Private DNS for Jio and Airtel: Settings for Phone, PC and Router
Every Indian ISP hands your devices its own DNS server by default. Switching to a public DNS provider is one of the simplest network tweaks you can make, and it’s a common first step when a site loads slowly or won’t load at all. This guide covers how to do it on the devices most people use, on any ISP: Jio, Airtel, ACT, BSNL, Vi or anyone else.
Short version for Jio and Airtel users: on a phone using mobile data, use Android’s Private DNS setting (steps below). At home on Wi-Fi, change DNS on your router if its settings allow it, or on each device if they don’t.
Which DNS server to use
These are the three big public options. All three are free.
| Provider | IPv4 addresses | Private DNS / DoH hostname |
|---|---|---|
8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4 | dns.google | |
| Cloudflare | 1.1.1.1, 1.0.0.1 | one.one.one.one |
| Quad9 | 9.9.9.9, 149.112.112.112 | dns.quad9.net |
Quad9 also blocks known malicious domains by design. The fastest one for you depends on your network. Our Fastest DoH / Secure DNS Provider tool times all of them from your own connection, though note that it measures the encrypted (DoH) connection, which isn’t identical to plain DNS speed.
Android: Private DNS (works on Jio and Airtel mobile data)
Android 9 and later has a Private DNS setting that applies to both Wi-Fi and mobile data, which makes it the best option on a phone.
- Open Settings, then search for Private DNS. It’s usually under Network & internet, or on Samsung phones under Connections > More connection settings.
- Choose Private DNS provider hostname.
- Enter a hostname from the table, for example
dns.google, and save.
Menu names vary between phone brands, which is why searching Settings for “Private DNS” is the quickest route.
iPhone (Wi-Fi only)
iOS has no simple global setting. You can set DNS per Wi-Fi network: Settings > Wi-Fi, tap the (i) next to your network, choose Configure DNS > Manual, remove the existing servers and add the IPv4 addresses from the table. It does not apply to mobile data.
Windows
On Windows 11: Settings > Network & internet, choose Wi-Fi or Ethernet, open your connection’s properties, and next to DNS server assignment click Edit. Switch to Manual, turn on IPv4, and enter the addresses. Windows 11 can also encrypt the queries: the same screen has a DNS over HTTPS option for the well-known providers.
On Windows 10 the path is Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings > right-click your adapter > Properties > Internet Protocol Version 4 > Use the following DNS server addresses. Windows 10 doesn’t have the built-in encrypted option, so use your browser’s setting below if you want that.
In your browser only
Chrome and Edge: Settings > Privacy and security > Security, turn on Use secure DNS and pick a provider. Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll to DNS over HTTPS. This only affects that browser, not other apps.
On your router (every device at once)
Log in to your router (the address and password are usually on its label), find the DNS setting under the WAN / Internet or DHCP / LAN section, enter a primary and secondary DNS, save, and reboot. Every device that gets its settings from the router will then use them. Some ISP-supplied routers lock this setting, in which case set DNS on the devices instead.
Changing DNS on a Jio or Airtel home router
The menus differ by router model and firmware, and ISPs sometimes change what the customer login can edit, so treat the steps above as a map rather than exact clicks. A few things that hold for most setups:
- There is no router DNS on mobile data. If you are on Jio or Airtel mobile data, including a phone used as a hotspot, the only DNS setting you control is on the device, which means Android’s Private DNS above.
- Look for the DNS field in two places. Some routers put it under the internet (WAN) connection, others under the DHCP or LAN settings that tell your devices which DNS to use. If you find only one, try it, then check the result with a DNS lookup from a device on your Wi-Fi.
- If the field is missing or greyed out, the router’s DNS is probably fixed by the ISP’s configuration. Set DNS on each device instead (Android Private DNS, Windows, or your browser), which works regardless of what the router does.
- Check that it worked. After saving, reconnect a device and run our DNS Lookup Tool or your device’s network details to confirm the new servers are in use.
What changing DNS can and can’t fix
Changing DNS can help when your ISP’s DNS server is slow or unreliable, or when a site fails because of a DNS-level problem. It won’t help with everything. A March 2026 study of blocking across six major Indian ISPs, reported by MediaNama, found DNS manipulation is only one of four techniques in use, alongside HTTP-based, SNI-based and IP/TCP-level blocking. A different DNS server does nothing about those. If a site still won’t load after switching, our guide to why some websites don’t load on Jio or Airtel explains how to check what’s going on, and our DNS Lookup Tool shows what a domain resolves to.
It also changes who can see your DNS queries: your ISP no longer sees them if you use an encrypted option, but your chosen DNS provider does. Pick one whose privacy policy you’re comfortable with.