“Private DNS Server Cannot Be Accessed” on Android: How to Fix It

The “Private DNS server cannot be accessed” warning means your Android phone can’t connect to the Private DNS server set on it. In this case the phone looks connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data, but sites won’t open or apps show a “No internet connection” error.

In this article we explain step by step why the error happens and how to fix it in a few minutes.

What Is Private DNS and Why Does It Fail?

Private DNS is a feature in Android 9 and later. It encrypts your DNS queries with DNS-over-TLS and sends them to the DNS provider you choose, so the network you’re on can’t see which sites you look up. This connection usually uses port 853.

When the phone can’t reach this server, it can’t translate domain names into IP addresses and the internet appears not to work. The most common causes:

• The provider hostname is misspelled, or an IP address was entered instead of a hostname
• The Wi-Fi network (school, workplace, hotel, café) blocks port 853
• You’re on a network with a login page (captive portal) and haven’t signed in
• A temporary outage at the chosen DNS provider
• A conflict with VPN or ad-blocker apps
• The phone’s date and time are wrong (the encrypted connection requires certificate validation)

Quick Fix: Set Private DNS to Automatic

If you need internet access right away, the fastest fix is to set Private DNS to Automatic or Off:

1. Go to Settings → Network & internet → Private DNS.
2. Select Automatic and tap Save.

On Samsung phones the path is Settings → Connections → More connection settings → Private DNS. Menu names may differ on Xiaomi and other brands; you can find it by typing “DNS” in the settings search bar.

In Automatic mode, the phone uses encrypted DNS if the network supports it and falls back to normal DNS if it doesn’t, so no error appears.

If You Want to Keep Using Private DNS

1. Check the hostname

The Private DNS field takes a hostname, not an IP address. For example, typing 8.8.8.8 won’t work. Hostnames of common providers:

Provider	Private DNS hostname
Google Public DNS	dns.google
Cloudflare	one.one.one.one
Quad9	dns.quad9.net
AdGuard DNS	dns.adguard-dns.com

There must be no spaces, “https://” or slashes at the start or end of the address.

2. Try a different provider

Your provider may be having an outage. Temporarily switch to another address in the table and see whether the problem goes away.

3. Compare Wi-Fi and mobile data

If the error only appears on a particular Wi-Fi network, that network most likely blocks port 853 or is waiting for a login page. On such networks, set Private DNS to Automatic; if the network has a login page, sign in first.

4. Turn off VPN and ad blockers

VPN apps and ad blockers that use a local VPN route DNS traffic through themselves. Used together with Private DNS, they can conflict. Turn off the VPN and try again.

5. Set the date and time automatically

Turn on automatic time under Settings → System → Date & time.

6. Restart the phone and the router

Simple but often effective. If the problem is on your home network, also turn the router off and back on after a few minutes.

7. Reset network settings

If the other steps don’t work, go to Settings → System → Reset options → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth. Saved Wi-Fi passwords are deleted.

If You Use Private DNS for Ad Blocking

Ad-blocking DNS providers such as AdGuard can also block some sites or app features. If a particular app doesn’t work, briefly set Private DNS to Automatic and try. For details, see our article ad-blocking DNS.

If the Problem Continues

• If there’s still no internet with Private DNS off, the problem isn’t DNS but the network or carrier.
• If you get a similar error on a computer, check your computer’s DNS settings and flush the DNS cache.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off Private DNS reduce security?

When it’s off, your DNS queries travel unencrypted and the network you’re on can see which domains you look up. The HTTPS encryption between you and websites isn’t affected. Automatic mode is a good middle ground because it uses encrypted DNS when possible.

Can I type 1.1.1.1 in the Private DNS field?

No. Android expects a hostname in this field; for Cloudflare you should type one.one.one.one.

Why does the error only appear at school or work?

Organisational networks usually block encrypted DNS connections to route DNS traffic to their own servers. On these networks, set Private DNS to Automatic.

Does iPhone have Private DNS?

iPhone doesn’t have a single Private DNS setting like Android; encrypted DNS is used through configuration profiles or DNS apps.