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πŸ”§ App Settings

What you can do on this screen​

App Settings control how the Pi-hole Client app behaves on your device. These settings do not change Pi-hole itself, but they affect how information is displayed, how often data refreshes, and how the app feels to use.

Use this screen to:

  • Customize appearance and language
  • Tune chart behavior and performance
  • Adjust advanced app-side preferences

Appearance and language​

Theme​

Choose how the app looks.

Theme settingsTheme settings dark

You can select:

  • Light - always use a light theme
  • Dark - always use a dark theme
  • System Default - follow the device setting

Changes apply immediately and affect all screens.

Language​

Choose the language used for the app interface.

Language settingsLanguage settings Japanese

Available languages include:

  • English (default)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • EspaΓ±ol (Spanish)
  • ζ—₯本θͺž (Japanese)
  • Polski (Polish)

This setting changes only the app UI, not Pi-hole server messages.

Manage connections to Pi-hole servers​

The Servers section controls which Pi-hole instances the app can connect to.

App settings main list

From here, you can:

  • Switch the currently selected server
  • Add a new Pi-hole server
  • Edit an existing server entry
  • Remove a server from the app

Editable fields include the display name, password, default server flag, and Pi-hole version. Connection details such as IP address, port, subroute, and certificate settings cannot be changed after creation.

Change the selected server when you want to manage a different Pi-hole instance. Add a new server when you deploy Pi-hole on another network or device.

Advanced setup​

Advanced Setup contains fine-grained app behavior controls. These options are useful when tuning performance, data usage, or chart clarity.

App settings advanced options

Most changes apply immediately. If multiple options are changed at once, allow the app a moment to refresh.

App unlock​

This setting controls how the app is protected from unauthorized access. When enabled, authentication is required before the app can be used.

App unlock settings

App unlock protects the app itself. It does not affect Pi-hole server authentication or API access.

Unlock with passcode​

Passcode unlock requires a numeric code to open the app.

To set up a passcode:

  1. Open App unlock
  2. Tap Setup passcode
  3. Enter your desired passcode
  4. Enter the same passcode again to confirm
App unlock with passcode

Use a passcode when your device is shared or when you want consistent protection regardless of biometric availability.

Unlock with fingerprint​

Fingerprint unlock allows you to open the app using biometric authentication.

To enable fingerprint unlock:

  1. Complete the passcode setup steps above
  2. Enable the Use fingerprint toggle
App unlock with fingerprint

Fingerprint authentication is handled by the operating system. The app does not store or process biometric data itself.

Notes on unlock methods​

  • A passcode is always required before fingerprint unlock can be enabled
  • Fingerprint unlock provides faster access but depends on device support
  • If biometric authentication fails, the passcode is used as a fallback

Use App unlock to add an extra layer of protection before accessing Logs, Settings, or server management features.

Chart density (Use Reduced Data)​

This option controls how much data is rendered in charts.

When Use Reduced Data is enabled, charts display fewer data points.

Reduced data offReduced data on

Enable this when:

  • You are on a slow or metered connection
  • Charts feel heavy or slow to update

Disable it when you want the highest level of detail.

Hide zero values​

This option removes series with zero values from charts.

Hide zero values offHide zero values on

Enable it when charts feel cluttered or hard to read. Disable it when you want to see all possible series, even inactive ones.

Loading animation​

This setting controls whether charts animate while data is loading.

Chart loading animation

Enable it if you want clear visual feedback during refresh. Disable it if you prefer a quieter, static interface.

Chart display mode​

Chart Display Mode controls how statistics are presented.

Chart display mode

Home screen chart style​

On the Home screen, you can switch between:

  • Line chart (left)
  • Bar chart (right)
Line chart display modeBar chart display mode

Use line charts to see trends over time. Use bar charts to compare values at a glance.

Statistics screen layout (Domains and Clients)​

On the Statistics screen, you can choose how client data is displayed:

  • List view (left)
  • Pie chart view (right)
Client list viewClient pie chart view

List view is best for precise numbers. Pie charts are useful for quick visual comparison.

Stats refresh interval​

This setting controls how often the summary data fetched by the app is refreshed.

Statistics refresh interval

It affects:

  • The four summary tiles on the Home screen
  • Data shown on the Statistics screen, including Domains and Clients

The summary tiles include values such as total queries and blocked percentage. On the Statistics screen, this interval determines how frequently Domains and Clients data is updated.

You can choose:

  • A fixed refresh interval from the predefined options
  • A custom interval by entering a number of seconds manually

Use a shorter interval when you want near-real-time feedback on Home and up-to-date Statistics. Use a longer interval to reduce network requests and battery usage.

This setting does not affect live log updates or manual refresh actions on the Logs screen.

Live Log​

This setting controls whether real-time log updates are available on the Logs screen.

When enabled (default), Logs can switch into Live mode and display DNS queries as they occur. When disabled, Logs fall back to manual refresh only.

This setting does not change how Pi-hole records logs. It only affects how the app fetches and updates log entries.

When Live Log is enabled, live updates on the Logs screen still start paused. Tap Resume in Logs to start real-time updates.

For details on how Live mode works and how to use it effectively, see Logs.

Log refresh interval​

This setting controls how often log entries are fetched on the Logs screen.

Logs refresh interval

When Live Log is enabled, this interval determines how frequently new log entries are requested and added to the list.

You can choose:

  • A fixed refresh interval from the predefined options
  • A custom interval by entering a number of seconds manually

Use a shorter interval when actively troubleshooting and watching queries as they occur. Use a longer interval to reduce load when monitoring is less critical.

This setting is ignored when Live Log is disabled. In that case, logs update only when you manually refresh the list.

Logs quantity per request​

This setting controls how many log entries are returned per request. Its behavior differs between Pi-hole versions.

Logs quantity per request behavior on Pi-hole v6Logs quantity per request setting on Pi-hole v5

Left: Pi-hole v6 In Pi-hole v6, this setting is no longer configurable. Instead, Logs use an infinite scrolling model that loads entries incrementally as you scroll.

This approach provides a smoother experience, avoids fixed limits, and allows you to browse large log histories more efficiently.

Right: Pi-hole v5 On Pi-hole v5, you can manually configure how many log entries are returned per request using this setting.

This was necessary to balance performance and data volume, but it requires choosing a fixed limit in advance.

If you are using Pi-hole v6, no action is required. The infinite scrolling behavior replaces this setting and provides improved log browsing by default.

When to adjust App Settings​

  • During first-time setup
  • When switching networks or devices
  • When charts feel slow, noisy, or hard to read
  • When you want the app to better match your preferences

App Settings are safe to explore. They affect only the app and can be changed at any time.