How to Flush DNS on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android

To flush DNS is to discard stored name-resolution answers so your device can request them again. Windows has a specific command; Mac commands depend on the operating-system generation, while iPhone and Android troubleshooting usually means refreshing the connection or app rather than pressing a universal DNS-flush button.［1］［2］

Key Takeaways:

• Flush the cache when an old or failed DNS answer is a plausible cause, not whenever a website looks different.
• System, browser, app, and upstream resolver caches are separate layers.
• On phones, reconnection and restart are diagnostic actions, not proof that every cache was erased.
• Keep the same website and record one change at a time so the result is interpretable.

When should you flush DNS instead of changing settings?

DNS translates names into addresses. A local resolver may reuse a stored positive answer or a stored failure until its lifetime expires. Clearing that local state is useful after a record changes, after a name-resolution error, or when a device appears to retain an answer from an earlier network. It does not change the website's authoritative records.［1］［3］

Start by recording the exact hostname, error text, current network, and whether other websites work. A page that loads but shows the wrong currency is different from a browser that cannot find its server. Currency and region can depend on account settings, cookies, payment details, and the website's own policy; stale DNS is only one possible routing factor.

If you need the wider networking model, read the beginner's explanation of VPN traffic paths. For an actual resolver-setting change, use the separate DNS configuration guide; clearing a cache does not choose a new DNS provider.

Choose the smallest useful test

Observation	Useful first comparison	What a cache flush cannot establish
One hostname fails after a record update	Retest that exact hostname after clearing local state	Whether the authoritative record is correct
Many sites fail on one network	Compare another permitted connection	Which router or resolver setting is responsible
Only one browser fails	Close it and compare another browser	Whether the operating-system cache was the cause
The page loads with unexpected regional content	Check account and exit location separately	Entitlement to a different regional offering
A certificate warning appears	Investigate certificate and time errors	That the connection is safe to continue

Treat the final row as a stop sign. A DNS-related symptom does not justify bypassing HTTPS verification. Use the certificate-warning checks before entering credentials.

How do you flush DNS on Windows?

Windows provides a local resolver-cache command documented by Microsoft. The display command is optional but useful when you need to distinguish “I ran something” from “I inspected the relevant layer.” Records loaded from a Hosts file need separate investigation; a flush does not edit that file.［1］

1. Save work in applications that depend on the network. Note the affected hostname and close the failing browser tabs.
2. Open Command Prompt from Start. If organizational policy or an access error requires elevation, use an administrator-approved elevated window; do not bypass a managed-device restriction.
3. Run ipconfig /displaydns if you want to inspect the existing local cache. Avoid posting the entire output publicly because it can reveal names you recently accessed.
4. Run ipconfig /flushdns. Read the returned message rather than assuming that pressing Enter succeeded.
5. Reopen the browser and request the same hostname. Record whether the error changed, disappeared, or remained identical.

Do not append ipconfig /release, a network-stack reset, or a firewall change to this test. Those commands do different jobs and can interrupt the connection. If the flush reports a service or permission error, preserve that message and stop repeating it blindly.

What counts as a successful result?

A success message confirms that Windows accepted the cache operation. A successful website request confirms that this particular request worked afterward. Neither proves that stale DNS was the only cause, especially if you also changed networks or restarted the browser.

For repeated name-resolution failures, move to the broader DNS failure checklist. Keep your before-and-after observations so the next test does not start from guesswork.

How do you clear the DNS cache on Mac?

Check the release in Apple menu > About This Mac before choosing a command. Cisco's older OS X table is historical context, not evidence for every later release. The University of Oklahoma's IT instructions explicitly list Catalina (10.15), Big Sur (11), Monterey (12), Ventura (13), Sonoma (14), and Tahoe (26) for the two-command method below. These are documented releases, not a continuous compatibility range: Sequoia (15) and any unlisted release need their own matching instructions.［2］［6］

For one of the listed releases on a device you administer, or with administrator approval:

1. Save network-dependent work and record the exact failing hostname and macOS version.
2. Open Terminal from Applications > Utilities, or find it with Spotlight.
3. Run sudo dscacheutil -flushcache. If prompted, enter the administrator password and press Return; password characters normally remain invisible.
4. Wait for the command to finish. Read any error and stop if permission is denied or the command is unavailable.
5. Run sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder. Enter the password if requested; stop on an error instead of trying commands for another release.
6. Close and reopen the affected browser, request the same hostname, and compare the outcome.

The commands may finish without a success sentence. No output does not independently verify every DNS layer. For an unlisted release, use its current support instructions or ask the administrator before sending signals to a system service. Do not install a “DNS cleaner” just to get a reassuring animation.

A browser may maintain resolution state separately. Closing all windows may still leave background processes, and clearing website data may sign you out without touching the resolver you intended. Follow browser-specific documentation instead of treating cookies, history, and DNS as interchangeable caches.

What can you safely do on iPhone and Android?

There is no single documented system-wide “flush DNS” control shared by all supported iPhone and Android releases. Start with official connection troubleshooting and describe what you actually changed: the network connection, the application process, or network settings. Do not label every successful restart as a verified DNS flush.［4］［5］

DNS cache on iPhone and iPad

1. Check the connected Wi-Fi network in Settings and confirm that the device really has network access.
2. Close the affected app, reopen it, and retry the same hostname or task.
3. Restart the device and repeat the test on the same network.
4. If permitted, compare another known network or cellular connection. Note that this changes the network path and resolver environment as well as refreshing the connection.
5. If the issue persists, consult the network owner before resetting settings or changing a managed VPN profile.

Apple describes network reset as a later troubleshooting step and warns that it removes saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and VPN/APN settings. That is a much broader operation than clearing DNS. Do not do it merely because a generic checklist lists it first.［4］

Android

1. Confirm which Wi-Fi or cellular connection is active.
2. Close and reopen the failing app, then test the same task.
3. Restart the phone according to the manufacturer's instructions.
4. Compare Wi-Fi and mobile data only when permitted and when you understand possible mobile-data charges.
5. Record any Private DNS or managed-network configuration before asking the administrator or manufacturer for help.

Google recommends restart and connection comparison for general Android connectivity failures. That advice does not guarantee removal of every browser, app, or upstream DNS record. Clearing an app's storage is also different: it can erase local account state and should not be a routine substitute for a cache test.［5］

What changes when you switch a VPN location?

A tunnel change can alter the network route and, depending on configuration, the resolver path. It need not clear answers already stored by your device or browser. Test the exit address and DNS behavior separately; a DNS answer alone does not identify the public source address the website receives.［3］

If your task includes comparing an authorized VPN route, AethoVPN lets you select an available location in its Windows or Android app and inspect the displayed server load. On Mac and iPhone/iPad, obtain a configuration through the official setup guide and connect with a VPN client; those configurations require Pro or Premium. Native-app selection steps do not transfer directly to those clients.

Connect, check the current exit IP and country, then retest the hostname after the appropriate local-cache step. This does not repair a compromised router, change account eligibility, or guarantee that a site will choose different regional content. New users can start the 3-day Pro trial; the trial is available once per user.

Keep that comparison small: one available location, one hostname, and one recorded result. If you switch the tunnel, delete cookies, change DNS settings, and reset the phone together, you cannot attribute the improvement to any single action.

When should you stop clearing caches?

Stop after one controlled attempt if the same error persists. Check whether the problem occurs on another device and whether the original network supplies unexpected settings. If several devices fail on the same network, repeatedly clearing each device is unlikely to repair an upstream problem.

Where DNS tampering is suspected, do not treat cache removal as malware remediation. A modified Hosts file, compromised router, or forced resolver can supply the same bad answer again. Preserve the hostname, time, network description, and relevant error; ask the responsible administrator to investigate configuration and security.

For support, provide the operating-system version, browser/app version, exact hostname, original error, commands used, and the before-and-after result. Redact passwords, tokens, account identifiers, and unrelated DNS history. A small useful record is better than an indiscriminate screenshot of private network details.

Summary

• Match the action to the cache layer and device version.
• Run one supported operation, then retest the same hostname.
• Keep phone reconnection and network reset distinct from verified DNS-cache clearing.
• Escalate persistent errors instead of adding unrelated resets.

FAQ

Does flushing DNS delete my browsing history?

It clears resolver state rather than browser history or cookies. History, login sessions, and browser-managed caches have their own storage and controls.

Does it change my public IP address?

No. Clearing cached name answers does not change your ISP address or VPN exit. Verify the exit separately when your task depends on it.

Should I flush DNS every day?

Usually not. Cache reuse is normal; use a flush as a targeted diagnostic step when stale or failed resolution is plausible.

Why does the same bad answer return?

The upstream resolver, authoritative record, Hosts configuration, or another cache layer may still supply it. Investigate the source instead of repeating the command.

Is restarting a phone a guaranteed DNS flush?

No universal guarantee follows from a restart. It is a connection troubleshooting action, and the remaining app and upstream state varies with the device and configuration.

Should I reset network settings first?

No. Save broad resets for a justified later step because they can remove saved connections and VPN settings. Ask the administrator first on managed devices.

Can a flush fix a certificate warning?

It cannot validate a certificate or make an untrusted connection safe. Investigate the warning and stop sensitive activity until the cause is understood.

Sources:

1. Microsoft — ipconfig: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/ipconfig

2. Cisco — Flush or Clear a DNS Cache on Computers and Servers: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/security/umbrella/224781-flush-or-clear-a-dns-cache-on-computers.html

3. RFC 1034 — Domain Names: Concepts and Facilities: https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1034

4. Apple — If you cannot connect to Wi-Fi on your iPhone or iPad: https://support.apple.com/en-us/111786

5. Google — Fix internet connection problems on Android devices: https://support.google.com/android/answer/2651367?hl=en

6. University of Oklahoma IT — Flushing DNS Cache: https://itsupport.ou.edu/TDClient/30/Unified/KB/PrintArticle?ID=157

Sources checked 5 October 2026.