# Android Private DNS: choose a setting and test it

Find Android’s Private DNS setting, understand provider hostnames, and investigate connection problems after a DNS change.

Website: https://zenshield.com/help/private-dns-android

Canonical URL: https://zenshield.com/help/private-dns-android

Page reviewed: 2026-09-12

Android’s Private DNS setting concerns DNS lookups. It is not a VPN connection and does not, by itself, change the IP address websites see.

## Find the setting

Search your device’s Settings for Private DNS. On Pixel, it is within the network settings. Manufacturers and Android versions can use different menu paths.

Google documents automatic, off and provider-hostname choices. For a custom provider, enter the hostname that provider publishes for this feature. Do not substitute a numeric DNS address where the setting requests a hostname.

Before changing anything, note the current selection. If a workplace or school manages the device, follow its configuration rather than replacing it.

## Test with one domain and one network

After saving, open a familiar website. If it fails, try another unrelated domain. Keep Wi-Fi or mobile data unchanged during this first comparison.

If only the custom setting fails, restore the previous setting and retest. A misspelled hostname, unreachable provider or network restriction can prevent resolution. Do not conclude that the VPN is broken merely because both settings were changed in the same session.

## Compare browser and device behavior

A browser may have its own encrypted DNS settings. A DNS test in that browser may therefore describe the browser’s chosen resolver rather than every application on the phone.

Run [a DNS test](https://zenshield.com/tools/dns-leak-test) and compare its resolver operator with your intended configuration. An unfamiliar resolver name is a reason to investigate, not an automatic leak verdict.

For a broader connection check, compare the [public IP](https://zenshield.com/tools/what-is-my-ip) and the actual app you use. Keep DNS, address routing and website location permissions as separate observations.

## Sources
- https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/2819583?hl=en-AU
- https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7858