[DNS Toggle] Easy and automated private DNS toggling
Hi there!
I've just released a new open-source Android app called DNS Toggle over on IzzyOnDroid (I'm still waiting for it to get added to F-Droid's main repository).
The app adds a quick settings tile to easily toggle your phone's private DNS setting on and off with a single tap!
For those who may not be familiar with this setting, one of the main uses for private DNS is content filtering (ad blocking or simply blocking dangerous domains for security) and better privacy (default DNS providers often track your activity). You can do this for more or less free using services like NextDNS.
The app is built to respect user privacy, so it doesn't store, collect, or share any personal data. I've also built in some optional advanced features that you can access by long-pressing the tile:
- Custom DNS:
Set your own custom hostname for Private DNS (e.g.,dns.adguard.com). - Wi-Fi Blocklist:
Automatically disable private DNS when you connect to specific Wi-Fi networks. This comes in handy with public Wi-Fi networks (hotels, cafes, etc.) that rely on DNS tricks to serve a login page, which usually break when private DNS is enabled.
You can even automate adding/removing Wi-Fi network names (SSIDs) from this list. - Hide App Icon:
Because I hate having tons of apps I never actually need to open listed on my phone, I've made it so you can hide the app from the launcher drawer.
⚠️ Permission Required
To modify Private DNS system settings, this app requires theWRITE_SECURE_SETTINGSpermission. You will be prompted to grant this on rooted devices If your device is not rooted, you can easily grant it manually using this ADB command:
adb shell pm grant com.ericlowry.dnstoggle android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS`
You can check out the source code over on GitHub or get it from IzzyOnDroid.
2 replies
Why has there been a surgence of this kind of app lately, there are already numerous options that do the same thing...
Personally, I needed a couple of very specific features that none of the options I found offered. It turns out there was one that did what I needed (which I was linked to later), but it was much too complicated for me to put on my parents' devices, so I made my own mini-app... it just ballooned into a lot more when I got a lot of users making feature requests.
As for why a lot of people are making these, I am guessing it's a combo of:
But that's just a guess.
As for why I kept at this instead of switching to one of the existing solutions; the main reason is that they either have bad or overly complex UX, or do a lot more than necessary. This feels like the best compromise between features and usability. That's all.