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It sounds like you are experiencing a common issue with Android’s Private DNS feature. When your Pixel 6 displays "Private DNS cannot be accessed," it means the phone sent a request to AdGuard’s servers but didn't get a response fast enough, or the connection was momentarily interrupted.
Because Android prioritizes security for Private DNS (DNS-over-TLS), it will "fail closed"—meaning it cuts off internet access entirely if it can't verify the encrypted DNS connection, rather than falling back to an unencrypted (and potentially monitored) DNS.
Why this is happening
There are three likely culprits for these intermittent drops:
Server Latency: AdGuard’s public servers occasionally get overloaded or undergo brief maintenance. If your phone doesn't get a response within a specific timeout window, it triggers the error.
Network Switching: When your Pixel 6 handovers between Wi-Fi and LTE/5G, or between different Wi-Fi access points, the encrypted tunnel can "break" momentarily.
Battery Optimization: Sometimes, Android’s aggressive power management on the Pixel can cause brief hiccups in background network processes.
How to Fix It
1. Try an Alternative AdGuard Endpoint
AdGuard has multiple server addresses. If you are using the default one, try switching to the "Non-filtering" or "Default" alternative to see if a different server cluster is more stable for your region.
Current: dns.adguard.com
Try: dns.adguard-dns.com (This is their newer, globally distributed Anycast address which is often more stable).
2. Reset Network Settings
If you’ve recently updated your Android version, the network stack might have some cached "junk."
Go to Settings > System > Reset options.
Select Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth.
Note: You will have to reconnect to Wi-Fi networks and re-pair Bluetooth devices.
3. Disable "Adaptive Connectivity"
This is a Pixel-specific feature designed to save battery by switching between 5G and 4G, but it is notorious for causing Private DNS drops during the switch.
Go to Settings > Network & internet > Adaptive connectivity.
Toggle it Off.
4. Use the "Automatic" setting as a Test
If the drops continue, change your DNS setting from "Private DNS provider hostname" back to Automatic for a few hours. If the internet still drops, the issue is your ISP or hardware. If the drops stop, the issue is definitely the AdGuard server handshake.
A More Robust Alternative: The AdGuard App
If you find the built-in Android Private DNS setting too "brittle," consider using the AdGuard App (sideloaded from their website) instead of the system setting.
The app creates a local VPN on your phone.
Unlike the system setting, the app can be configured to "fail open," meaning if the ad-blocking server is down, your internet stays on (you'll just see ads for a minute).
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