How to Fix ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED on Android Devices

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The error ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED means that your Android operating system cannot convert a DNS address of the website you specified to the IP address. When you type “theitbros.com” into a browser, the DNS server “translates” theitbros.com name into an IP address, and then the browser connects to the server and displays the website page.

Many things can cause DNS-related problems on an Android device and the ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED error in Chrome.

How DNS Resolution Works on Android

When your Android device tries to open a website, it usually resolves the domain in several steps:

1. Depending on the app, Android may first use an application-level DNS cache (for example Chrome).
2. After that Android may use cached DNS responses maintained by the OS.
3. If the device is rooted, Android system may also check entries in hosts file. Note that the hosts file overrides DNS resolution if present and is checked before querying external DNS servers.
4. Sends query to configured DNS server (Wi-Fi router/Private DNS).
5. DNS server resolves the name recursively.

Note. The exact order of local DNS caches and hosts file processing may vary between Android versions and network configs.

If any step fails, you may face ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED issue.

Keep in mind that the actual resolution path may vary depending on the app and network config:

• Browsers like Chrome may use their own DNS cache
• Private DNS (DNS-over-TLS) overrides default DNS servers
• VPN apps may intercept and resolve DNS queries independently

Because of this, DNS issues may appear only in specific applications.

How to Fix ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED

Before you get into complex troubleshooting methods, try these simple steps to fix DNS problems on your device:

Troubleshooting Step	Description
Verify the Website URL and Check Typos	Make sure you have entered the correct website URL address. A simple typo in the website address can cause the error.
Restart Your Devices (Smartphone and Router)	Restart both your smartphone and router (if connected via Wi-Fi) to resolve temporary network issues.
Isolate the Problem: Test Other Sites and Devices	Open another website and check whether the issue affects only one site or your entire Internet connection. Also test other devices on the same network to identify whether the problem is device-specific, router-related, DNS-related, or server-side. If possible, switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data (or vice versa) and test again.
Check Basic Connectivity (Hardware and ISP)	Try connecting through a different Wi-Fi network. Verify that cables and networking equipment are functioning properly, and contact your ISP if necessary.
Temporarily Disable VPN and Proxy Services	Disconnect any active VPN or proxy service and test the connection again.

Advanced Solutions: Fixing Android DNS Configuration

If none of the simple methods helped you fix the ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED problem, follow these more complicated steps:

Clear DNS Cache on Android Device

Try flushing your Android’s local DNS cache first. This should help if the target website’s DNS zone settings have changed.

Follow these steps to clear the DNS cache in the Chrome web browser:

1. Open Google Chrome browser;
2. Navigate to (if available in your Chrome version):
   

   chrome://net-internals/#dns

   Note. This troubleshooting method is mostly relevant for older Chrome builds. On modern Android devices, you should try restarting Chrome or clearing browser data.
   In newer versions of Chrome, use this URL instead to clear socket pools and DNS cache:
   chrome://net-internals/#sockets → Close idle sockets
   After that restart Chrome completely.
3. Tap on the “Clear host cache” to flush the DNS cache in Chrome and clear the cached data;
4. Then you can use the input field to check if target website name is resolved on Android.
   In most scenarios, you don’t need to manually clear the DNS cache. To automatically clear DNS and network-related caches, you need to restart the browser or the entire device.
   

   

Note. Alternatively, you can clear Chrome data. Go to Settings > Apps > Chrome > Storage > Clear Cache. This clears browser cache but may also affect stored website data.

Change DNS Settings on the Device

By default, your Android device gets its IP address and DNS settings from your Wi-Fi router or mobile network. This means that name resolution queries from your device are sent to the DNS servers set by your ISP or access point administrator.

If the specified DNS servers are unavailable or filter certain DNS queries, your device will be unable to resolve the website name and will return the error ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED.

Viewing Current DNS Settings

You can use apps (such as Network Info II, Network Analyzer, or similar network diagnostic tools) to view your current DNS settings on an Android device. For example, you can install Network Info II.

1. Run the Network Info II app;
2. Go to Network tab;
3. Check the values for DNS1 and DNS2. These are the addresses of the DNS servers assigned to your device.

In this case, the Android device is configured to resolve DNS addresses through a local access point (Wi-Fi router) with an IP address 192.168.13.1.

Test DNS Resolution Directly

If you want to check if DNS is actually the source of the problem, you should try testing name resolution directly from your Android device.

One of the easiest ways is to install a network troubleshooting tool (such as Termux, PingTools Network Utilities, or a similar diagnostic app) from Google Play.

For example, in Termux you can run:

ping theitbros.com

If the hostname resolves to an IP address, DNS resolution is working. Even if the ping request itself fails, successful name resolution indicates that DNS is not the root cause of the problem.

You can also use the command:

nslookup theitbros.com

or

dig theitbros.com

(if available in your diagnostic tool).

If these commands fail with errors such as NXDOMAIN, SERVFAIL, or timeout messages, the problem is likely DNS-related.

Some Android devices do not include DNS troubleshooting tools by default. In that case, you can use Termux or network utility apps available from Google Play.

Setting Private DNS (DNS-over-TLS) on Android 9+

You can manually set the preferred DNS server for your device using the Private DNS feature available on Android 9 and later. Private DNS uses DNS-over-TLS to provide security and privacy for your DNS queries.

Note. When you enable Private DNS, your Android device stops using your ISP/router’s DNS and sends all requests to the DNS provider you specified instead.

This may cause connectivity problems in the following cases:

• The DNS provider is unreachable/slow
• The network blocks DNS-over-TLS traffic (port 853)
• The DNS server filters/blocks specific domains
• You are trying to access internal/corporate resources that rely on local DNS

Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced > Private DNS. Select Private DNS and enter dns.google as the hostname, then tap Save.

Or you can use Cloudflare’s DNS-over-TLS hostname. Specify 1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com here instead of 1.1.1.1.

Important. The Private DNS field requires a hostname (not an IP address). Cloudflare’s hostname for DNS-over-TLS is 1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com (it’s the official hostname that resolves to 1.1.1.1).

In case you are experiencing connectivity issues after you enabled Private DNS, you should switch the setting back to Automatic and test again.

Keep in mind that some VPN apps may override/conflict with private DNS settings.

Important. Note that private DNS applies to both Wi-Fi and mobile data connections, and we recommend you this method for changing DNS on modern Android.

Also note that third-party DNS filtering services (such as AdGuard DNS, NextDNS, Control D, or RethinkDNS) can also block domain resolution. If the issue affects only specific websites, you should temporarily disable DNS filtering and test again.

Manually Setting Static DNS for Wi-Fi (Older Android Versions)

On older versions of Android, the only way to change the DNS settings is to manually set them for each of your network connections (both cellular and Wi-Fi):

1. Go to Settings > Wi-Fi.
2. Long press your Wi-Fi network, then go to the menu Modify this network. Open advanced settings.
3. Change “IP settings” to “Static”.
4. Set the static IP for:
   – DNS1 — 8.8.8.8
   – DNS2 — 8.8.4.4
   This will force your device to use public DNS servers instead of the ones provided by your router/ISP.
   

   

5. Restart the device.
6. Try to open the website in a browser or launch an application.

Note. Important to mention that using public DNS servers may cause problems in some cases:

• Internal/corporate resources may stop resolving (split DNS environments)
• Some ISP-specific/region-based services may not work correctly
• Custom DNS filtering/parental controls config on your router will be bypassed

In case you experience issues after changing DNS settings, you need to revert them back to Automatic (DHCP) and then test again. To revert to DHCP, go back to Settings → Wi-Fi → Modify network → IP settings → here change from Static back to DHCP.

Note that Chrome on Android also supports DNS over HTTPS (regardless of system settings). In order to configure it, go to Chrome Settings → Privacy and security → Use secure DNS → Select provider.

Checking the Android hosts File (Rooted Devices Hint)

On rooted Android devices, you also need to check the entries in the hosts file. On Android it is located here: /system/etc/hosts. By default, it should only contain the entry:

localhost 127.0.0.1

In case the file contains unexpected/suspicious entries, you need to review them carefully before removing. We recommend you not delete entries you don’t understand.

In case you suspect the hosts file is causing the problem, you should temporarily back it up and test with a default config.

Note. The hosts file may be intentionally used for ad blocking, testing, or internal name resolution. Important to note that removing valid entries may break apps, websites, or network functionality!

System and Browser Resets

Reset Network Settings on Android Device

Keep in mind that the exact location of the network reset option varies by Android version and device manufacturer. If you cannot find the setting, search for Reset network settings or Reset Wi-Fi, mobile network and Bluetooth in the Settings app.

Try resetting all the network settings on your Android device back to the defaults:

1. Open the Settings app on your smartphone;
2. Go to the System or General management section;
3. Select Reset options;
4. Then click Reset network settings or Reset Wi-Fi, mobile network and Bluetooth
5. Tap Reset settings and confirm the reset with your device’s PIN or password.

Wrapping up

The ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED error on Android is almost always DNS-related. Here is a quick summary of what to try/in what order:

Step	Action
1	Check URL and restart devices
2	Test other websites/devices
3	Disable VPN/proxy
4	Verify DNS resolution directly
5	Clear Chrome DNS cache
6	Configure Private DNS
7	Configure static DNS
8	Check hosts file
9	Reset network settings

In most of the cases, steps 1–4 will help you to fix the issue. But if the problem persists only in specific apps/only on certain networks, you should check for Private DNS conflicts, VPN interference/split DNS in a corporate environment.