How to Enable secure DNS in Microsoft Edge on Windows 11

Step 1Open Edge’s Settings

Opening Microsoft Edge’s settings is the first step to making your browsing more secure. You can open Edge’s settings by clicking the three dots in the top-right corner and selecting ‘Settings’ from the menu.

1. Open Microsoft Edge on your computer.
2. Look for the three dots icon (...) in the top-right corner of the browser window. This is the “Settings and more” menu. Click it.
3. A menu will drop down. Scroll down and click on Settings.

Tip: Want a faster way? Type edge://settings into your address bar and hit Enter.

Step 2Go to Privacy and Security Settings

Next, you’ll find the Privacy, search, and services section in Edge’s settings, which is where all the security features are located. On the left side of ⚙️ the settings page, click ‘Privacy, search, and services’ to get started.

1. In the left sidebar of ⚙️ the Settings page, click on Privacy, search, and services. This is where Edge keeps its privacy features.
2. Scroll down the page until you find the Security section. It is usually near the bottom of the main area on the right.

Warning: There are many settings here, but we’re only focusing on DNS for this guide.

Step 3Turn on Secure DNS

You can turn on secure DNS in Edge by finding the specific option within the Security settings. Look for the setting that says ‘Use secure DNS to specify how to lookup the network address for websites’ and click the switch next to it to turn it On.

Here is how to turn it on:

1. In the Security section, find the option that says “Use secure DNS to specify how to lookup the network address for websites.”
2. Click the switch next to it to turn it On.

Tip: After you turn on the main switch, another option might appear below it called “Choose a DNS provider.” By default, Edge often uses providers like Cloudflare or Google. Most people find these safe and reliable. You can keep the default, or pick another one if you like. For most people, the default is fine.

Reference:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/securely-browse-the-web-in-microsoft-edge

Summary

Turning on secure DNS in Microsoft Edge helps protect your online privacy by encrypting your website lookups. When you do this, your DNS requests get encrypted, making it harder for your internet provider or others on your network to track what you’re doing online.

What happens when done? When you do this, your DNS requests get encrypted, which adds a layer of security to your browsing. This makes it harder for your internet provider or anyone else on your network to easily track what you’re doing online.