Nearly everything on the Internet starts with a DNS request. DNS is the Internet’s directory. Click on a link, open an app, send an email and the first thing your device does is ask the directory: Where can I find this?

Your Internet Service Provider usually gives you DNS entry info (or sets it up automatically) to use their own preferred DNS service so they can monetize it. And these DNS services are generally much slower than other DNS services out there.

Enter 1.1.1.1, a collaboration between Cloudflare and APNIC. The service claims to introduce a new DNS service that’s not only faster (they say 28%) at connecting you to where you want to go, but also does so with complete privacy. Unlike your ISP or other DNS services, they have no idea where you go on the internet and don’t try to track you for the purpose of selling this info to other companies.

Using the new service is simple:

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Search for DNS Servers and select it from the Search box in the upper right corner of the System Preference dialog box.
3. Click any numbers in the list and click the – button to delete the existing numbers (you could write them down just in case you feel the need to go back to them for whatever reason).
4. Click the + button to add a DNS Server and enter 1.1.1.1
5. Click + again and enter 1.0.0.1 (This is for redundancy.)
6. Click Ok, then click Apply.
7. That’s it—there’s nothing else to do.

Give 1.1.1.1 a try. I set it up this past weekend with no problems. I haven’t noticed any significant speed increase, but I feel better knowing I’ve improved my chances of Internet privacy a little more.