HowToUnblockWebsite

How to Unblock a Website on iPhone

iOS does not offer a system-wide DNS setting the way Android does. DNS is configured per Wi-Fi network, which is why a change that works at home stops working on a different network — and why a DNS profile is worth setting up if you move around.

The quick answer

Open Settings, Wi-Fi, tap the i beside the network you are on, choose Configure DNS, switch to Manual, and add 1.1.1.1. For mobile data there is no DNS setting at all, so use a proxy or VPN there instead.

What to do, in order

  1. 1Change DNS for the current Wi-Fi network

    Settings, Wi-Fi, tap the information button beside the network name, scroll to Configure DNS, choose Manual, remove the automatic entries, and add 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1. Tap Save. This applies to that network only.

  2. 2Install a DNS profile to cover every network

    Cloudflare and Google both publish a configuration profile you can install from Safari, which sets encrypted DNS system-wide. Once installed it follows you between networks and covers mobile data, which the per-network setting does not.

  3. 3Configure a proxy for the Wi-Fi network

    On the same Wi-Fi detail screen, scroll to Configure Proxy, choose Manual, and enter the server and port. iOS supports HTTP and HTTPS proxies here. Note that this covers Wi-Fi only, not cellular.

  4. 4Use mobile data for anything on cellular

    Cellular settings have no DNS or proxy options in iOS, so on mobile data your choices are a VPN, an app with its own proxy support, or reaching the page by another route such as a cached copy.

  5. 5Try a browser that handles proxies itself

    Some iOS browsers let you specify a proxy inside the app, which works on cellular as well. That is the narrowest change if you only need one site.

  6. 6Check whether Private Relay is involved

    If you pay for iCloud and have Private Relay switched on, Safari traffic already leaves through Apple. Turning it off can help when a site blocks known relay addresses, and turning it on can help when your network is the problem.

Worth knowing first

  • DNS settings are per network on iOS, so what you configure at home does not follow you to a cafe or a school network.
  • The global proxy setting covers Wi-Fi connections only. Cellular traffic is not included.
  • On a supervised or school-managed iPad, profiles and restrictions can lock these settings, and they may not be editable at all.

If DNS and free tools keep failing

A private static IP address is the version that stays fixed: one address, yours for the month, keeping the same location every session, working in any browser or app that accepts an HTTP or SOCKS5 proxy with nothing installed. One IP is $10 and ten are $60.

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Questions people ask about this

How do I change DNS on iPhone for all networks?
Install a DNS configuration profile from Cloudflare or Google. The manual DNS setting under Wi-Fi applies only to the one network you set it on, whereas a profile applies system-wide including on mobile data.
Can I set a proxy on iPhone for mobile data?
Not in iOS settings. The proxy option under Wi-Fi covers Wi-Fi only. For cellular you need a VPN, or a browser that accepts a proxy in its own settings.
Does changing DNS on iPhone unblock a website?
It unblocks name-based filtering, which is the most common kind on home and public networks. If the site is blocked by country or by address, DNS will make no difference and you need a proxy or VPN in another country.
Why does a site load on my iPhone but not my laptop?
They are probably on different networks or using different DNS resolvers. Compare the two on the same Wi-Fi, then check whether one device has a DNS profile or proxy set that the other does not.

Related guides

Start with the complete guide to unblocking a website, which covers every method and a table showing which one defeats which kind of block.