Smart DNS settings help you change your virtual location on devices that don’t support native PIA VPN apps. When you create a custom Smart DNS setting configuration for your specific device, you’ll be asked to choose which location you want that device to appear like it’s connecting from. By changing the DNS settings, your virtual location is changed, but your internet traffic is not routed through a VPN server for extra encryption or IP masking. What this means is that your connection data will still be visible to your ISP or network administrator, but the overall connection speeds will be much faster than a normal VPN.