DNS Privacy on Windows: Encryption Is Not Anonymity
Encrypted DNS protects the DNS-query transport to a chosen resolver when correctly configured. It does not hide all browsing activity, replace HTTPS, or make the resolver unaware of the requests it handles.
On this page
Review the network you actually use
Record the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter, the current DNS assignment, and any VPN or workplace requirements. A setting on an unused adapter is not evidence about the connection you are testing. Microsoft documents Windows 11 DNS-over-HTTPS options; the same Settings control is not available in Windows 10.
Make a recoverable resolver change
- Save the existing automatic or manual DNS settings before editing them.
- Use the supported Windows interface for the active connection and choose a resolver whose policy you have reviewed.
- Check any encrypted-DNS and fallback options shown by your Windows build.
- Test name resolution, a normal website, and any required work or VPN service.
- Restore the previous assignment if the change breaks access; do not keep applying unrelated firewall tweaks.
Separate privacy from availability
A resolver can be reachable but configured differently from what you intended. A failed encrypted request may also follow a fallback policy. Document the actual setting and observation rather than claiming that all DNS traffic is encrypted simply because a website opens.
Questions and answers
Does changing DNS change my public IP address?
No. Resolver selection is a different network function from the address used by your internet connection.
Should I override DNS on a managed work network?
Consult the administrator first. Name resolution may be part of required access and security controls.