Make Your Phone Internet Safer For Free

This article will go over changing DNS settings on Android and iPhones, and why changing your DNS Settings makes you safer.

What is DNS?

DNS stands for Domain Name System and each ISP uses one to route a domain name to an IP addresses. The reason why DNS is important, well it is easier to remember google.com instead of having to remember 142.250.70.206.

If you put that IP address into your browser you will see the exact same thing as google.com.

Can anyone change what DNS server they use?

Yes. You don’t need to use your ISP’s DNS server, you can use whichever public DNS you wish.

Settings can be changed via routers or end-user devices like phones or computers.

How does changing DNS keep me secure?

There are different DNS servers all around the world and not all of them are equal.

Many people change their DNS for different reasons, the most popular one being speed where Google and CloudFlare provide great services. Both Google and CloudFlare offer some security, but we will be looking specifically at blocking Malware.

Using Quad9 as your public DNS offers the speed and blocking Malware.

Change DNS Settings Android

Great part is, Quad9 offer an Android App that handles everything for you. If you don’t want “yet another app” then you can do it manually.

Go to: Settings > Internet / Network > Private DNS

Change the DNS Server to dns.quad9.net

That’s it. You now have at least some basic protection against malware. This isn’t a shield, you should still make the effort to spot malicious links.

Change DNS Settings iPhone

The settings are changed by tapping on the WiFi network, entering the DNS Server settings and adding them in.

This tutorial has pictures https://www.macinstruct.com/tutorials/how-to-change-your-iphones-dns-servers/

Quad9 DNS Settings

Below are the settings for the secure recommended configuration which provides Malware Blocking and DNSSEC Validation.

IPv4 = 9.9.9.9
Second IPv4 = 149.112.112.112

IPv6 = 2620:fe::fe
Second IPv6 = 2620:fe::9

HTTPS = https://dns.quad9.net/dns-query

TLS = tls://dns.quad9.net