The ability to connect to the internet with a device in the palm of our hand has completely changed our lives. Although we enjoy all the conveniences, we can’t deny the times when we have trouble accessing the internet on our smartphones. One way to fix such problems is to clear the DNS cache on your Android device.
Earlier, we published an article to clear DNS cache on Windows devices. Thankfully, you can also do it on Android devices. However, if you’re wondering what the DNS cache is in the first place and why consider clearing it on your Android device – don’t worry. We will explain it all. Let us start with the basics.
What is DNS cache on Android
DNS stands for Domain Name System. It is basically a directory containing all the IP addresses of websites on the internet. Therefore, whenever you type the URL of a website, your web browser will find out the mapped IP address from the DNS server and direct you to the correct website.
So, when you use your web browser to visit, for example, 15 websites, the web browser on your Android phone will locally store the IP addresses of all 15 websites. Now, whenever you want to visit one of those fifteen websites again, the browser on your Android device will not request the IP address for that site from the DNS server. That’s because it was cached from the previous session. This local storage of IP addresses retrieved from a DNS server is called the DNS cache.
This cache saves time and resources for web browsing on your Android device because it doesn’t have to communicate with DNS servers unnecessarily. Good benefits of DNS cache, right? Then why would we want to delete it? Let us find out.
Why Clear DNS Cache on Android
Although the DNS cache serves several functions, you may want to clear the DNS cache from your Android device for the following reasons.
- There is a possibility that malicious and corrupt IP addresses stored in the DNS cache must be cleared.
- Since your DNS cache contains the IP addresses for all the websites you have visited, you may want to clear this cache because of privacy concerns and avoidance.
- Clearing the DNS cache prevents DNS spoofing – an attempt by insecure internet actors to change DNS cache information to redirect you to the wrong website.
- Outdated DNS cache – an outdated piece of information in the DNS cache can prevent you from accessing a website, especially if the website has changed its domain name.
- If you’re having trouble accessing a website, it could be caused by a build-up of cache and cookies, including DNS cache, and you may want to delete the site as well.
Now that we know all the reasons to clear the DNS cache, here’s how you can do it on your Android device.
How to Clear DNS Cache on Android
The DNS cache on your Android device, is almost always automatically cleared and updated whenever necessary. This ensures that one does not have to manually clear the DNS cache. However, if you suspect a problem accessing a website or want to make sure that the DNS cache is cleared on your Android phone, here’s how.
First, we will see how to clear the DNS cache on Google Chrome. We will also show you how to clear the DNS cache on other web browsers.
1. Clear DNS Cache on Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Brave Browser
Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers on Android, specifically Microsoft Edge and Brave, have an inbuilt option to clear the DNS cache. Here’s how you can do it.
Step 1: Open Chrome, Edge or Brave on your Android device.
Step 2: Enter the following in the address bar:
- If you are using Google Chrome :
chrome://net-internals/#dns
- If you are using Microsoft Edge:
edge://net-internals/#dns
- If you are using Brave:
brave: //net-internals/#dns
Step 3: Click the Clear host cache button.
You won’t get any more responses, but this will clear the DNS cache on your web browser.
However, if you are using any other web browser like Mozilla Firefox or cannot clear the DNS cache from the above method, move on to the next method.
2. Clear DNS cache for other web browsers
This method helps you to clear the DNS cache from your Android device in any case. That is regardless of the web browser you are using. This is the way:
Step 1: Long press on your default browser icon.
Step 2: Tap App info.
Step 3: Click on Storage usage.
Step 4: Tap Clear cache.
This will clear all stored cache from the web browser on your Android device. This also includes the DNS cache.
If you have more problems, you can try changing the DNS server on your Android device. Or, if you have any further questions regarding DNS caching, see the FAQ section below.
DNS Cache FAQ in Android
1. Does using a VPN clear the DNS cache on Android?
Are not. Using a VPN does not clear the DNS cache on Android.
2. Does clearing DNS cache on Android clear browsing history?
Are not. Clearing the DNS cache on Android does not clear browsing history.
3. Is it safe to clear the DNS cache on Android?
Correct. Clearing the DNS cache on Android is completely safe.
Fix problems with your Internet
We hope this article helped you easily clear the DNS cache on Android. As we mentioned earlier, you can always try clearing the DNS cache if you have internet connection related problems on your Android device.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
