Mullvad VPN axes its public encrypted DNS service to sponsor Quad 9 instead | Tech Radar

Overview

News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets

Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more

Details

Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.

Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.

Mullvad VPN axes its public encrypted DNS service to sponsor Quad 9 instead

Manual users have until November 2 to update their configurations

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Mullvad is discontinuing its public encrypted DNS (Do H) servers

The VPN firms will instead funnel resources into the Quad 9 Foundation

Manual users must migrate to a new service before November 2

Mullvad has officially announced that it is shutting down its public encrypted DNS servers.

In a surprising but practical move, the provider, widely regarded as a major contender for the title of best VPN, revealed it will redirect its resources toward financially sponsoring the Quad 9 Foundation rather than running its own standalone DNS service.

Having operated its public DNS over HTTPS (Do H) servers since 2022, Mullvad originally offered the tool as a free public service to protect DNS queries for internet users outside of its core VPN network. However, the company has now decided to step back from the highly complex infrastructure required to maintain it.

For most dedicated Mullvad VPN subscribers, this change will be entirely invisible. The company noted in its September 3 announcement that public Do H servers are "unnecessary when using Mullvad VPN," as subscriber traffic is already encrypted and handled directly by the provider’s internal DNS routing.

Tech Radar has reached out to Mullvad for further comment regarding the financial details of its new Quad 9 sponsorship, and we will update this article if we receive a response.

'I don’t like that he made this donation' — Mullvad CEO reacts to co-founder’s donation to controversial Swedish populist party

Mullvad VPN is testing smarter multi-hop and a spinnable server globe on Android

Mullvad VPN’s new desktop build prioritizes speed, stability over interface changes

Mullvad: best VPN for anonymity A major player in the industry and a great advocate for privacy, Mullvad is one of the only VPNs that still lets you pay with cash for true anonymity. Offering advanced security features, it effectively blocks ads and malicious domains, with great speeds too.

Mullvad's decision boils down to resource allocation and industry expertise. Running a fast, secure, and privacy-focused public DNS service at scale is incredibly difficult. Rather than competing with established non-profits, the company is choosing to fund them.

"Running a privacy-focused public DNS service is a highly specialized undertaking, and the Quad 9 Foundation is the undisputed leader in the field," Mullvad explained. "Rather than duplicating their efforts to achieve only part of what they do, we're putting those resources toward financially supporting Quad 9 instead."

For users familiar with Mullvad VPN, this pragmatic approach is on-brand. The company has a history of retiring legacy features in the name of security and efficiency, such as when it removed port forwarding or when Mullvad retired Open VPN support on desktop to push users toward the modern Wire Guard protocol.

Backing Quad 9 DNS makes logical sense for a brand so heavily invested in the wider open-source privacy ecosystem.

Samsung MAX VPN goes offline today, leaving Android users searching for alternatives

Windscribe trolls Mullvad's political donation crisis with a 'scandal' of its own

Nord VPN starts a network-wide server overhaul — most users won't notice a thing

📩 Subscribe now to get every edition delivered to your inbox every Friday, launching this September.

If you rely on Mullvad’s public DNS servers when disconnected from the VPN, you have until November 2, 2026, to make the switch before the service goes dark. The migration process depends entirely on how you currently access the servers.

For users of the privacy-centric Mullvad Browser, the transition will largely be seamless. If you have kept the default Do H settings or the included ad-blocking variant active, your browser will automatically migrate to Quad 9 without requiring any manual input. However, if you have customized your Do H to a specific Mullvad variant (such as base, extended, or family), you must change your settings back to the default.

The situation is stricter for users who rely on configuration profiles. According to Mullvad, any existing i OS and mac OS Mullvad Do H profiles will simply "stop working" after the shutdown. These users must proactively replace their current setups with dedicated Quad 9 i OS or mac OS profiles before the November deadline.

Finally, if you have manually configured your router or operating system to point to Mullvad’s Do H servers, you will need to manually input the new Quad 9 addresses. Mullvad advises these users to follow the official configuration guides provided by Quad 9 to ensure their browsing remains secure.

Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Google Gemini error leaves California climbers stranded — Mount Shasta climbers admit ‘we relied too much on AI' after ascent went horribly wrong

What is the release date and launch time for Lanterns episode 4 on HBO Max?

Nord VPN browser extension just got a quality-of-life update

Ugreen's six-bay DXP6800 Pro NAS has 10 Gb E networking, but I'd spend another $92 on this TRENDnet switch for faster transfers

Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Key Takeaways

News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
Unlock instant access to exclusive member features
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards