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Cloudflare rolls out its 1.1.1.1 privacy service to iOS, Android
Months after announcing its privacy-focused DNS service, Cloudflare is bringing 1.1.1.1 to mobile users.
Granted, nothing ever stopped anyone from using 1.1.1.1 on their phones or tablets already. But now the app, now available for iPhones, iPads and Android devices, aims to make it easier for anyone to use its free consumer DNS service.
The app is a one-button push to switch on and off again. That's it.
Cloudflare rolled out 1.1.1.1 earlier this year on April Fools' Day, no less, but privacy is no joke to the San Francisco-based networking giant. In using the service, you let Cloudflare handle all of your DNS information, like when an app on your phone tries to connect to the internet, or you type in the web address of any site. By funneling that DNS data through 1.1.1.1, it can make it more difficult for your internet provider to know which sites you're visiting, and also ensure that you can get to the site you want without having your connection censored or hijacked.
Apple and Google Play.
Also at Android Police and Fast Company.
Previously: Cloudflare Launches 1.1.1.1 Consumer DNS Service
Cloudflare's New DNS Attracting 'Gigabits Per Second' Of Rubbish
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Monday November 12 2018, @08:03AM (5 children)
why do people need an app? Is it because the settings on "normal" android are too complex/hidden/locked that people can't change them?
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 4, Touché) by VeasMKII on Monday November 12 2018, @08:22AM (1 child)
You know the answer is yes.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 12 2018, @06:58PM
He's just fucking with Betteridge.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday November 12 2018, @11:02AM (1 child)
Let us keep in mind that configuring Firefox is too complex/hidden/locked for most people. About:config scares them, so they download addons that promise to configure Firefox for them. Many, or even most, of those addons can be implemented by the user through about:cofig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 12 2018, @02:11PM
And the fear is very illogical, it's some random extension they should be afraid of. "requires permissions to track your every move till eternity..."
But such are people.
(Score: 2) by rigrig on Monday November 12 2018, @11:43PM
Yes.
The only way to manually change (only) the DNS server is from a rooted terminal.
You can switch Wifi connections from DHCP to static and tell it which DNS server to use, but that means you also need to configure a static IP, for every Wifi network, and it can't be done for your mobile connection.
This app doesn't simply change DNS settings: it's sets up a local "VPN" connection which redirects all DNS to 1.1.1.1 and passes through all other traffic.
(Which also means you can't use it in combination with a real VPN)
No one remembers the singer.