How to Configure Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1) on Your PC and Phone

Cloudflare launched a consumer DNS service on April 1, 2018. Cloudflare claims that it will be “the Internet’s fastest, privacy-first consumer DNS service.” Cloudflare’s DNS service uses https://1.1.1.1 and https://1.0.0.1 as DNS resolver. Anyone can configure and use Cloudflare DNS on their computer and mobile phone free of charge. Competing with OpenDNS and Google DNS, Cloudflare is focusing heavily on the privacy aspect of its own DNS service with a promise to clear all logs of DNS queries within 24 hours.

What is DNS? DNS services are usually provided by ISPs to resolve a domain name like “windospc.com” into a real IP address that routers and switches can understand. It’s one of the most important parts of the internet, but the DNS servers that ISPs provide are usually slow and unreliable. ISPs or any Wi-Fi network that you are connected to can use these DNS servers to track your browsing activities, which poses a privacy risk.

SEE ALSO: How to Make Your Computer a Web Server?

You can use Cloudflare DNS service on your PC and your Phone to speed up your internet. Configuring Cloudflare DNS on a PC is simple and doesn’t require any technical skills. However, you can’t configure Cloudflare DNS directly on your phone. To solve this issue, Cloudflare has launched an app that configures DNS on your phone without much intervention. You just install this app and you are good to go in a few taps. This app is available for both Android and iOS. This tutorial shows how to configure Cloudflare’s DNS service on your Windows PC and Android Phone. Let’s start with Windows PC.

A) Configure Cloudflare DNS on your Windows PC

Here is the list of Cloudflare DNS Addresses to use on Windows. You can also configure these DNS addresses on other platforms like macOS, and Linux as well.

IPv4: 1.1.1.1 & 1.0.0.1
IPv6: 2606:4700:4700::1111 & 2606:4700:4700::1001

To configure Cloudflare’s DNS service on a Windows PC, we need to make some changes to the network configuration. Follow these steps to use Cloudflare DNS on your Windows PC:

Step 1: Open Network Connection Settings

Open Control Panel and search “network connections”. In search results, click on View Network connections under Network and Sharing Center.

Search and open Network connections from Control Panel
Search and open Network Connections from the Control Panel

This will open the Network Connections manager. Right-click on your Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter and select Properties. In case you have multiple adapters showing in Network Connections, select the one that is showing “connected” and skip the ones that are disconnected (showing a red cross symbol in the bottom-left corner).

Right-click on adaptor and select Properties
Right-click on the adapter and select Properties

Step 2: Configure 1.1.1.1 DNS in Network Properties

In Network properties, you can manage the IP address and DNS address of the selected Network connection. Most of the systems use IPv4. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) from the list and click on the Properties button. You can take help from the following screenshot. Here we will configure Cloudflare DNS on your PC.

Select IPv4 and click on Properties
Select IPv4 and click on Properties

In most cases, the IP address is configured automatically via DHCP. You will see Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically options already selected. We need to change the DNS server address only, so, we will leave Obtain an IP address automatically settings as it is.

Under DNS settings, select Use the following DNS server addresses: option. Fields for entering the DNS server IP will be highlighted. In the Preferred DNS server enter 1.1.1.1 IP address. You can leave the Alternate DNS server blank but for redundancy, you can use 1.0.0.1 as the alternate DNS server.

Manually Configure Cloudflare DNS in your Computer
Manually Configure Cloudflare DNS in your Computer

After entering DNS server addresses, click OK and then click Close to close the Properties window.


SEE ALSO: How to Host Minecraft Server on Android Phone?


Step 3: Check DNS Configuration and Speed

After configuring the Cloudflare DNS server on your PC, restart your PC to flush the existing DNS cache or simply run the following commands in elevated Command Prompt (Run as Administrator).

ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /registerdns

The first command shown above flushes the existing DNS resolver cache and the second command will register your machine (computer) in Cloudflare’s DNS zone. You can run the nslookup command to check the default DNS server. If you have configured everything correctly, you should see “one.one.one.one” as Default Server.

Check DNS Configuration in Command Prompt
Check DNS Configuration in the Command Prompt

The independent DNS monitor DNSPerf has ranked Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1) as the fastest DNS service in the world. Below are the results based on the response time of DNS servers according to DNSPerf.

Cloudflare DNS Speed Comparison
Cloudflare DNS Speed Comparison

SEE ALSO: How to Make Your Computer a Time Server?


B) Configure and Use Cloudflare DNS on your Phone

Configuring Cloudflare’s DNS on your Android or iOS device is not as easy as on your Windows PC. To curb this issue, Cloudflare has introduced its App for Android and iOS. You can simply go to Play Store on an Android device or App Store on your iPhone or iPad and install Cloudflare’s DNS app and you are good to go. To install and configure the Cloudflare app on an Android device follow these steps:

Step 1: Install Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 App on Phone

Open Play Store on your phone, search for “1.1.1.1 faster and safer internet” and tap on Cloudflare’s app with the name 1.1.1.1 Faster & Safer Internet. Tap on INSTALL to install the app on your phone. The app will be downloaded and installed on your phone. Tap on OPEN to open Cloudflare’s DNS app.

Install Cloudflare App on Android or iPhone
Install the Cloudflare App on Android or iPhone

SEE ALSO: Common Tech Myths You Should Stop Believing in 2024.


Step 2: Install Cloudflare VPN Profile in your Phone

After opening the app for the first time, swap right to skip the introduction page. On the next page tap on Install VPN profile to configure Cloudflare DNS on your Android phone. Tap on OK when a pop-up for a connection request appears.

Install Cloudflare VPN Profile in your Phone
Install Cloudflare VPN Profile on your Phone

This app configures a VPN tunnel that redirects all your internet traffic through Cloudflare’s DNS servers.


Step 3: Use Cloudflare DNS on your Phone

After configuring Cloudflare’s VPN profile, you can tap on Done to complete the setup of the app. You will see a big switch in the center to connect or disconnect Cloudflare VPN. By default, this is turned OFF. Swipe the switch to the right to enable Cloudflare VPN and you are good to go. It will now show connected. You can also see a small key symbol at the top of the screen.

Turn on the toggle to use Cloudflare DNS on Phone
Turn on the toggle to use Cloudflare DNS on the Phone

SEE ALSO: How a Netflix VPN Improves Your Streaming Experience?


Configure and Use Cloudflare DNS on Mobile and Computer

Now, after you have successfully configured Cloudflare’s DNS server on your PC and Phone, you can enjoy a fast browsing experience. However, your browsing and downloading speed also depends on your connection speed but a faster DNS server makes a big difference. With the privacy and speed promised by Cloudflare, you can browse the internet freely.

We hope you liked the tutorial. Feel free to comment if you face any issues configuring Cloudflare’s DNS on your phone and PC. Enjoy, have fun, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest tutorials via email.

Editorial Staff

Hi there, we are the editorial staff at WINDOSPC (former HELLPC). We are a team of funny and technical people. Feel free to get in touch with us via Contact-Us page.

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