What is DNS over QUIC
DNS over QUIC (DoQ) is a protocol for securely transmitting DNS queries over the QUIC transport protocol. DoQ encrypts DNS traffic and reduces latency compared to classic DNS over TCP or UDP.
How DNS over QUIC works
When a device wants to look up an IP address, it sends a request to a DNS resolver over a QUIC session. That session is encrypted with TLS 1.3, so intermediate nodes can only see that a DNS server is being contacted — they cannot see which domain the user is querying.
QUIC runs on top of UDP. Unlike TCP, it establishes connections faster and handles individual packet loss more gracefully. If a single packet is lost, it does not block the processing of all other requests within the same connection.
As a result, DNS over QUIC reduces latency when resolving domain names and speeds up repeated queries.
Advantages of DNS over QUIC
DoQ improves DNS security and reduces the risk of traffic interception. The protocol hides DNS queries from deep packet inspection (DPI) systems and makes it harder to analyze user activity.
An additional benefit is fast connection recovery when the IP address or mobile network changes.
| Protocol | Transport | Encryption | Features |
| DNS | UDP/TCP | None | Classic DNS |
| DoT | TCP/TLS | TLS | Dedicated secure channel |
| DoH | HTTPS | TLS | Transmission over HTTPS |
| DoQ | QUIC | TLS 1.3 | Low latency |
Where DoQ is used
DNS over QUIC is gradually appearing in browsers, public DNS resolvers, and enterprise DNS systems. The protocol is supported by modern versions of AdGuard DNS, Unbound, dnsdist, and certain cloud platforms.
DoQ is seen as one of the next stages in the evolution of secure DNS, thanks to its combination of performance and privacy.
