# DNSCloak • Secure DNS client — user reviews > 57 indexed App Store user reviews of DNSCloak by Center for the Cultivation of Technology gemeinnutzige GmbH, rated 4.60/5 from 3,326 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dnscloak-secure-dns-client/id1452162351/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dnscloak-secure-dns-client/id1452162351.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 2,747 · 4★ 296 · 3★ 95 · 2★ 39 · 1★ 149 ## What do users think of DNSCloak? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🚀 Works well and is free - 🔒 Provides security and privacy - 👍 Highly customizable and configurable - 🚀 Effective at blocking ads and trackers **Cons** - 🐛 Connectivity issues and inconsistent performance - 🤔 Confusing for non-technical users - 🔋 Can impact device performance and battery life **Commonly reported bugs** - Incompatible with some VPN configurations - Freezing or crashing on certain iOS versions - Inconsistent behavior when switching networks **Most requested features** - Display location information for DNS servers - Improve auto-connect functionality - Provide more user-friendly instructions and documentation ## Newest reviews (16 of 57) ### 4/5 — Good but stopped working *2023-02-02, version 2.2.2* When I got dns it was working well and I could use it to stop the ads from piling on my computer but for some reason after afew weeks it’s kinda just shut down and never worked since ### 4/5 — Could’ve given 5 booze *2022-12-19, version 2.2.2* I have had it installed for many weeks and only issue I encountered while enabling the DNS is that after it’s enabled, the spinner keeps spinning to ensure that it’s in the process of enabling the DNS. It don’t matter which privacy filter I choose to enable the issue remains the same. Please double check it to see what’s causing the delayed of services. To see if it ain’t working or it is I have to close the app and reopen it the popped message disappears. There ain’t no surety of DNS being enabled and working or disabled. Hope you’d find this laggy bug to fix it soon. ### 4/5 — Decent but….. *2022-12-05, version 2.2.2* The concept is solid. And functionality is great. However you really need to put trust into the information Posted on these servers they are listing as true. Since I have started using this app, I have been getting tons of spam texts to my cell number…. It went from 1-2 a week to about 10 a day. All from email addresses with a similar shortened format. ### 5/5 — Family hack *2022-10-06, version 2.2.2* Effective for short duration after changing which of the selection I am using. They seem to figure it out. I hear laughs from what I am texting in my game. Word for word daughter just repeated my conversation. ### 5/5 — Reliable, fast, works as an adblocker. *2022-10-05, version 2.2.2* The application is really easy to setup and has a lot of stuff that can be configured manually. Most importantly is that it can work as a reliable system wide adblocker. ### 5/5 — Amazing and highly recommend! *2022-10-03, version 2.2.2* This product does everything and more that it claims I no longer have to wrestle with ads that I don’t want. Easy to use I highly recommend it. ### 5/5 — Easy to use, good results. *2022-07-10, version 2.2.2* If one has even minimal knowledge of DNS this app will be quick to configure and to get working. For those with a bit more knowledge it is possible to directly edit the main config file. ### 5/5 — Bugs and loading screen *2022-07-08, version 2.2.2* At first i have writed 5 stars but after using it a long time there are some bugs but it block ads ### 4/5 — I think I noticed some difference… 🤷‍♂️ *2022-06-07, version 2.2.2* The only reason I’m not giving this app 5 stars is because it didn’t explain enough for me personally. I think I might have noticed a difference one of the days I used it but I don’t know what settings I used… I honestly don’t know enough about this stuff to know how exactly it’s making a difference. My cousin told me to download it, and said it’s really good. 🤷‍♂️ ### 5/5 — 🗣 *2022-06-02, version 2.2.2* It’s a great vpn I use it mainly for blocking ads on crunchy roll because there like 20 mins long each ad but I recommend using this if you wanna block ads and stuff it’s free and pretty quick to start using it ### 5/5 — Works excellent *2022-05-29, version 2.2.2* Easy to use and works as described. It is handy when you want privacy and security with faster internet speed than the one with vpn. ### 5/5 — Explaining how good it is, and wondering. *2022-05-28, version 2.2.2* Hello, I just wanted to inform you that this app is the best app ever. That's in my opinion obv. But just saying that this app helped me with ad-blocking and VPN. But the thing is I just have one question, it isn't bad I'm just wondering how this all makes money, I don't understand all the stuff that happens there, but there's no ads in the app. This is confusing, but if the app adds ads then I would still be using this. ### 5/5 — Its amazing *2022-05-11, version 2.2.2* For what I thought was a gag, really works. I was watching Crunchyroll with it on and the ads they usually breaks the tension the show builds up but DNSCloak kept that tension. I don’t see ads any more. I don’t know what other apps it works on but it’s legit. When you have it on it shows a little dns icon, but you’ll have to find it. Best part about this is that it’s free. I encourage everyone to use this. My name is Caleb if you wanted to know. Side note: before you use it click the three lines button on the top left and turn on connect on demand. ### 5/5 — Lag *2022-05-08, version 2.2.2* In my experience if u use for to long it starts to lag your phone but that my just be my phone because my iPhone is a older model but it’s still works the way I want it to ### 5/5 — Best option for adblocking *2022-02-25, version 2.2.2* This app is the best. I can just turn it on and forgrt it’s running. I love that you can specify the app to turn off on different network too. So useful and the best option for adblocking on iOS. No hidden purchases or subscriptions. It just works ### 5/5 — Fantastic open source privacy tool *2022-01-24, version 2.2.2* DNSCloak is a rare find these days on the app store - a true open source tool that is free and well maintained. Sadly it is incompatible with at least the default vpn config nord uses, but I still find the software useful as a sort of VPN lite. VPNs can be slow and masking your ip isn’t always desirable. And DNS is a privacy/security hole many people overlook but it’s a big one. This is a highly configurable, inobtrusive solution, I wish Apple would tweak their network settings model to allow this and a vpn to coexist more gracefully but I can toggle between them with Siri Shortcuts in the meantime. Anyway tl;dr: good free software that makes your internet more secure and private and they won’t ask for your money or harvest your data. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — BUG. Broken on iPadOS 15.6.1. *2022-09-05, version 2.2.2* I cannot set up my iPad using this VPN because there is an overlay requiring my password which will not allow me to type in my passphrase on my iPad because of the awkward placement or a bug. It is frozen and it will not allow any keyboard input. I did not have the same issue when setting up my iPhone, but I certainly have an issue setting up my iPad Pro with this app. It seems no developer, no one, tests this nor noticed this issue??? ### 1/5 — Works for an hour then disappears *2021-11-27, version 2.2.2* On iOS 14.8, upon restarting the phone, dns crypt does not start on its own, you must go into the server list and stop and restart any dns servers you want to use. Connect on demand is on, but does not work. After restarting the dns servers, it will stay on for an hour, then disappear again. The same problems have existed on other phones and ios back to 11.3, a nice idea that has never worked for more than an hour in the past 3 years. ### 1/5 — Petty app developer.. *2020-08-29, version 2.2.0* I understand u want ppl to rate the app but it’s extremely petty that when I declined the very 1st prompt I received asking me to rate it, when I declined due to JUST downloading it earlier today I immediately was disconnected from the server I was using and unable to reconnect until after I rated the app.. That’s petty and I can assure u that I’ll be looking for an alternative even if I have to purchase it just due to the fact that I was booted from the server for not rating ur app after not even having it long enough to give it an accurate rating.. So for that, u get one star.. ### 1/5 — Great app *2020-07-10, version 2.2.0* Used to have praise for this thing the other day it just stopped working kept getting check your resolvers and i never did so i changed a couple finally and it says “finding resolvers” indefinitely even after i switched it back and did the basic troubleshooting like uninstalled even wiped the data and it still says that in app and now it’s useless cuz it won’t connect even before this started getting problems out of nowhere but it was bound to happen with an app with almost no updates ever ### 2/5 — Update: very upset *2021-12-15, version 2.2.2* Yall might remember my 5 star glowing review which sat on the main app page for some time. Well i have retracted my review till issue is resolved. Just updated and app is all out of whack. Have to start app several times for resolvers to load. When they finally do, it will not connect to any of them. I tried about 15 of them just now, and i made sure to uncheck the old ones before i tried a new, so i know its not the DNS fault. Just says connecting forever. I try restarting app, and it still just hangs on connecting. So i goto app store to write this, and end up discovering that while dnscrypt is open, my internet literally does not work, like at all. Had to exit out to get here: please fix guys, this was seriously like my favorite app. I have never regretted clicking update button soo much, please test your product better before releasing updates that drastically change how the back-end works. ### 2/5 — Great when it works, but unreliable and no updates in three years *2021-09-24, version 2.2.0* This app works great to reduce ads and trackers (depending on which dns servers you pick) but the developers haven’t updated info n three years and it tends to randomly stop working, requiring “jiggling the handle” of either the service, your network, or a complete reboot of the phone, which just gets very tiresome after a while. Given the app isn’t free, it’s disappointing they’re taking people’s money with no effort made to improve reliability or enhance features (such as more graceful failover when one dns server times out.) ### 2/5 — VPN is Failing to Change My IP Address *2021-07-20, version 2.2.0* Hello DNSCloak, I wanted to inform you and your developer team that no matter which server I am connecting to through the app, my IP address is not changing whatsoever (I am using an iPhone XR if that is of any valuable information). I am not sure if there is something in the app that I am missing, or even if the intent of this app is to not change the IP address of the user, but I would like to know what is going wrong here. Any response is a good one. ### 3/5 — So far, so weird…. *2023-10-05* I’m not sure if it’s working or not. I’ve restarted my phone and even have updated iOS. I can’t tell if it’s working or not. It shows that DNSCloak is operating as the VPN. But the DNS shows that it’s being operated by DNT (Do Not Track). These are both for obtaining secured DNS, so I’m not sure how they can coexist. Something tells me one’s not really functioning…. I’ll update the star rating once I can figure out which one of these two are actually working and not just pretending. ### 3/5 — long initialization *2023-02-07, version 2.2.2* i mean, on desktop also takes some time with official client, but is only few seconds. dnscloak goes beyond 30 seconds of patience (I actually lost patience after one minute) this should be done in background and with a reduced set of servers and with a preselected list of servers ### 3/5 — I’m just confused *2023-01-21, version 2.2.2* Admittedly I’m no techy but I thought this would provide instructions and maybe even some definitions of terminology, because it should be accessible to lay people. We need protection as much, if not more than anybody on this wild West of an Internet. I’ve been dealing with cyber stocking and stealing of financial data for months. I have no idea if this thing is even on! Does it automatically attach to safari? What are all these servers and how do I know which is best when there is so much technical jargon? Please dumb it down for we Luddites. I imagine this is a very good app, especially given all these reviews, but if the average person cannot figure out how to use it and what all this terminology means, then as a practical matter it is ineffective. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — it works it’s free and there’s no bull crap *2023-10-26* there’s really no downside to it as far as I can tell, and that’s a hard thing for apps to do it would seem. would recommend for anyone who has any sort of app that has ads in it, the most difficult thing about it is learning how to navigate the menus, not in a bad way but in a, it’s just that simple, kinda way. ### 5/5 — Fantastic App for blocking ads and non intrusive app *2023-10-04* The unsung ‘hero’ app. Choose the right server for your region and fire up dns server and it will block all the ads. Thru a browser or even thru the app. It gives the ability to add your custom sites as well to block list which will create a sinkhole to those ads. Thank you ### 5/5 — Won’t connect on demand… *2023-09-30* I don’t know why but I can’t get any VPN service to connect on demand. Every single time I start my iPad up I have to manually get DNSCloak running via turning VPN on. My other main VPN service is Orbot a TOR client. Not only do I have to manually switch VPN on when I start my iPad. I also have to switch it on manually when I exit Orbot. Orbot returns the VPN to DNSCloak but VPN is in a disabled mode. I still have to manually switch it back on. Think I’ll try reporting this to Apple as a potential security breach. By all that’s holy if your VPN services are set to connect on demand they should… ### 5/5 — Please add city, country to all entries in the list *2023-09-14* The only thing missing from the list overall is each service should clearly show the City, and country it’s being hosted in. I’m been using AdGuard for years, and years but still haven’t gotten the first clue about what city, and country is hosting it. Wouldn’t a DNS server nearer to me with the same features potentially be faster? ### 5/5 — Great for low-level customization *2023-08-15* I have tried a few apps that let you change what DNS server your phone uses, but this is the only one that really lets you have full control and manually configure all the options you could want. ### 5/5 — I’ve got a simple question *2023-08-08* I’ve got a simple question. Just what did you mean when you said in the description that it will use the entire list if none were selected? Does that mean that it will use the fastest possible based off of your current location? Just how often does it check for the best server? If the app randomly chooses the best server to use based off of current server performance and your current location this could be a real win win. You’d always be guaranteed to get the very best overall performance at all times. Plus if you’re constantly switching randomly between servers wouldn’t that make it even harder for you to be tracked? A tracker would have to know what servers you were using at any point in time. And if none were doing any logging that would further cover your trail. ### 5/5 — Best DNS encryption solution for iOS as well as /etc/hosts alternative *2023-02-17, version 2.2.2* At home I tend to use PiHole with dnscrypt-proxy. This is an alternative that I have utilized both for personal use as well as for instructing enterprise QA testers to use for its advanced features in order to point production apps to dev and test environments using their corporate iPhones (since you can’t modify the hosts file on iOS without jailbreaking). ### 5/5 — Love it *2022-12-25, version 2.2.2* Im using this to block browser ads on my phone and so far its fantastic, no more annoying pop ups on every website. I can browse in peace. ### 5/5 — Great App For Cleaning Browsing *2022-11-26, version 2.2.2* I’ve been looking for an app to filter adult content. This is the best app I have seen after several years of research. I used the IP address filtering for my router at home too to filter my internet. I highly recommend it!!! ### 5/5 — Literally wouldn’t use my phone without it *2022-11-13, version 2.2.2* This app saves me an hour of ads a day, and I would never be able to use a phone any other way <3 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*