Want to change DNS to improve speed and privacy? Open your device's network settings, find the active adapter, and enter a trusted public DNS address such as Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1. The process is simple on Windows, macOS, and most home routers.

Key Takeaways

Better browsing: changing the default DNS can reduce slow page loads and some ISP-driven ad redirects.

More privacy: your ISP's default DNS may log the domains you request. A privacy-focused third-party DNS resolver can be a better choice.

Whole-home coverage: changing DNS on your router applies the setting to every device connected through Wi-Fi.

What is DNS, and why change it?

So why change DNS if your internet already works?

Reduce ISP visibility: by default, you often use DNS assigned by your ISP. If you want to know whether your ISP can see you use a VPN, DNS queries are part of that story. Without encryption, an ISP may see which domains you request［1］.
Avoid DNS hijacking and improve stability: if mistyped domains send you to strange ad pages, ISP DNS hijacking may be involved. High-quality third-party DNS services usually return cleaner, more accurate answers.
Improve loading speed: large DNS providers such as Cloudflare and Google have global infrastructure, so they often respond faster than older local ISP resolvers［2］.

Trusted public DNS options

Provider	Notes	Primary DNS (IPv4)	Secondary DNS (IPv4)
Cloudflare	Very fast, with a public commitment not to sell user data［2］.	`1.1.1.1`	`1.0.0.1`
Google Public DNS	Stable, widely used, and globally distributed［3］.	`8.8.8.8`	`8.8.4.4`
OpenDNS	Includes family controls and phishing protection features.	`208.67.222.222`	`208.67.220.220`

How to change DNS on Windows

Windows 10 and Windows 11 place the settings in slightly different menus, but the goal is the same: find the active adapter and enter DNS manually.

Windows 10 steps

Open the Start menu and choose Settings.
Go to Network & Internet.
Scroll to advanced network settings and choose Change adapter options.
Right-click your active connection, such as Ethernet or WLAN, and choose Properties.
Double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).
Select Use the following DNS server addresses.
Enter a preferred and alternate DNS address, such as 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1.
Click OK and reconnect to the network.

Windows 11 steps

Open Settings.
Choose Network & Internet.
Click Advanced network settings.
Select the active adapter, such as Wi-Fi, then open its additional properties.
Find DNS server assignment and click Edit.
Change Automatic (DHCP) to Manual.
Turn on IPv4 and enter preferred and alternate DNS addresses.
Click Save.

How to change DNS on Mac

Recent macOS versions use System Settings; older versions call it System Preferences.

Click the Apple menu and open System Settings.
Choose Network.
Select the active connection, such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet, then click Details or Advanced.
Open DNS.
Click + and add a DNS address, such as 8.8.8.8, then add 8.8.4.4.
Remove old DNS entries with - if you no longer need them.
Click OK, then turn Wi-Fi off and on again.

How to change DNS on a router

If you have many devices, router-level DNS is easier than changing each one.

Enter your router admin address in a browser, commonly 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1.
Sign in with the administrator username and password.
Look for Network Settings, WAN Settings, or Internet Settings.
Find Primary DNS and Secondary DNS.
Enter your chosen addresses, such as 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220.
Save and restart the router.

Should you change IPv6 DNS too?

Many modern operating systems and routers support IPv6. If your ISP supports it, use the same network settings path and choose Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6), then enter the provider's IPv6 DNS address, such as Cloudflare's 2606:4700:4700::1111. If IPv6 is not enabled on your network, IPv4 DNS is enough for most users.

Smart DNS vs. VPN: what is the difference?

Smart DNS reroutes only DNS queries related to location checks. Local traffic usually stays untouched. That can help with some streaming geo-restrictions, but it does not encrypt traffic and does not change your real IP identity.

A VPN creates a fully encrypted tunnel, hides your IP, and protects upstream and downstream traffic, including DNS queries. Read our complete VPN guide for the deeper explanation. If you care about privacy, censorship resistance, and streaming, a full VPN is usually the stronger answer.

Summary

Where it helps: changing DNS can improve resolution speed and stability on Windows, Mac, or a router.
Good defaults: Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 and Google's 8.8.8.8 are common trusted options.
Limits: DNS can reduce some ISP hijacking, but it does not encrypt traffic. For stronger privacy, pair it with a no-logs VPN.

FAQ

What happens if I change DNS to 8.8.8.8?

Your domain lookups go through Google Public DNS. This often improves stability and reduces strange redirects caused by local DNS hijacking.

Which DNS service is the fastest and most popular?

Many network tests show Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 as one of the fastest public DNS services, with low latency and a clear privacy policy［2］.

Can beginners change DNS safely?

Yes. Changing DNS is usually safe and does not touch sensitive system data. If you enter the wrong address and lose connectivity, switch back to automatic DNS.

Can I change DNS on a phone connected to Wi-Fi?

Yes. iOS and Android usually allow manual or static DNS inside the connected Wi-Fi network details.

Can I mix 1.1.1.1 and 8.8.8.8?

Yes. Many users set 1.1.1.1 as primary and 8.8.8.8 as secondary for speed and redundancy.

Disclaimer: This article provides general educational information about network optimization. Incorrect configuration may temporarily block local network access.

AethoVPN can handle the network path in “Change DNS”, but not its non-network requirements.

Sources:

［1］ EFF - Your ISP Can Monitor You, But They Aren't The Only Ones
［2］ Cloudflare - 1.1.1.1 Public DNS Resolver
［3］ Google Developers - Google Public DNS

Sources checked 8 May 2026.

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