privacyguides.org/docs/dns.md

title	icon
DNS Resolvers	material/dns

!!! faq "Should I use encrypted DNS?"

You should only use DNS if your [threat model](/threat-modeling/) doesn't require you to hide any of your browsing activity. Encrypted DNS should only be used to get around basic [DNS blocking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNS_blocking) when you can be sure there won't be any consequences.

[Learn more about DNS](technology/dns.md){ .md-button }

Recommended Providers

DNS Provider	Privacy Policy	Type	Protocols	Logging	ECS	Filtering
AdGuard	:octicons-link-external-24:	Commercial	Cleartext DoH DoT DNSCrypt	Some1	No	Based on server choice. Filter list being used can be found here. :octicons-link-external-24:
Cloudflare	:octicons-link-external-24:	Commercial	Cleartext DoH DoT	Some2	No	Based on server choice.
ControlID	:octicons-link-external-24:	Commercial	Cleartext DoH DoT	Optional3	No	Based on server choice.
MullvadDNS	:octicons-link-external-24: 4	Commercial	DoH DoT	No	No	Based on server choice. Filter list being used can be found here. :octicons-link-external-24:
NextDNS	:octicons-link-external-24:	Commercial	Cleartext DoH DoT DNSCrypt	Optional5	No	Based on server choice.
Quad9	:octicons-link-external-24:	Non-Profit	Cleartext DoH DoT DNSCrypt	No	Optional	Based on server choice, Malware blocking by default.

The criteria for servers for this table are:

• Must support DNSSEC
• Must have anycast support
• QNAME Minimization

Native Operating System Support

Android

Android 9 and above support DNS over TLS. Android 13 will support DNS over HTTPS. The settings can be found in: Settings → Network & Internet → Private DNS.

Apple Devices

The latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and macOS, support both DoT and DoH. Both protocols are supported natively via configuration profiles or through the DNS Settings API.

After installation of either a configuration profile or an app that utilizes the DNS Settings API, the DNS configuration can be selected. If a VPN is active, resolution within the VPN tunnel will use the VPN's DNS settings and not your system-wide settings.

• iOS/iPadOS: Settings → General → VPN, DNS, & Device Management → DNS
• macOS: System Preferences → Profiles & System Preferences → Network
• tvOS: Settings → General → Privacy → hover on "Share Apple TV Analytics" → press the play button on the remote

Apple does not provide a native interface for creating encrypted DNS profiles. Secure DNS profile creator is an unofficial tool for creating your own encrypted DNS profiles, however they will not be signed. Signed profiles are preferred; signing validates a profile's origin and helps to ensure the integrity of the profiles. A green "Verified" label is given to signed configuration profiles. For more information on code signing, see About Code Signing.

• Signed profiles are offered by AdGuard, ControlD, NextDNS, Quad9.

Windows

Windows users can turn on DoH by accessing Windows settings in the control panel.

Select Settings → Network & Internet → Ethernet or WiFi, → Edit DNS Settings → Preferred DNS encryption → Encrypted only (DNS over HTTPS).

Linux

systemd-resolved doesn't yet support DoH, which many Linux distributions use to do their DNS lookups. If you want to use DoH, you'll need to install a proxy like dnscrypt-proxy and configure it to take all the DNS queries from your system resolver and forward them over HTTPS.

Encrypted DNS Proxies

Encrypted DNS proxy software provides a local proxy for the unencrypted DNS resolver to forward to. Typically it is used on platforms that don't natively support encrypted DNS.

RethinkDNS

!!! recommendation

![RethinkDNS logo](/assets/img/android/rethinkdns.svg#only-light){ align=right }
![RethinkDNS logo](/assets/img/android/rethinkdns-dark.svg#only-dark){ align=right }

**RethinkDNS** is an open-source Android client supporting [DNS-over-HTTPS](/dns/#dns-over-https-doh), [DNS-over-TLS](/dns/#dns-over-tls-dot), [DNSCrypt](/dns/#dnscrypt) and DNS Proxy along with caching DNS responses, locally logging DNS queries and can be used as a firewall too.

[Visit rethinkdns.com](https://rethinkdns.com){ .md-button .md-button--primary } [Privacy Policy](https://rethinkdns.com/privacy){ .md-button }

**Downloads**
- [:fontawesome-brands-google-play: Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.celzero.bravedns)
- [:pg-f-droid: F-Droid](https://f-droid.org/packages/com.celzero.bravedns)
- [:fontawesome-brands-github: Source](https://github.com/celzero/rethink-app)

DNSCloak

!!! recommendation

![DNSCloak logo](/assets/img/ios/dnscloak.png){ align=right }

**DNSCloak** is an open-source iOS client supporting [DNS-over-HTTPS](/dns/#dns-over-https-doh), [DNSCrypt](/dns/#dnscrypt), and [dnscrypt-proxy](https://github.com/DNSCrypt/dnscrypt-proxy/wiki) options such as caching DNS responses, locally logging DNS queries, and custom block lists. Users can [add custom resolvers by DNS stamp](https://medium.com/privacyguides/adding-custom-dns-over-https-resolvers-to-dnscloak-20ff5845f4b5).

[Visit github.com](https://github.com/s-s/dnscloak/blob/master/README.md){ .md-button .md-button--primary } [Privacy Policy](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1050No_pU74CAWUS5-BwQWyO2x_aiMzWc/view){ .md-button }

**Downloads**
- [:fontawesome-brands-app-store-ios: App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id1452162351)
- [:fontawesome-brands-github: Source](https://github.com/s-s/dnscloak)

dnscrypt-proxy

!!! recommendation

![dnscrypt-proxy logo](/assets/img/dns/dnscrypt-proxy.svg){ align=right }

**dnscrypt-proxy** is a DNS proxy with support for [DNSCrypt](/dns/#dnscrypt), [DNS-over-HTTPS](/dns/#dns-over-https-doh), and [Anonymized DNS](https://github.com/DNSCrypt/dnscrypt-proxy/wiki/Anonymized-DNS).

[Visit github.com](https://github.com/DNSCrypt/dnscrypt-proxy/wiki){ .md-button .md-button--primary } [Privacy Policy](https://www.libreoffice.org/about-us/privacy/privacy-policy-en/){ .md-button }

**Downloads**
- [:fontawesome-brands-github: Source](https://github.com/DNSCrypt/dnscrypt-proxy)

!!! warning "The anonymized DNS feature does not anonymize other network traffic."

---

1. We store aggregated performance metrics of our DNS server, namely the number of complete requests to a particular server, the number of blocked requests, the speed of processing requests. We keep and store the database of domains requested in the last 24 hours. We need this information to identify and block new trackers and threats. We also log how many times this or that tracker has been blocked. We need this information to remove outdated rules from our filters. ↩︎

2. Cloudflare collects and stores only the limited DNS query data that is sent to the 1.1.1.1 resolver. The 1.1.1.1 resolver service does not log personal data, and the bulk of the limited non-personally identifiable query data is only stored for 25 hours. ↩︎

3. Neither free nor premium service have logging enabled by default. Premium users can enable logging/analytics at will. ↩︎

4. Our public DNS service offers DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT), with QNAME minimization and basic ad blocking. It has been audited by the security experts at Assured. You can use this privacy-enhancing service even if you don't use Mullvad. ↩︎

5. NextDNS can provide insights and logging features on an opt-in basis. Users can choose retention times and log storage locations for any logs they choose to keep. ↩︎