Question 1

How long does it take to set up Guardino?

Accepted Answer

About 60 seconds. After you create an account we give you a DNS profile — a server address and a token. You add it on your phone, router, or computer, and protection starts immediately. The hardest part is scanning the QR code.

Question 2

Do I need to install an app?

Accepted Answer

No. Guardino works at the DNS layer of your network, which is something every device already speaks. There's nothing to install on the protected device — you just point it at our DNS resolver. Web dashboard handles the rest.

Question 3

Does it work on iPhone, Android, and Windows?

Accepted Answer

Yes. iOS and macOS use a configuration profile. Android (9+) supports DNS-over-TLS natively in Settings. Windows 11 supports DoH natively, and Windows 10 works via the router. We provide step-by-step instructions for each.

Question 4

Can I protect every device in my house with one account?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Set the Guardino DNS on your home router and every device on that network — guests included — gets protected automatically. The Free plan is for a single household.

Question 5

What is 'Mind Shield' exactly?

Accepted Answer

Mind Shield is our blocklist of domains and endpoints associated with attention manipulation — the autoplay engines, infinite-scroll recommendation services, engagement-loop telemetry, and dopamine-targeted ad networks. We don't block the platforms themselves (you can still use Instagram); we block the specific systems engineered to keep you scrolling.

Question 6

Will it break the apps my family uses?

Accepted Answer

In most cases no. Apps continue to work — they just lose the behavioural-design layer underneath. If a specific service does break, you can whitelist it in two clicks from the dashboard.

Question 7

How is this different from screen-time limits or app blockers?

Accepted Answer

Screen-time limits ask the device to enforce a rule. Determined kids bypass them in minutes. DNS-level blocking happens at the network layer — there's no setting on the phone to flip. You'd need to plug in a different DNS server, and we make sure that's locked too.

Question 8

Will my kids know Guardino is on?

Accepted Answer

Only if you tell them. There's no Guardino branding on blocked pages — just a generic 'site unreachable' from the browser. Most kids assume the wifi is broken and go outside. That's the point.

Question 9

Can I have different rules for different family members?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Create multiple DNS profiles — for example one for parents (Mind Shield only), one for teens (Mind Shield + adult content + gambling), and one for younger kids (everything plus social media). Assign each profile to specific devices.

Question 10

What about my child's school iPad that's locked?

Accepted Answer

If you can change the DNS server on the device or on the router it connects to, Guardino works. If the school has locked it down completely, our DNS won't take effect on that device while it's on school wifi — but it will the moment they come home and join your network.

Question 11

Can older kids bypass Guardino?

Accepted Answer

If they connect to mobile data instead of wifi, they bypass the home network — that's true of every DNS solution. For full mobile protection, install our DNS profile directly on the child's phone. Once installed, it follows them on any wifi or cellular network.

Question 12

Do you log my DNS queries?

Accepted Answer

We log query metadata — domain name, allow/block result, timestamp — by default for 30 days so you can review activity in the dashboard. You can shorten retention or disable logging entirely in Settings. We never store the IP address of the originating device long-term.

Question 13

Do you sell my data?

Accepted Answer

No. We do not sell DNS data. We do not share it with advertisers. We do not let third parties access it. This is in our Terms and is non-negotiable. Read the full Privacy Policy if you want the legalese.

Question 14

Where is my data stored?

Accepted Answer

On infrastructure we operate ourselves — under privacy-friendly jurisdiction. We don't use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any third-party tracker on the dashboard. A single session cookie for keeping you logged in is the only client-side tracker we use.

Question 15

Is there a free plan?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Free covers a single household with the full Mind Shield blocklist, basic analytics, and one profile. No card required, no expiration. Pro adds family profiles, unlimited devices, 90-day log history, and Digital Focus mode.

Question 16

How much is Pro?

Accepted Answer

$4.99 / month or about $49 / year. We bill through Stripe in USD. You can cancel any time and continue to use Pro features until the end of the billing period.

Question 17

Do you offer refunds?

Accepted Answer

Yes — a full refund within 14 days of your first payment, no questions asked. After that we issue refunds at our discretion for genuine service failures (downtime, data loss, etc.).

Question 18

What if Guardino's DNS goes down?

Accepted Answer

Our DNS resolver runs on redundant infrastructure with a 99.99% uptime SLA. In the rare event of an outage, your devices fall back to your ISP's default DNS automatically (configured by the OS). Protection pauses; the internet keeps working.

Question 19

Is DNS-over-HTTPS / DNS-over-TLS supported?

Accepted Answer

Yes, both. Every Guardino DNS profile has DoH and DoT endpoints with a valid TLS certificate. Your queries are encrypted in transit — your ISP can't read them.

Question 20

What protects you from being hacked?

Accepted Answer

Our admin surfaces require authentication and are isolated from the public DNS resolver. Customer credentials are hashed (never stored as plaintext). DNS profile tokens are revocable from the dashboard — if you ever suspect compromise, rotate in one click.

Frequently asked.

Getting started

Mind Shield & how it works

Family & parental controls

Privacy & data

Pricing & billing

Security & reliability

The fastest answer is trying it.