Did you know your mobile provider can track and document every website you visit?  You can stop them by using free private DNS services.  Using a private DNS service, in addition to controlling app permissions, preventing app access to the internet via a firewall, and  VPNs, are ways to significantly improve privacy on your phone. 

What is a DNS?

DNS is also known as the Domain Name System and it’s essentially the phonebook of the Internet.  A DNS service converts a human friendly hostname like atsanik.com into a computer-friendly IP address which is a series of numbers like 192.168.1.1. When a user wants to load a webpage, a translation must occur between a hostname, that’s typed into a browser, and the machine-friendly IP address. 

In most cases your internet or mobile provider provide DNS services.  That means they’ll know the websites you’ve visited.  Some jurisdictions allow these companies to sell their customers’ browsing data for financial gain.  In some countries, the law enforcement can request this data and implicate people depending on the websites they’ve visited. 

How Do I Change DNS on My Phone?

In the table below is a list of recommended free private DNS services.  To use one, copy the hostname and then in your phone go to the App Drawer –> Settings –> Network and Internet –> Advanced –> Private DNS and paste or type the hostname in the Private DNS provider hostname text field.