If you’re concerned about online privacy and security, setting up private DNS settings on your Android TV can be an effective way to enhance your experience. Although these settings are hidden by default, they do exist under the hood and can be accessed using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB).
To configure private DNS on your Android TV, follow these steps:
Table of contents
Table of Contents
Connect to TV
Wired
- Enable developer options on your Android TV by going to
Settings → About → Buildand tapping on the build number seven times. Then, enable USB debugging in Developer Options. - Connect your Android TV to your computer using a USB cable and open a terminal or command prompt on your computer.
- On your computer run
adb devices, here you might be prompted on your TV to accept the connection. - Run
adb shellto start executing commands on your TV.
Wireless
- Make sure your computer and Android TV are on the same Wi-Fi network.
- Find the IP Address of your Android TV: • Go to Settings > Network & Internet. • Select your current network to view the IP address. • Note down the IP address of your TV.
- Enable developer options on your Android TV by going to
Settings → About → Buildand tapping on the build number seven times. Then, enable USB Debugging and Network Debugging in Developer Options. - On your computer, run
adb connect <ANDROID_TV_IP_ADDRESS>:5555
- On your computer run :
adb devices
here you might be prompted on your TV to accept the connection.
- Run
adb shell
to start executing commands on your TV.
Set up DNS Server
- Use ADB to set up a private DNS server by entering the command
settings put global private_dns_mode hostname
- Followed by
settings put global private_dns_specifier one.one.one.one
Replace one.one.one.one with the DNS with the DoT (DNS over TLS) address of your preferred private DNS server. one.one.one.one is for CloudFlare.
Heads up!
If you encounter an error pasting and executing these commands, try typing them manually.
Verify and Disconnect
- Use the command
settings get global private_dns_mode
settings get global private_dns_specifier
to verify that the private DNS server is set up correctly and the settings are reflected.
- Disconnect your Android TV from your computer:
adb disconnect
There are several private DNS providers to choose from, such as Cloudflare, Google, OpenDNS, and AdGuard. However. My personal favorite is the paid DNS service Control D.
Caveat!
While most apps will respect the private DNS settings you’ve set including system apps, some apps may not. Netflix, for instance, will always use your router’s DNS settings, so it might be beneficial to set up DNS over TLS on the router level if your router supports it.
By encrypting your DNS requests, private DNS servers can help protect you from third-party tracking and censorship. Although the process of setting up private DNS settings on Android TV may seem technical, it’s a worthwhile step to take for enhanced online privacy and security.