NextDNS for Mac
With the deprecation of the classic uBlock Origin as blocker by
Google Chrome in favor of a less powerful Light version and the
ever-increasing need for security, Mac users have the option of
downloading the NextDNS
configuration app from the Mac App Store and setting up a free
account with the enhanced DNS server. If you aren't into acronyms, DNS
stands for dynamic name service and it is what translates IP addresses
into the URLs we use to name websites. You can use a special DNS service
to block malware, ads, trackers and other unwanted traffic from ever
reaching your computer by using one.
NextDNS is free for up to 300,000 queries a month and you can use the same account on multiple computers, mobile devices and your router. It works on Macs and PCs, iPhones and Android devices - on anything that allows you to enter your own network settings. If you have a large household and need a paid account, it is just $1.99 a month.
Technically speaking, you don't even have to use the app .NextDNS can automatically generate a profile for you to use on your Mac and mobile devices and if you have the right kind of router, you can set it up without having to make ANY modifications to your computer.
NextDNS Features
- Ads and Trackers - currently blocking 119,372 addresses
- Block domains known to distribute malware, launch phishing attacks and host command-and-control servers using a blend of the most reputable threat intelligence feeds — all updated in real-time.
- Block malware and phishing domains using Google Safe Browsing — a technology that examines billions of URLs per day looking for unsafe websites. Unlike the version embedded in some browsers, this does not associate your public IP address to threats and does not allow bypassing the block.
- Prevent the unauthorized use of your devices to mine cryptocurrency.
- Block domains that impersonate other domains by abusing the large character set made available with the arrival of Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) — e.g. replacing the Latin letter "e" with the Cyrillic letter "е".
- Block domains registered by malicious actors that target users who incorrectly type a website address into their browser — e.g. gooogle.com instead of google.com.
- Block Parked Domains
- Block any Top Level Domain
- Block Newly Registered Websites
- Block CSAM
- Optional Parental controls for YouTube, Safe Search, Time-based rules, specific apps, websites and games