Exciting tips

The Launchpad on macOS is strictly for apps. There isn’t much you can do about this. Apple is not known for its flexibility so there’s no trick way to add a file to it. If you want to be able to open an app from Launchpad, you will have to work around the limitation and it’s surprisingly easy to do.

Open app from Launchpad

In order to open an app from Launchpad, you need an app to open it and you can make this app yourself with Automator. All you need is the path to the file you want to open and that’s easy enough to get. You can also open multiple files with the same app, or create as many apps as you want to open files. It’s up to you.

Get file path

Open Finder and navigate to the file you want to open from Launchpad. Hold down the Option key, and right-click the file. From the context menu, select the copy as path option.

Create Automator app

Open Automator and click New Document at the bottom left. In the panel that opens, select Application.

With Automator open, you need to search for and add the ‘Run Shell Script’ action. Use the search bar and drag and drop it onto the pane on the right.

In the Run Shell Script action, enter the following.

open file-to-path

Replace file-to-path with the path that you copied. If you’re looking to open multiple files with one app, add each file’s path on its own line. Once you’re done, go to File>Export. Give the app a name, and save it to the Applications folder.

Open Launchpad and you will see the newly created app. It will still have the Automator icon but, you can change it. We’ve got a detailed post on how to change the icon for an app or a script. Use it to change the icon for the app. When you click this app, it will open the file or files, that you specified the path for.

The file(s) will open in the default app that’s set for it. You can open this app again with Automator and edit it whenever you want. It’s a pretty simple way to access important files and to open several different files at once with one click.

If you need to create several apps for opening files, it’s a good idea to group them into a single folder, or a few different folders. They’ll remain organized and still be easy to access.

The PDF format is one of the most widely used document formats of all time. Many people use it for work, school, and other purposes. As a result, people are looking for ways to edit and annotate these types of documents.

On Windows and Mac, PDF annotation is done with the Adobe Acrobat. On Linux, users will need to use a third-party program like Xournal. In this guide, we’ll show you how to set up Xournal and use it to annotate PDF files on Linux.

Install Xournal on Linux

The Xournal application is an open-source program, and as a result, it is widely available for users on most modern Linux distributions out there. To install the Xournal app on your Linux PC, start by opening up a terminal. To launch a terminal, press Ctrl + Alt + T or Ctrl + Shift + T on the keyboard.

Once you’ve got a terminal window open and ready to go on your Linux PC, follow the command-line instructions below that correspond with your OS to get Xournal up and running.

Ubuntu

On Ubuntu Linux, you can install the Xournal app with the following Apt command.

sudo apt install xournal

Debian

Using Debian Linux? Get the Xournal program on your system with the Apt-get command.

sudo apt-get install xournal

Arch Linux

Arch Linux does not have the Xournal app in its primary software sources. Instead, users must install the software by source code through the Arch Linux User repository.

To start the installation, get the Git and Base-devel packages with the Pacman command below.

sudo pacman -S git base-devel

After both Git and Base-devel are installed, use the following commands to install the Trizen AUR helper app. It will make getting Xournal much faster and automatic.

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/trizen.git

cd trizen
makepkg -sri

Once the Trizen tool is up and running, you can easily install the Xournal program on Arch Linux with the command below.

trizen -S xournal

Fedora

Fedora Linux users can install the Xournal program with the Dnf command below.

sudo dnf install xournal

OpenSUSE

On OpenSUSE, install the Xournal app with the Zypper command.

sudo zypper install Xournal

Generic Linux

Xournal is on quite a few Linux operating systems, but not all. If you can’t find it for your distribution, you may need to compile it from the source code instead. To do this, head over to Xournal’s SourceForge page, and download the latest version.

After downloading the latest version of the app, you must read the README file to learn what it takes to compile Xournal on Linux.

Annotate PDF files with Xournal

To annotate a PDF in the Xournal app on Linux, start by opening the program. To open Xournal, look for “Xournal” in your application menu. Or, press Alt + F2 to open up the quick-launcher, and use the command below to launch it.

xournal

Once the Xournal app is open on your desktop, find the “File” menu at the top of the app and click it to reveal it’s options.

Inside of the Xournal “File” menu, find the option that says “Annotate PDF” and click on it to open up the “Open PDF” window. From there, use the “Open PDF” window to browse for a PDF file on your hard drive.

Adding text

To add text to a PDF file in Xournal, do the following. First, locate the “T” button on the toolbar, and click on it to enter text mode. Then, once in text mode, click on any area of the PDF you would like to write on, and start writing. The text will be added to the PDF instantly.

Highlighting

Need to highlight something in a PDF file? Find the “Highlighter” button and click on it to enter the Highlight mode. From there, use the mouse to highlight anything on the PDF you’d like to highlight.

Adding images

With Xournal, it is possible to annotate PDF files with images. To use this feature, find the “Image” button, and click on it with the mouse. Upon clicking the “Image” button, click on the Xournal workspace with the mouse.

Once you’ve clicked on the Xournal workspace, an “Insert Image” window will appear on the screen. Use this window to browse for an image to put in the PDF.

Drawing

Xournal lets you draw on your PDF files! To start drawing, click the “Pencil” button” with the mouse. Then, use the mouse to draw on the PDF as desired.

Need to change colors? Select one of the colors in the toolbar to switch the color the pencil uses.

Saving your annotated PDF

After annotating PDF files in Xournal, it is time to save. To save, click “File” to open up the “File” menu. Then, locate the “Export PDF” button, and select it to save the annotated PDF file.

Windows 10 supports multiple input languages. You can add as many languages as you like, and cycle through them with the Alt+Left Shift keyboard shortcut. This shortcut may not be the best. It’s easy to execute it by accident, or it could very well be part of other keyboard shortcut combinations, creating a conflict. Here’s how you can set a custom keyboard shortcut to change the language on Windows 10.

These instructions are for Windows 10 1803. Microsoft seems to like changing the keyboard shortcut for this particular feature and they’ve been doing it for the past two major feature updates. So, here’s how it works on Windows 10, 1803.

Keyboard shortcut to change the language

Open the Settings app and go to the Devices group of settings. Select the Typing tab. Under the More keyboard settings section, click the ‘Advanced keyboard settings’ option.

On the Advanced keyboard settings screen, click ‘Language bar options’. This is going to open the language bar settings and they could not have hidden it any better. Go to the Advanced Key Settings tab and select the ‘Between input languages’ option under Actions. Click the ‘Change Key Sequence’ button.

In the window that opens, you can select from one of the preset options and click Ok.

You can also set a keyboard shortcut to switch to a specific language. Select one of the languages you’ve added to your Windows 10 system, and then click the Change Key Sequence button. You have more flexibility with these shortcuts but you have to use the Ctrl modifier key and you can only use numbers from 1-0, or the Tilde key with it.

The language keyboard shortcuts have to work no matter what screen you’re on. They’re universal which is why Windows 10 has somewhat limited customization options here. If you’re worried about changing the input language when you do not mean to, you can go with the Tilde key. It normally sits above the Tab key which isn’t used that often and has less chance of being pressed by accident.

This particular setting used to be accessible from the Control Panel. It was in a more obvious panel there. Microsoft doesn’t list the settings it moves out from the Control Panel to the Settings app which is why these changes can go unnoticed until you need to access them. The window that opens is still the same one that you got when you used the Control Panel to access the setting. That window has not been updated and it likely won’t be for a while.

macOS has two different types of notifications that it can show you; banners and alerts. Alerts stay on your screen until you dismiss them and banners dismiss themselves after five seconds. This might be too long, or not long enough. It’s something that may differ from one user to another. macOS doesn’t let users choose how long the banner notification stays on your screen before it automatically dismisses itself. That said, a simple terminal command lets you change the banner notification dismiss time to anything you want. Here’s what you need to do.

Banner notification dismiss time

Open the Terminal and run the following command. Replace the number at the end with how long you want a banner notification to stay on your screen before it is dismissed. The time is in seconds. The default duration is five seconds.

defaults write com.apple.notificationcenterui bannerTime -int 10

After you run the command, you have to restart your Mac. Do not skip this step.

That will do the trick. Banner notifications from all apps that are allowed to show notifications will stick around for the duration you set for them. This is a uniform setting that will apply to all banner notifications and it can’t be set on a per-app basis. You can always disable notifications for an app if you don’t want to see notifications from it.

We mentioned earlier that macOS has two types of notifications. The banners are the type of notifications that are dismissed automatically so if you’re looking for notifications that appear but also disappear without user intervention, they’re the type you should use. If the only reason you’re looking to change the duration of the banner type notification is that it is dismissed too soon, you can always try using the Alerts instead.

You can set the notification type on a per-app basis. For apps that send more important, critical notifications, you can use the Alert type. For less important notifications, you can use banners.

It’s odd that macOS doesn’t give users an option to change the banner duration from the System Preferences app. Windows 10 is the exact opposite; it gives users a few preset options to change how long a toast notification is visible before it is dismissed however, there’s no command you can use to set a custom duration. It’s a terrible shortcoming that Windows 10 has but it seems like Apple has one to match it. All that can be said is that at least there’s a Terminal command to get around it.

Windows 10 has a built-in clipboard history feature but it’s tied to your Microsoft account. If you enable it, it will sync your clipboard history to your other devices via Microsoft’s servers and for some users, that’s too invasive. The feature is great but for users who don’t like sharing data with Microsoft, opting out is the only option. If you’re looking for something like Windows 10 clipboard history, but works locally, you can use Multiclip. It’s a free, open-source app that can copy multiple items to the clipboard. Like the Windows 10 feature, it can copy both text and images, and you can recall a complete list of everything you’ve copied.

Copy multiple items to the clipboard

Download Multiclip from Github. It’s a portable app that does not need to be installed. You should visit the app’s settings first where you can select a theme for the app and more importantly, you can familiarize yourself with the keyboard shortcuts for the app.

The keyboard shortcuts can be edited. Click the Edit button at the top right of the Hot keys section and record the shortcuts you want to use. The default shortcuts aren’t the greatest and since you won’t be using the stock clipboard history, you can use Windows shortcuts for this app.

As for using Multiclip, you copy items with the same keyboard shortcut you’ve always used; Ctrl+C.

Whenever you need to recall your clipboard history, use the app’s keyboard shortcut to open the log. You can scroll through the items and select the item you want to use.

Multiclipboard will store forty items in its history by default but you can increase that number from the app’s settings. You can also purge your entire history, or just clear what’s currently on it. The buttons are there in the app’s settings.

Your clipboard history will persist past a system reboot. The app has to be set to run at startup. It stores everything locally so your data isn’t going everywhere. That said, and this goes for every clipboard manager in the world, you should never store sensitive information to the clipboard. If you have copied sensitive information to the clipboard and Multiclip has saved it, you can delete it by opening the history. Right-click the item that you want to remove and select the remove option from the context menu. You can select and delete multiple items at once.

Multiclip can copy text and images, but it can also copy and store any and all other types of files.

The default configuration of the Touch bar on a MacBook has the ‘Control Strip’. This strip has controls for managing the volume, brightness, and media playback on your Mac. It also has a button for Siri and you may, or may not find it useful. Siri coming to macOS was a big deal but it hasn’t really lived up to its potential. Siri can’t open an app on macOS. If you don’t get much use out of Siri, you can remove it from the touch bar fairly easily. Here’s how.

Remove Siri from the Touch bar

There are two ways to remove Siri from the Touch Bar. The first and simple method is to remove the control strip from it. All you have to do is uncheck one little option. The second method is also simple and it lets you keep the control strip but remove Siri from it.

Open the System Preferences app and go to the Keyboard preference. Uncheck the ‘Show Control Strip’ option and the Control Strip will no longer appear on the Touch Bar.

If you like the Control Strip, and you only want to remove Siri from the Touch Bar, click the ‘Customise Control Strip’ button on the Keyboard preference. This will take you to the Touch Bar edit mode. Expand the Control Strip. Drag the Siri button from the bar and drop it onto the dustbin icon at the left edge.

Click Done, and that will do the trick. The Control Strip, whether it’s in its collapsed or expanded form, will no longer show the Siri button.

Any time you want to get the Siri button back, you need to open the System Preferences app and select the Keyboard preference again. Click the ‘Customise Control Strip’ button, and you’ll see a whole panel of buttons appear at the bottom of the screen. There will be a Siri button there. Drag & drop it onto the Touch Bar, and it will be added back to the Control Strip.

The Touch Bar is hit and miss. Some users love it, others do not. If you don’t like it, you may disable it or try and get some other use out of it. There are apps that can add buttons and additional features to the Touch Bar. You can, for example, add a clock to the Touch Bar or even add the Dock to it.

The Siri button might be useful but it’s poorly placed in the corner where it’s easy to tap on it by accident and that alone might be reason enough for users to want to remove it.

PowerToys made a comeback earlier this year and we covered how you can install them. At the time, PowerToys only had two of its original utilities with a promise of more to come. The second version of the app has just arrived with a new utility; PowerRename. Here’s how you can use PowerRename on Windows 10.

Rename files with PowerRename

You need to install the latest version of PowerToys in order to use PowerRename. The PowerToys interface doesn’t have any options for managing PowerRename, nor does it offer you any instructions on how to use it.

Open a folder with files that you want to rename. Select the files you want to rename and right-click any of them. Select PowerRename from the context menu.

This will open PowerRename’s interface with the files you selected listed there. You will need to understand the various parameters that the app has before you can use them. Most of them are self-explanatory. The only, slightly confusing part is the ‘Search for’ and ‘Replace with’ fields. The two fields make it seem as though you can only replace part of the file name and not append anything to it, or add something.

If you want to append something to the current name, you have to enter “.*” in the Search for field, and in the ‘Replace with’ field, enter whatever it is you want to append to the name of the selected files. Use any of the other modification rules that the app supports, and click ‘Rename’ when you’re ready to rename the files.

The files rename instantly.

PowerRename is fairly simple in terms of the renaming rules that it supports. You won’t find especially advanced file renaming features. There are far more powerful file renaming apps out there but, this one gives you a few more options than Windows 10 does by default.

If you’re using PowerToys, PowerRename is going to come with it and it’s useful to know how to take advantage of its features. If you’re still having a little trouble with the app, there is documentation that explains it all. Go through it and you will be able to figure out how to rename files and folders in multiple ways. Most of the rename parameters make use of regular expressions to add to a file name or remove something from it.

The only real downside to the app is that you can’t add more files to a single renaming instance of PowerRename once you’ve selected files the first time.

The Tela icon theme is a colorful, flat icon theme for the Linux desktop. It takes a lot of inspiration from Papirus, and many other Linux icon themes following the same design trend. However, Tela sets itself apart by offering users beautiful, unique, and artistic icons. You won’t find this kind of detail in any other theme.

If you love the “flat” style of icons but are growing tired of Papirus, or want a new theme to try out, do yourself a favor and follow along with this guide and learn how to set up the Tela icon theme on Linux!

Install Git on Linux

The Tela icon theme requires the Git source control tool, as the icon theme is hosted on GitHub. Thankfully, the Git app is universal on all Linux operating systems and is incredibly simple to install.

To start the installation of the Git source control tool on your Linux PC, open up a terminal window by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T or Ctrl + Shift + T on the keyboard. Then, follow the command-line instructions below that correspond with the Linux OS you currently use.

Ubuntu

sudo apt install git

Debian

sudo apt-get install git

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S git

Fedora

sudo dnf install git

OpenSUSE

sudo zypper install git

Generic Linux

As stated before, the Git source control tool is universally used on Linux. Operating systems big and small use it for various things. As a result, Git is very easy to set up on even unknown Linux distributions.

To install it, search “git” in your distro’s package manager. Alternatively, head over to Pkgs.org, as they have a list of Git packages for many different Linux operating systems. You can also download the Git app from the Linux kernel website, and compile it from scratch, if necessary.

Download the Tela icon theme

Downloading the Tela icon theme onto your Linux PC is done through the terminal, as Git only works via the command-line. To start the download, open up a terminal window by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T or Ctrl + Shift + T on the keyboard. From there, use the git clone command to download the Tela icon theme, and all of the necessary installation files.

git clone https://github.com/vinceliuice/Tela-icon-theme.git

Let the Tela icon theme files download through Git. It should not take long. When the process is complete, you will see a new directory called “Tela-icon-theme” in your home folder (~). Confirm that all the Tela icon files are in this directory by running the ls command below.

ls ~/Tela-icon-theme

Install the Tela icon theme

The Tela icon theme needs to be installed to be used on the Linux desktop. Installing icon themes on Linux can be done in two ways. The first way is “single-user,” which means only one user has access to the icons. The second way is “system-wide,” where everyone on your Linux PC, regardless of the user, can access and use the icons. In this guide, we will cover both methods.

Single-user

To start the installation of the Tela icon theme as a single user on Linux, you must first create the “.icons” directory in the home folder. To do this, use the mkdir command.

mkdir -p ~/.icons

After creating the new “.icons” directory in your home folder (~), use the CD command to move into the Tela icon theme directory.

cd ~/Tela-icon-theme

Lastly, install the Tela icon theme into the “.icons” directory by using the included script.

./install.sh -d ~/.icons

Confirm that the installation was successful by running the following ls command.

ls ~/.icons | grep Tela

System-wide

To install the Tela icon theme system-wide, you must first elevate the terminal window to the Root user. To do this, use the sudo -s command.

sudo -s

Once you’ve got access to the Root user, move to the Tela icon theme directory, and run the included installation script to get the theme set up.

cd Tela-icon-theme/
./install.sh -d /usr/share/icons/

Confirm that the installation was successful by running the following ls command.

ls /usr/share/icons/ | grep Tela

Activate the Tela icon theme on Linux

The Tela icon theme is now set up on your Linux PC. However, your desktop environment isn’t using it yet. Why? You must change the icon theme on your Linux PC to Tela.

To change the default icon theme for your Linux PC, open up “System Settings,” and locate the “Appearance” or “Icon” settings area. Then, change the default icon theme your system is currently using to “Tela.” Soon after, your desktop will be using the Tela icon theme.

Are you having trouble setting up the Tela icon theme on your Linux PC? Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered. Take a look at the links in the list below. All the links below go over, in-depth on how to customize Linux desktop environments, and how to change icon themes.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an action RPG game, developed by the game company CD Projekt RED. It’s the third entry in a trilogy of video games based on the fantasy novels by Andrzej Sapkowsi. It follows the protagonist Geralt of Rivia as he hunts down a monster known as a witcher. The game came out in 2015 on PC, Xbox One, and PS4 to massive success, earning dozens of awards. Wild Hunt never received official Linux support, unfortunately. So, if you want to play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on Linux, you’ll need to rely on workarounds like Wine or SteamPlay. In this guide, we’ll go over both of those methods.

Method 1: SteamPlay/Proton

If you prefer to get your video games through Steam, it is possible to play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on Linux through Valve’s “SteamPlay” technology. To start the installation process, install the latest version of Steam for Linux on your distribution.

Note: unsure about how to install Steam on Linux? Head over to this page on Pkgs.org. Then, look through the list for the operating system you currently use to learn how to install it.

After setting up Steam for Linux, log into your account (or create a new one here). Then, locate the “Store” button and click on it to access the Steam Storefront.

On the Steam Storefront, find the search box, and click on it. Then, type “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” into it, and press the Enter key to run a search.

Look through the search results on the Steam storefront, and click on “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” to go to its page on Steam. Select “Add to cart” to purchase the game.

With the game purchased, you must enable “SteamPlay” in the Linux Steam app. To enable “SteamPlay,” follow our guide here. Be sure to enable it for all titles!

When you’ve enabled “SteamPlay” in Steam on Linux, find the “Library” button at the top and click it to go to your games. From there, search for “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,” and click the “Install” button to set it up on your Linux PC.

When the installation of the game is complete, find the blue “Play” button, and click on it to enjoy The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on Linux!

Troubleshooting – SteamPlay/Proton

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has a “Platinum” rating on ProtonDB. Many users have reported the game and their experiences, and most have been positive, though, keep in mind that some haven’t been. The game isn’t perfect on Linux 100% of the time. If you run into problems playing this game with SteamPlay, be sure to check ProtonDB for troubleshooting purposes.

Method 2: Wine

CD Projekt RED is known for taking a stance against digital rights management in video games. As a result, they’ve worked very closely with GOG.com to offer The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt without DRM (this means Steam). As a result, Wild Hunt runs very good with Wine on Linux.

Getting Witcher 3 working with Wine starts by installing the latest version of the runtime. So, head over to our guide and learn how to set up Wine on your Linux PC. For best results, be sure to get at least version 4.0.

After installing the latest Wine to your Linux PC, the next step in the setup process is to download the game from the internet. Head over to GOG.com, and create a new account on the website.

Once you’ve created an account on the website, find the search icon at the top right and search for “Witcher 3”. Then, click on “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” in the results to go to its page on GOG.com. On the Wild Hunt GOG page, find the “Add to cart” button, and click it to purchase the game.

When the game has been purchased, find your profile icon, and click on it. Then, select “Games.” From there, find “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,” and click on it to access the game in your library.

Inside the “Wild Hunt” page on your library, select “Download offline backup game installers” to download the game to your Linux PC.

With The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt finished downloading to your Linux PC, open up the file manager, and click on “Downloads.” Then, locate the Wild Hunt installer EXE, and right-click on it. Select “Open in Wine Windows Program Loader” to launch the installer.

Go through the GOG.com installer to set up The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on your Linux PC. When the installer is done, close it. You should then be able to launch the game via the shortcut on your desktop. Have fun!

Troubleshooting – Wine

Wild Hunt works pretty good in Wine, but not flawlessly. You may run into some problems playing this game on Linux, especially if you run an older version of Wine. Be sure to head over to the game’s WineHQ page for help troubleshooting your issues.

DNS hijacking sounds scary, but understanding the risks and installing a VPN are effective countermeasures to ensure your security online. In today’s guide, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about DNS hijacking attacks, and how to fix the problem if it arises.

The internet is a complicated machine with countless working parts. Servers make data requests, hosts and clients communicate back and forth, ISPs coordinate traffic, and ultimately it all comes together to display a webpage in your browser.

Domain Name Servers (DNS) constitute another technology that sits inside the deeper workings of the internet. When DNS does its job you’ll never know it exists. But if it doesn’t, you can’t even load a website. Worse still, a DNS hijacking attack can trick you into giving away your private information and you won’t even realize it. We’ll teach you everything you need to know to stay safe, so read on!

How DNS Works

When you strip it down to its basics, the internet is essentially groups of computers sending messages back and forth to each other. You make a request for a website to display in your browser, your computer relays that request through a service provider, the ISP bounces it to remote servers to fulfill the request, and the path is reversed. We communicate using words and phrases, but computers are partial to numbers. Because those two worlds aren’t always compatible, DNS servers help bridge the gap.

Domain Name Servers sit between you and the internet and work like a translator for site URLs. We like using letters for our domain names, such as addictivetips.com or google.com. It’s easier for computers to store and retrieve that information as numbers, however. Type addictivetips.com into a browser bar and your computer sends that request to your ISP. The ISP uses its DNS servers to look up the name reference in a massive database, then translate the typed URL into an IP address. It all happens in a fraction of a second, but if DNS didn’t exist, the internet would grind to a halt.

DNS Hijacking – ISPs and Hackers

DNS servers are the first point of contact between your devices and the internet. They relay everything you request and are counted on to be fast and accurate. It’s unsettlingly common for hackers and ISPs to abuse this system by changing the lookup addresses for certain sites. You might type facebook.com into your browser, but if the DNS tables are rigged by a hijacker, you won’t be forwarded to the actual facebook.com.

The most common type of DNS hijack occurs when someone gains access to your computer through a virus or malware. These programs can change the default DNS servers on your device to a fake service, redirecting every URL to a different site. Data snoopers can also sit on the same Wi-Fi network as you and intercept requests as they’re made. Public hotspots in areas frequented by tourists are one of the main stalking grounds for these data thieves, which is why you should take extra precautions to keep your devices safe when traveling.

Some common DNS hijacking attacks include:

• Phishing scams where the target site is replaced with an entirely different website that looks and acts like the original.
• Data scraping sites that mimic banking or online shopping sites and try to get login details.
• So-called “soft” hijacking where an ISP redirects traffic to gain ad revenue. These can be innocent redirects in the case of mistyped URLs, or they can be malicious.
• DNS spoofing by governments to censor data by blocking or redirecting DNS requests.
• Pharming efforts that replace common websites with sites covered in advertisements.

The dangers of DNS hijacking are obvious, but the reason they’re so powerful is because users rarely realize they’ve been redirected. Fake websites can perfectly mirror the look and feel of your intended destination, and before you know it, you’ve given your Amazon password to a hacker. Fortunately, there are some highly effective measures you can take to prevent DNS hijacking of all types.

Stop DNS Hijacking with a VPN

A surprisingly powerful method of putting a stop to DNS hijacking attempts is to use a trusted and reliable virtual private network. VPN services are in the business of making the online world safe and secure for all users. They work by creating a private tunnel between your device and the internet, encrypting all traffic that leaves your computer so it can’t be read by prying eyes. This data is sent to the VPN’s network of servers on your behalf, which helps to keep your identity anonymous, as well.

VPN providers use their own DNS servers to create a portal to the web, which takes the place of your local ISP’s DNS. VPNs are actively invested in maintaining fast, accurate DNS lookups, which in and of itself cuts down on hijacking attempts. As long as you’re using a well-regarded VPN service, you’re less likely to encounter a DNS hijacking attempt than without a VPN.

LEARN MORE: What exactly does a VPN hide?

If you’re not sure which VPN is the best for staying safe online, we’ve made the process a little easier for you. Below are the top criteria we use to evaluate our recommended VPN services. Each one ensures you get a fast, private, and secure VPN experience without any of the hassle.

• Logging policy – The core of a good VPN rests upon its logging policies. All of your traffic passes through their servers, and if those details are kept in a log, third parties could get access to it. If no logs exist, your data can’t be taken.
• Software availability – If you can’t run the VPN’s software on your device, it won’t be able to take advantage of the encryption and reliable DNS servers. The best VPN providers have custom solutions for all modern devices, including tablets and smartphones.
• Speed – Encryption overhead can reduce a VPN’s speed significantly, causing both slowdown and lag. The best providers have effective workarounds that keep your downloads fast and uninterrupted.
• Server network – More servers means more options when it comes to choosing a virtual location. You’ll also be able to find low-lag servers when you need them.
• File and traffic restrictions – Some VPNs are known to block P2P networks and torrents as well as restrict bandwidth usage. If you want completely free and unlimited access to the internet, you need a VPN that doesn’t monitor your traffic in any way, shape, or form.

1. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is one of the easiest-to-use VPNs on the market. All custom software offered by the company is built around convenience, giving you the tools you need to manage your VPN connection without having to navigate through a ton of menu screens. This is especially handy when you start utilizing ExpressVPN’s massive network of 3,000+ servers in 94 different countries. Need a faster server in Europe? You’ve got plenty of choices, and switching is just a few taps away.

Privacy is high on ExpressVPN’s priority list, as well. All traffic is protected by tough 256-bit AES encryption and a no-exceptions zero-traffic logging policy, both of which work to keep your data unreadable and unavailable to prying eyes. There’s also no-fuss DNS leak protection and an automatic kill switch on several versions of its software, ensuring your location and identity remain safe and secure.

More of ExpressVPN’s best features include consistent access to Netflix streams, even though many VPNs are actively blocked by the service; built-in speed tests to ensure you can always find the fastest connection possible; and unlimited bandwidth and no restrictions on P2P or torrent traffic.

Read our full ExpressVPN review.

2. NordVPN

Interested in one of the fastest VPNs on the market? Put NordVPN at the top of your list. The company operates a network of over 5,600+ servers in 60 different countries, the largest in the industry. That number grows on a weekly basis, too, as NordVPN is constantly working to expand and improve its offerings to customers around the world. These servers deliver amazing speeds with almost zero latency, ensuring you always have the right connection in the right place, no matter where you travel.

A unique benefit of having so many servers is that NordVPN can offer specialized services on select nodes. Need extra security for sensitive tasks? Connect to a Double Encryption server for 2048-bit protection. Need added anonymity or protection against DDoS attacks while gaming? NordVPN has servers for that, too! All these features are available with every NordVPN plan; all you have to do is switch to the right server and you’re good to go.

More of NordVPN’s best features include a completely private connection that delivers reliable access even in censorship heavy areas like China, Russia, and the Middle East, plus a thorough zero-logging policy that covers traffic, time stamps, bandwidth, and IP address logs. NordVPN is also one of the few VPNs that maintains reliable access to Netflix.

Read our full NordVPN review.

3. PureVPN

PureVPN has some of the best DNS hijacking protection features of any VPN service. The usual perks of a virtual private network are there, including a network of over 750 servers in 141 countries, 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, and zero traffic logs. Going a step beyond that, PureVPN also offers built-in anti-virus protection, web and content filtering, an ad blocker, and incredibly reliable protection against malware, botnets, and spyware. It’s an all-in-one security suite for total online privacy and safety, making it one of the best VPNs to prevent DNS hijacking.

PureVPN’s features at a glance include excellent custom apps for modern operating systems, including smartphones, tablets, PCs, and more; a self-owned network of servers for enhanced privacy and security; unlimited bandwidth and no restriction on P2P or torrent traffic.

Read our full PureVPN review.

4. IPVanish

Need to stay hidden online? IPVanish has the tools you need. The company focuses on incredible privacy and security features while delivering lightning-fast speeds around the world. It starts with a network of over 1300 servers in 60 different countries, one of the largest in the VPN marketplace. It’s enough variety that you’ll always find the location and connection quality you need no matter where you live. You’ll also gain access to IPVanish’s 40,000 shared IP addresses for added anonymity.

On the privacy side of things, IPVanish uses strong 256-bit AES encryption on all transfers, backing that up with zero traffic logs, DNS leak protection, and an automatic kill switch. These features are perfect for keeping your location hidden online, and they also provide convenient leverage to break through firewalls and access censored content.

Other excellent features from IPVanish include the ability to download torrents with full privacy and anonymity, keeping you safe from ISP warning messages and copyright infringement notices. It offers smartly designed and lightweight apps for all major operating systems, smartphones, and mobile devices, and boasts fast and secure servers allow for incredible HD video streams through Kodi.

Read our full IPVanish review.

5. VyprVPN

VyprVPN has incredible privacy features that go above and beyond standard VPN efforts. The most unique is their Chameleon technology, a protocol that helps defeat deep packet inspection (DPI) by wrapping metadata in an extra layer of security. This allows you to thwart ISP throttling efforts and break through firewalls in places like China, Turkey, and the Middle East. Your online freedom and privacy is stronger than ever with VyprVPN in place, and you don’t even have to lift a finger to make it happen.

Another fantastic feature of the VyprVPN experience is the fact that the company owns and operates its entire network of servers, over 700 in 70 different countries. This keeps third parties out of the picture entirely, allowing this provider to handle all of the upgrades, maintenance, hardware and software customizations themselves. If you want to make sure your information stays safe no matter what, VyprVPN is definitely the choice for you.

VyprVPN also includes support for a wide variety of operating systems, including desktops, Android, and iOS smartphones; unlimited bandwidth and no restriction on P2P traffic or torrent downloads; plus a strict zero-logging policy that covers both traffic and DNS request logs.

Read our full VyprVPN review.

Stop DNS Hijacking with a Third-Party DNS

Using a VPN automatically gives you access to a new set of DNS servers. You can also manually change which DNS servers your device accesses, switching them from your local service provider to a trusted third party. This can help create a faster and safer online environment for your entire home network, as well as give you the ability to protect users from objectionable content.

There are two basic types of third-party DNS services: paid and free. Paid services deliver a lot of extra features, such as configurable web filters and aggressive phishing and pharming protection. Free services can be hit or miss, often delivering incredibly reliable DNS results but occasionally falling through with bad service. Choose your alternative DNS carefully, as they will end up being in control of your entire internet experience.

• We’ve selected a few excellent free and paid third-party DNS services you can use to protect against DNS hijacking and phishing scams. If you need help making these changes, check out our full guide on how to change your DNS settings.
• OpenNIC Project – An open and democratic alternative DNS provider that’s completely free to use. Privacy advocates consistently list OpenNIC as their favorite DNS service. You can even contribute to the project by hosting your own node!
• OpenDNS – A popular alternative DNS provider with both free and paid services. The basic package offers safe and reliable DNS server access that filters out phishing and pharming websites by default. The paid version delivers powerful filtering features that help you protect your children from harmful content.
• Google Public DNS – Google’s free DNS service that’s open for the public to use. They promise extremely fast speeds and accurate look-ups, all with two easy to remember addresses.
• Norton ConnectSafe – A paid DNS service operated by the digital security giant Norton. Offers several different plans geared towards safety and security, with several options for web filtering that may be useful to parents.

Use Antivirus Software to Protect against DNS Hijacking

A common method of both DNS hijacking delivery is to place a hidden piece of malware on the target’s computer and use that to alter the default DNS server information. This type of malware often goes undetected, as virus authors design them to be subtle, yet they can cause massive data leaks if not discovered and eradicated.

RELATED READING: How to recognize malware links

The best defense against this type of malware is to avoid suspicious websites. That’s not 100% effective, of course, so make sure you use a good anti-virus program no matter which operating system you run. Most device manufacturers include basic malware protection software out of the box. Windows Defender is a good example of this. If you need some suggestions, check out our recommended anti-virus programs for iOS. Keep these programs actively monitoring at all times, and don’t forget to occasionally run a scan just in case something slipped by.

Conclusion

Hopefully, we’ve been able to demystify DNS hijacking for you with this article, giving you the knowledge you need to take back control of your cybersecurity. Towards that end, we’ve provided you with rundowns for the top VPNs on the market, each proven to bolster your privacy online.

What do you think of our recommendations? Do you have any other tips for our readers? Leave a comment below!