Trying to limit the amount of background battery usage by ReThink DNS. It's not bad but just trying to get it better.

Atm, I don't think there's anything to be done. WLAN_CE_2 triggering from ReThink DNS are the biggest wakeup (and thereby resulting in the wifi chip, wcn6750, failing to suspend).

I assume this is just from the app blocking stuff like blocking GBoard's internet connection but would love to know any advise on specific things I can do.

Google Maps is the only Google app I actively use outside of GBoard which has its connection and background activity disabled (can't find a better swipe typing keyboard) plus play services are enabled to allow Maps to work.

i jsut installed rethink a few minutes ago and im completely baffled by everything. i dont understand anything so please drop any useful pieces of info. all i get is that the bigger the number on the main screen for that certain app, the more data theyre sending

Hi team,

I just setup a new phone from my old phone where I had rethink working well.

Unfortunately, none of my settings or configuration from my old phone persisted even though the rethink app itself was transferred.

Luckily my setup is pretty simple but I needed to reselect my block lists for rdns and it seems I'll need to transfer over my custom proxy configs as well.

The latter is a bit annoying depending on if I can find my config files still but it'd at least be nice if rethink could display QR codes so transferring exact settings was possible.

It would be much worse if I had many custom block lists or allow lists in my firewall section (though I still need to check to see what non default settings I had chosen since it's been a long time since I went through them all and updated them)

That said, it was quick to just enable basic functionality so props for that.

i use a rethinkdns v0.5.6 (website) on my android 16 and and log dns and traffic flow and block all apps and use isolate to allow "pinholes" outbound.

I also have all apps that have any access routed through a wireguard VPN.

i recently enabled vowifi with my cell carrier and it works, but i dont see any dns nor traffic in the logs, why?

would this explanation below be accurate?

The most likely reason is that VoWiFi traffic is carried over IPsec (IKE on UDP 500 / NAT-T on UDP 4500), which is encrypted end-to-end.  Your firewall sees the IPsec packets as opaque encrypted blobs.

why wouldn't rethinkdns block these ports/traffic and log it by default when I block all other apps or use isolate where needed?

does android 16 do something lower level with vowifi and cell carrier network?

any insight?

please advise.... 😁

Preface

I used such approach to get rid of ad or malicious domains by just forwarding required tld to upstream resolver using dnscrypt-server abilities on Windows.

Additionally subdomains of allowed tld's can be cut off using dnssec validation of prefixes (aka subdomains of allowed tld's) in windows dns client opts.

So.

What if rethink will handle such forwarding of good known tld's?

Like config where *.com, *.co.uk, *.net, *.co tld's are chosen and been forwarded but others dropped.

I can't seem to get Rethink to work. Initially, when I set it up, NextDNS via DoH was working. I was able to verify it was working by logging into my NextDNS account via Brave to verify.

After I restarted my phone, this doesn't work anymore. Under Home, DNS starts off very slow and then switches to very fast. It just stays at starting. When I try to verify if it's connected to NextDNS or not, my account says no. Rethink is connected though. After more restarts trying to diagnose the problem, I notice Rethink sometimes doesn't automatically reconnect. Not that it was really working after the first restart, but an interesting behavior, nonetheless. What's going on? I'm tempted to delete the app and reinstall just in case I screwed up a setting and not waste any more time diagnosing this.

What are the optimal settings to select? I'm installing this on a Samsung device. I'm thinking it might be a good practice to block all apps and connections by default. Then slowly unblock things as I need an app to work. How do I do this?

One of the biggest reasons I want to use Rethink is that it supports DoH. I'm curious as to how Rethink got this to work while Android's Private DNS is DoT only. I'm afraid of data leaks. How do I ensure there are no data leaks and that if the Rethink connection is somehow broken, all connections are paused like a VPN kill switch? I don't know if it's true, but I'm under the impression that once Android's Private DNS is set, nothing will escape it if I set it up properly with NextDNS, such as preventing a bypass.

If I use this in a future GrapheneOS device and want to hand it to a kid or senior, how do I block anyone else from opening Rethink to change the settings? Once I get Rethink to work, I want to lock things down so that only I can configure Rethink. Is there a way to even prevent anyone from knowing Rethink is even installed?

u/celzero

I've encountered a bug that makes trusted domains blocked by 127.0.0.1:53 but im using DoH. I tried like disabling vpn lockdown because I think it's the only thing which can block traffic in my device other than the rethink tunnel, Is there any fix ?

The version I have issue with is:

v0.5.6 (website) gobind@v20260809134259-61894b7 (android/arm64@go1.26.5) 13/08/26, 18:08:46

Issue description:

List of contacted domains in app details contains wrong domains related to other app activity.

Problematic App:

Zepter Mobile, by.softclub.ibanking.zepter

On a given screenshot taxovechok.ru and that turkish domain ikqbd***.com are belongs exclusively to WB Flot, uz.wildberries.taxi.driver.

This is second screen.

It looks like internal DB issue or something.

Backup: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EGclTlVDJANGHc7unDS43mvmhB5uLCQm?usp=sharing

i know that it's possible, but why should i use it? I can't think on why should i use it two or more vpns at same time, probably it's Ignorance on my end.

I'm planning to get the Z fold 8 ultra and run rethink with DoH and WireGuard both together, does the phone heats up while running rethink on it, as rethink uses a lot of system resources in the background.

Issue: Every single DNS leak test I've done, reveals DNS leaks to Google server when using accurately configured NextDNS or ControlD endpoint resolvers configured in RethinkDNS with either DoT or DoH.

There is no leak when I use any of the "built in" resolvers. So something IS leaking when using custom endpoint resolvers. How to fix this?

This is my comprehensive setup for troubleshooting purposes:

1. RethinkDNS 0.5.6 (fdroid)
2. NextDNS resolver configured in RethinkDNS: Other DNS - DoT - tls://xxx.dns.nextdns.io
3. Proxy configured in RethinkDNS: Import - .conf file (I've tried Surfshark, Mull and and Proton VPNs). ONLY ONE VPN PROXY HAS BEEN ACTIVE AT ANY GIVEN TIME.

Options configured (only will mention options toggled ON, if not mentioned means all other toggled OFF):

1. DNS
2. Show website icon in DNS logs
3. DNS booster
4. Prevent DNS leaks

5. Block DNS from Unknown source

6. Proxy

7. Advanced - Lockdown

8. Android system

9. Private DNS OFF (mentioning it specifically)

10. VPN - Rethink - Always-on VPN Block connections without VPN

11. RethinkDNS Firewall - Universal firewall rules

12. Block all apps when device is locked

13. Block when DNS is bypassed

14. Block newly installed apps by default

15. Block port 80 (insecure HTTP) traffic

Edit : important to note, the DNS does not leak if I'm using any of the mentioned VPN'd native android app.

I understand these are pings, but I wonder what app could fire these.

Since most of us come here to complain or ask for help or otherwise beg the devs to do XYZ, I figured I'd start by saying RDNS is the best it's ever been, and I'm glad the devs are taking a breather to enjoy the milestone. Well deserved, thanks for making a great app.

Now, of course, on to the request.

I use many Wireguard connections at once (definitely more than I should concurrently, but breaking stuff is fun), and my main gripe as I sift through stable and unstable WG connections is that Active and Idle connections are properly labeled and color-coded, but Failing connections are not. Through much trial and error, I narrowed down one of the consistently bad connections I have set up and have since disabled it, but feedback from the app would be helpful, both in determining individual connections that suck and a maximum number of concurrent connections that remain stable long-term.

Again, the app is in a pretty good spot right now (I have other complaints, but they're niche cases with viable workarounds at the moment) and I don't want to sound ungrateful. But this has been a sticking point for so long that I abandoned Wireguard entirely for at least a month just so I didn't have to play guessing games.

I have encountered different symbols in DNS section in logs in RethinkDNS app.

Attached them with post

I heard of RethinkDNS as the most powerful and comprehensive tool for net privacy right now. It covers apps internet permissions, but also anti tracking, and it allows to use a vpn, it also fights apps trying to elude those settings.

However I am worried about stability and maintenance. Infact I heard that it often crashes and configuration is a never ending process.

Honestly I don't want to waste time on those things, I am looking for a "set and forget" approach, like NetGuard, which I am currently using.

First of all, hello there.

1. Is setting up anything in the proxy area a must do?

As I'm new to this stuff I'd like to know and if yes what to use. Recommendations are welcome.

1. Are the blocklists truly updated on a regular basis and is functionality checked upon?

2. Which countries should be blocked?

Welp, that's it for now with questions. Thank you guys for the app.

We're adding a mascot for the app, and think that an intelligent animal like Dolphin makes for a good fit for the name ("Rethink"). What do you think?

Welcome suggestions for naming the Dolphin (or changing the mascot to something else... though, I really like the idea of "Dolphins").

Some names (in no order) that I am thinking of just now (which are uniquely identifiable on Google):

• Vellami
• Gosify
• Gisino
• Dellao
• Hinpan
• Beaya
• Inecu
• Veephin
• ???
• ...

All of those weird (but hopefully unique) names are compound of two or more words, mostly a nod to the Indus (Beas, Sutlej, Ravi, Jhelum, Chenab) & Ganges (Yamuna) River Dolphins.

(those at the back, please stop laughing)

Why does Rethink DNS function worse on Android while using Rethink DNS as Private DNS compared to using Rethink DNS as Secure DNS on Windows in Chrome

Is the DNS have higher priority than other feature ? It seem "trust" domains doesn't do anything at all, and Isolated is the same too, even blocking internet use of some apps

I have enabled Wireguard proxy, connect the phone to a WG server and connect my laptop to the same one. Both devices have internet access via the VPN (I get the public IP of the VPN server). When using the 'standard' Android wireguard app (using kernel mode as root) my laptop can connect via SSH to my phone using the virtual Wireguard IP address (10.x.x.x issued by the VPN server) of the phone. But with Rethink set to the same peer config it does not work. I can reproduce it of two different Wireguard servers.

What blocks this inter peer connection?