Connect a Device with a Setup ID
AdGuard DNS centers its Android workflow on a setup ID generated in the web dashboard. After creating or selecting a DNS server, users copy the ID into the app, name the device, and continue to the connection step. This ties the phone or tablet to the chosen AdGuard DNS account without asking users to type server addresses or configure Android network menus manually.
The setup screen keeps the process focused, with one field for the ID and a clear route to the dashboard instructions. Once connected, the device is created in the dashboard automatically, making the method useful for personal phones, family devices, and repeat setups where the same DNS policy should be applied consistently.
Scan a QR Code for Faster Onboarding
Users who do not want to copy a setup ID can scan the QR code shown in the AdGuard DNS dashboard. The mobile app opens a camera-assisted route from the same setup screen, reads the code, and associates the Android device with the selected server. This is especially convenient when configuring someone else's phone or moving between a desktop dashboard and a mobile device.
QR onboarding reduces typing errors and helps families or small teams connect several devices with the same basic process. Camera access is needed only for scanning, while manual ID entry remains available for users who prefer not to grant it. Both routes lead to the same device connection flow and preserve the dashboard as the place for creating and managing DNS server settings.
Filter Ads, Trackers, and Threat Domains
After connection, AdGuard DNS routes DNS requests to a privacy-oriented server that can block known advertising, tracking, and malicious domains before the related content loads. This DNS-level approach works across browsers and apps without requiring separate filter lists on every Android application, giving users one consistent layer of protection for routine browsing and mobile activity.
On Android, the app can use a local VPN profile to carry encrypted DNS traffic through DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS, or DNS-over-QUIC. Users can enable protection from the app and choose a protocol that fits their network. DNS filtering does not replace every feature of the full AdGuard ad blocker, but it provides a lighter way to apply account-based rules across a device.
Keep Protection Consistent Across Managed Devices
AdGuard DNS also supports Managed App Configuration for organizations that need to deploy the same connection settings across many Android devices. Administrators can prefill the setup ID, control selected onboarding choices, assign device names, and lock managed DNS settings. This reduces manual work for schools, companies, and other teams that want a standard policy without asking every user to configure the app from scratch.
Version 1.3 improves large-scale deployment with mobile app configuration parameters that can shorten setup to a single opening step. The app can also start automatically after an Android reboot, helping protection return without a separate manual launch. These controls make the lightweight client useful beyond individual phones while keeping day-to-day connection tasks simple for the people using managed devices.
