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Rethink DNS
Rethink DNS combines an Android DNS resolver and firewall with app activity monitoring, censorship circumvention, and blocklists for websites and trackers.
About Rethink DNS
Rethink DNS is a DNS resolver and firewall for Android 6 and later with web configuration. It can block internet access per app over Wi-Fi or mobile data, block ads, trackers and malware at the DNS layer with 190+ blocklists, encrypt DNS requests, and log app connections with data-use tracking.
Messaging apps that need connectivity cannot be blocked entirely and are instead restricted from specific ad and tracker domains. Temporary website blocking uses time-based rules.
Key features
- Block app internet access over Wi-Fi or mobile data
- Block ads, trackers, and malware at DNS layer
- Encrypt DNS requests to reduce manipulation by censors
- Log app connections and track data use in near-real time
- 190+ pre-defined blocklists across parental, security, privacy categories
- Time-based rules to block websites temporarily
Best for: Android users who want per-app network control, DNS-based blocking, and visibility into app connections.
Good for
- Per-app blocking for Wi-Fi and mobile data
- DNS-layer blocking with 190+ blocklists
- Near-real-time connection logs with automated reports
Watch out for
- Requires Android 6 or later
- Apps that need internet cannot be firewalled entirely
Rethink DNS at a glance
- Website
- rethinkdns.com/app
- Category
- Privacy & Security › VPNs
- Type
- Website
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Android, Web
- Open source
- Not stated
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 5, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
Rethink DNS alternatives
Tools and sites you could use instead, ranked by how closely they match.
Mullvad offers a VPN and browser and describes its work as supporting privacy and an internet free from mass surveillance and censorship.
Use Scramjet, an interception-based web proxy designed to bypass browser restrictions and censorship.
AirVPN uses OpenVPN and WireGuard for its VPN service, operated by activists focused on net neutrality, privacy, and opposition to censorship.
Scramjet uses interception as a web proxy to evade internet censorship and bypass arbitrary blocks.
HideIP provides a free web proxy that hides a user's IP address and browsing history while visiting websites through generated links.
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Rethink DNS FAQ
How does the Android firewall stop apps from connecting?
It tunnels traffic through the app using a local VPN and stops outgoing connections from blocked apps over Wi-Fi or mobile data.
How does it block ads in apps that still need internet access?
It blocks at the DNS layer by returning empty responses for blocked tracker and ad-network domains while allowing other traffic.
What does monitoring include?
Logs of connections each app makes, data-use tracking, and automated reports that flag unknown or suspicious connections in near-real time.
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