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How to Change Your DNS on Windows (10 and 11)

A clear, step-by-step guide to changing your DNS server on Windows 11 and Windows 10, including how to turn on encrypted DNS-over-HTTPS and verify it worked.

Updated 4 min

Windows Beginner ~4 min

  1. Open Network settings

    Press Windows + I to open Settings, then go to Network & internet. Select your active connection — Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

  2. Open the connection's properties

    Click your network name (Wi-Fi) or "Hardware properties" (Ethernet) to open its detail page.

  3. Edit the DNS server assignment

    Find "DNS server assignment", which will read Automatic (DHCP), and click the Edit button beside it.

  4. Switch to Manual and enable IPv4

    In the dropdown, choose Manual, then turn the IPv4 switch to On.

  5. Enter your DNS addresses

    Set Preferred DNS to 1.1.1.1 and Alternate DNS to 1.0.0.1 (or the resolver you chose from the speed test). For a family-safe option, use 1.1.1.3 and 1.0.0.3.

  6. Turn on encrypted DNS (optional)

    On Windows 11, set "DNS over HTTPS" to On (automatic template) to encrypt your lookups. Then click Save.

Why change your DNS on Windows

By default, Windows uses whatever DNS server your internet provider hands out, which is often slower or less private than the public alternatives. Switching takes a few minutes, costs nothing, and is completely reversible. A quicker resolver can shorten the delay before websites start loading — though it will not change your download speed.

Before you start, run the DNS speed test to see which resolver is fastest from your connection. Copy its primary and secondary addresses, then follow the steps above.

Windows 10: the Control Panel method

Windows 10 hides DNS settings in the classic Control Panel:

  1. Open Control Panel → Network and Internet → Network and Sharing Center.
  2. Select Change adapter settings, right-click your connection, and choose Properties.
  3. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.
  4. Choose Use the following DNS server addresses, enter 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1, and click OK.

Repeat for Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) with the IPv6 addresses if your network uses IPv6.

Verify it worked

Open Command Prompt and run:

ipconfig /all

Look for the DNS Servers line under your adapter — it should show the addresses you entered. To clear cached lookups so the change takes effect immediately, run:

ipconfig /flushdns

Then reload this page and run the speed test again. Your new resolver should appear at the top.

Turn on encrypted DNS (DNS-over-HTTPS)

Windows 11 can encrypt your DNS queries so others on your network cannot see which sites you look up. When you set the DNS server manually, choose On (automatic template) for DNS over HTTPS. Windows recognizes the major resolvers automatically. If your resolver is not recognized, select Manual template and paste its DoH URL.

Troubleshooting

  • A website won’t load. Revert DNS server assignment to Automatic (DHCP), save, and try a different resolver. A single site failing is almost always unrelated to DNS.
  • The setting won’t save. Make sure the IPv4 toggle is On before entering addresses, and that you typed the addresses without extra spaces.
  • No change in speed. DNS only affects the lookup step. If pages are still slow, the bottleneck is elsewhere — your connection, the site, or Wi-Fi signal.

Revert to your old settings

To undo everything, return to the same DNS screen, set the assignment back to Automatic (DHCP), and save. Windows will resume using your provider’s DNS immediately.