What Is DNS and Why Does It Matter for Blocking?

The Domain Name System (DNS) is essentially the internet's phone book. When you type a website address like example.com, your device asks a DNS resolver to translate that name into an IP address. By default, your ISP provides this resolver — and ISPs can use it to block certain websites simply by refusing to resolve their domain names.

Switching to an independent DNS resolver is one of the fastest and easiest ways to bypass these types of blocks. It costs nothing, requires no extra software, and can be done in minutes on any device.

Popular Alternative DNS Resolvers

Provider Primary DNS Secondary DNS Notable Features
Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 1.0.0.1 Fast, privacy-focused, no logging
Google 8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4 Reliable, widely supported
OpenDNS 208.67.222.222 208.67.220.220 Optional content filtering options
Quad9 9.9.9.9 149.112.112.112 Malware-blocking, privacy-conscious

How to Change DNS on Windows 11 / 10

  1. Open Settings → Network & Internet.
  2. Click on your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) → Properties.
  3. Scroll down to DNS server assignment and click Edit.
  4. Switch from "Automatic (DHCP)" to Manual.
  5. Toggle on IPv4, then enter your preferred and alternate DNS addresses.
  6. Click Save.

To test: open Command Prompt and run nslookup example.com — it should show your new DNS server responding.

How to Change DNS on macOS

  1. Open System Settings → Network.
  2. Select your active connection and click Details.
  3. Click the DNS tab.
  4. Click the + button and add your preferred DNS addresses.
  5. Click OK and then Apply.

How to Change DNS on Android

Android 9 and later supports Private DNS (DNS-over-TLS), which encrypts your DNS queries as well as changing the resolver.

  1. Go to Settings → Network & Internet → Advanced → Private DNS.
  2. Select Private DNS provider hostname.
  3. Enter 1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com (for Cloudflare) or dns.google (for Google).
  4. Tap Save.

How to Change DNS on iPhone / iPad (iOS)

  1. Go to Settings → Wi-Fi.
  2. Tap the ⓘ icon next to your connected network.
  3. Scroll down to DNS and tap Configure DNS.
  4. Switch from "Automatic" to Manual.
  5. Remove existing entries and add your preferred DNS server addresses.
  6. Tap Save.

Note: On iOS, DNS changes apply per Wi-Fi network. Mobile data DNS is handled by your carrier and is harder to change without a dedicated app or configuration profile.

Going Further: DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH)

Standard DNS queries are unencrypted, meaning your ISP can still see which domains you're looking up even if you use a third-party resolver. DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) solves this by encrypting your DNS traffic inside regular HTTPS. Most major browsers now support DoH natively:

  • Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Enable DNS over HTTPS.
  • Chrome / Edge: Settings → Privacy and Security → Use secure DNS → select a provider.

Limitations to Be Aware Of

Changing DNS bypasses DNS-based blocks, which are the most common type imposed by ISPs. However, it will not bypass:

  • IP-level blocks — where the server's IP itself is blocked.
  • Deep packet inspection (DPI) — used by more sophisticated censorship systems.
  • HTTPS certificate errors — if a block intercepts and redirects HTTPS traffic.

For those more resistant blocks, combining a DNS change with a VPN or proxy will provide better results.