What Is Private DNS? Should You Use It in 2025?

Private DNS has become one of the most important internet privacy and security features in 2025. If you’ve ever seen the “Private DNS” option on your Android phone or router and wondered what it means, this complete guide explains everything. Private DNS, also called DNS-over-TLS or secure DNS, encrypts your DNS requests, hides your browsing activity, enhances privacy, strengthens security, and can even speed up your connection. Instead of using your ISP’s DNS, Private DNS routes your traffic through trusted encrypted servers like Cloudflare, Google, Quad9, or AdGuard. In this 1500-word guide, you’ll learn what Private DNS is, how it works, its advantages, disadvantages, and whether you should use it in your daily browsing.

Table of Contents

• What Is DNS?
• What Is Private DNS?
• How Private DNS Works
• Benefits of Using Private DNS
• Drawbacks of Private DNS
• Best Private DNS Providers in 2025
• Should You Use Private DNS on Android?
• Should You Enable Private DNS on Your Wi-Fi Router?
• Does Private DNS Increase Internet Speed?
• Final Verdict: Should You Use Private DNS?
• Conclusion

What Is DNS?

To understand Private DNS, you first need to know how DNS works. DNS stands for Domain Name System, which acts like the internet’s phonebook. When you enter a website like “google.com,” your device needs to translate that name into an IP address so it knows where to connect. This process is called DNS resolution.

For example:

• You type: instagram.com
• Your device looks up: 157.240.20.174
• Your device connects to Instagram using that IP address

This entire lookup process happens in milliseconds. However, standard DNS has one major flaw: it is not encrypted. This means your ISP, network, or hacker on public Wi-Fi can see which websites you visit simply by monitoring your DNS requests.

What Is Private DNS?

Private DNS is a more secure version of DNS that encrypts all DNS requests. When enabled, your device uses DNS-over-TLS (DoT) or DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) to make sure no one can see which websites you are trying to access.

In simple words:

Private DNS hides your website lookups and protects your privacy.

When you use Private DNS:

• Your DNS traffic becomes encrypted
• Your ISP cannot track websites you open
• Apps cannot monitor your DNS queries
• Hackers on public Wi-Fi cannot spy on your activity
• Malicious websites may be blocked by your DNS provider

Because of these benefits, Private DNS has become a common feature in modern Android devices, routers, laptops, and smart home networks.

How Private DNS Works

Private DNS creates a secure encrypted tunnel between your device and a trusted DNS server. When you type a website name, instead of sending a plain-text DNS request, your device encrypts the request before sending it. Only the Private DNS server can decrypt it.

Without Private DNS:

• Your DNS queries are visible
• Anyone on the network can monitor them
• Your ISP can track your browsing activity
• Malware can hijack DNS requests

With Private DNS Enabled:

• Your DNS traffic is encrypted end-to-end
• No one can track what websites you visit
• DNS spoofing or hijacking becomes difficult
• Your internet experience becomes safer and more private

Private DNS does not change how you browse the internet; it simply adds a layer of protection over the standard DNS process.

Benefits of Using Private DNS

Enabling Private DNS can provide several major advantages:

1. Enhanced Privacy

Your ISP usually keeps logs of every website you visit using DNS queries. Private DNS prevents ISPs from tracking your browsing activity, giving you more control over your online privacy.

2. Better Security

Many Private DNS providers block malicious websites, phishing pages, spam domains, and harmful IP addresses. This gives you automatic protection even before you open a dangerous website.

3. Faster Browsing Speeds

Some DNS providers like Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) and Google DNS are faster than your ISP's DNS. They reduce lookup times, making websites load a little quicker.

4. Safe Public Wi-Fi Browsing

Public Wi-Fi networks are unsafe because attackers can intercept DNS traffic. Private DNS encrypts these requests, preventing eavesdropping and data theft.

5. Ad and Tracker Blocking (AdGuard DNS)

Using AdGuard DNS can block:

• Ads
• Popup banners
• Tracking scripts
• Malicious ad networks

This happens at the DNS level, without needing an app or browser extension.

6. Prevents DNS Hijacking

Some malicious networks try to redirect you to fake websites using DNS hijacking. Private DNS protects against this attack by encrypting your requests.

Drawbacks of Private DNS

While Private DNS is useful, there are a few limitations:

1. Some Websites May Not Load

A few local websites or ISP-specific portals may not work with encrypted DNS providers.

2. Banking and UPI Apps May Fail With AdGuard DNS

If the DNS blocks trackers aggressively, some apps may not function correctly.

3. Cannot Bypass ISP Speed Throttling

Private DNS improves privacy, not your overall internet speed.

4. Slightly Higher Battery Usage

Encrypting DNS uses a small amount of additional processing power—but this is usually negligible.

Best Private DNS Providers in 2025

Here are the top trusted Private DNS providers recommended for 2025:

1. Cloudflare DNS – Fastest Option

Hostname: one.one.one.one

Cloudflare offers high speed, strong privacy, and global reliability. Ideal for performance-focused users.

2. Google DNS – Most Stable

Hostname: dns.google

Highly stable, available worldwide, and known for consistent uptime.

3. AdGuard DNS – Best for Ad Blocking

Hostname: dns.adguard.com

Blocks ads, trackers, malware, and intrusive websites.

4. Quad9 DNS – Best for Security

Hostname: dns.quad9.net

Nonprofit DNS service dedicated to cybersecurity and malware blocking.

Should You Use Private DNS on Android?

Yes. Android supports Private DNS natively, and enabling it provides instant privacy benefits. If you use your phone for online banking, browsing, gaming, or social media, Private DNS ensures your network traffic stays private and secure.

Most modern Android phones (Android 9 and above) include a Private DNS feature under:

Settings → Network & Internet → Private DNS

Should You Enable Private DNS on Your Wi-Fi Router?

Enabling Private DNS at the router level ensures that every connected device—phones, laptops, TVs, smart home gadgets—uses secure and encrypted DNS by default.

This improves:

• Network security
• DNS privacy for all users
• Tracking protection
• Malware blocking at the network level

Does Private DNS Increase Internet Speed?

Private DNS does not increase your download or upload speed, but it can make websites load faster by reducing DNS lookup time. Providers like Cloudflare are optimized for speed and can improve overall page load performance.

Final Verdict: Should You Use Private DNS?

Yes — most users should enable Private DNS.

Whether you want stronger privacy, better security, or faster browsing, Private DNS provides meaningful benefits with almost no downside. Choose a provider based on your needs:

• Best overall: Cloudflare (one.one.one.one)
• Best for ad blocking: AdGuard (dns.adguard.com)
• Best for malware protection: Quad9 (dns.quad9.net)

Conclusion

Private DNS is a powerful tool in 2025 for improving online privacy, boosting security, and ensuring safer browsing across all your devices. It encrypts DNS queries, hides your activity from ISPs and trackers, blocks malicious websites, and adds an extra layer of protection without slowing down your connection. Whether you're using Android, iOS, Windows, or a home router, enabling Private DNS is one of the easiest and most effective steps you can take to safeguard your digital life.

If you want a more private, secure, and fast online experience, turning on Private DNS is highly recommended.