear privacy policy. Changing DNS does not hide your traffic from your provider and is not a VPN.
The Main Options
| Service | IPv4 addresses | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Google Public DNS | 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4 | Unfiltered; very widely used |
| Cloudflare | 1.1.1.1, 1.0.0.1 | Unfiltered; 1.1.1.2 blocks malware, 1.1.1.3 also blocks adult content |
| Quad9 | 9.9.9.9, 149.112.112.112 | Blocks known malicious domains; run by a non-profit foundation |
| OpenDNS (Cisco) | 208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220 | FamilyShield variant available for content filtering |
All four support IPv6 as well as encrypted DNS (DNS over HTTPS and DNS over TLS). Check each provider’s own page for current details and privacy terms.
Which One Is Fastest?
It depends on where you are. Speed is mostly determined by the distance to the provider’s nearest server and whether popular names are already cached there. The differences are usually a few milliseconds. Choose based on filtering and privacy, then test what feels responsive.
How to Change DNS Servers
Windows 10 and 11
Settings → Network & Internet → your connection → DNS server assignment → Edit → Manual. Enter the preferred and alternate addresses. Windows 11 can also enable DNS over HTTPS here for supported providers.
macOS
System Settings → Network → your connection → Details → DNS, then add the addresses.
Android
Settings → Network & internet → Private DNS. Enter a hostname such as dns.google, one.one.one.one or dns.quad9.net. This encrypts DNS on every network.
iPhone and iPad
Settings → Wi-Fi → the ⓘ icon next to the network → Configure DNS → Manual. This applies to that Wi-Fi network only.
Router
Changing DNS on the router applies it to every device on the network. The setting is usually under WAN or DHCP settings.
Check That It Worked
After changing, flush the DNS cache (ipconfig /flushdns on Windows) and open a few sites. If a site does not load, check it with Is My Site Down. To compare how different resolvers answer for a domain, use our DNS Propagation Checker.