Can Wi-Fi owners see what sites you visit on your phone?

Can the Wi-Fi owner see your phone’s browsing history?

If the Wi-Fi owner is logging their network activity, they could see which domains you visit, especially if you're not using encrypted DNS. While they typically can’t see the exact pages or content on secure (HTTPS) websites, the site names (e.g., whatever.com) can still be visible through DNS queries or metadata.

For someone with technical know-how, it's quite simple for the Wi-Fi owner/admin to set up network logging and start collecting browsing data. Therefore, for the sake of security, it’s probably best to assume that your browsing data on a public or common (such as at an Airbnb) Wi-Fi setup could be viewed by the administrator. 

Understanding who can see your internet browsing history is just the first step. In addition to becoming subject to network administrator oversight, using public and common Wi-Fi can make you more vulnerable to attacks by cybercriminals because they have easier access to the network.

What can the Wi-Fi owner see?

If they have performed the necessary setup, a Wi-Fi network owner could view the following information about your internet activity:

• The domains you visit.
• The time that you access a domain or app and the duration you use it for.
• The amount of upload and download data you use.
• Your devices’ media access control (MAC) address and IP address.
• Additional data if you visit unsecured websites and apps.

How to check the Wi-Fi router’s history on a phone

Now that we know what sensitive data an administrator can see via Wi-Fi router logs, let’s look at how a Wi-Fi network administrator is able to access this information from devices connected to their network. These are the steps they could take to view the data: 

1. 1.Access router settings. Once the administrator is connected to the Wi-Fi network, they can open a web browser and enter the IP address of the router. Default router IP addresses are commonly set to “192.168.0.1” or “192.168.1.1.” If the default addresses don’t work, Windows users can open Command Prompt and type “ipconfig,” where they will find the IP listed as the default gateway. Mac users can instead open Terminal and type “route get default | grep gateway.”
2. 2.Enter admin credentials. On the router settings page, the administrator can enter their credentials (username and password). The default credentials can usually be found listed on the router itself. If the default credentials don’t work, the administrator will need to enter the custom credentials, or failing that, factory reset the router to make the default credentials work again. 
3. 3.Navigate to the “Logs” or “History” section in the router interface to view connected devices, IP addresses, and data usage. However, detailed web activity, such as visited websites or DNS queries, often requires enabling advanced logging, flashing custom firmware (e.g., DD-WRT, OpenWRT), or using third-party tools (e.g., Pi-hole).
4. 4.Analyze data. Wi-Fi administrators may wish to analyze router logs to troubleshoot network issues, detect and investigate suspicious activity, and monitor data usage per device. Administrators may also export network logs in order to save them or analyze them with external tools. 

How to stop Wi-Fi owners from seeing your browsing history

You can stop Wi-Fi owners from seeing your browsing history by using the following techniques: 

• Using mobile data for sensitive information.
• Sticking to HTTPS websites.
• Using a virtual private network (VPN).

Next, we’ll break down the specific details of each of the above cases. 

Use mobile data for sensitive information

If you’re using public Wi-Fi, it’s good practice to disconnect and switch over to mobile data if you need to do anything relating to sensitive information, such as using a bank account or credit card or logging in to accounts. This is because using mobile data is more secure and makes it more difficult to intercept your communications. By contrast, if the Wi-Fi administrator knows how to check the Wi-Fi router’s history on a phone, they can easily view it anytime. 

Stick to HTTPS websites

It’s a good practice to stick to visiting only HTTPS websites. This step shouldn’t be too much of a problem because large, reputable companies generally exclusively have websites that use HTTPS. You may come across sites that don’t use HTTPS if they have been created by inexperienced small businesses or individuals. Fraudulent sites run by criminals that are impersonating legitimate sites may also not use HTTPS. 

Use a virtual private network (VPN)

If you’re wondering how to stop the Wi-Fi owner from seeing your history, a VPN is an excellent solution. When you are connected to a VPN, the Wi-Fi owner will see the following:

1. 1.The IP address of the VPN server.
2. 2.How much data you are sending and receiving (but not the actual content).
3. 3.The fact that you are using a VPN. 

Using a VPN while browsing online protects your privacy by encrypting your internet activity. This step makes it harder for anyone trying to monitor your actions, like the Wi-Fi network owner, your internet provider, or even hackers, to see what you’re doing. With a VPN, you can surf the web, chat, log in to accounts, and go about your online business with more peace of mind, knowing your information is safe from prying eyes.