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Block Google check-ins (connectivity check)

Android devices periodically perform check-ins to Google servers to verify Internet connectivity, especially when connecting to a Wi‑Fi network.

These requests can expose information such as IP addresses and usage patterns, which may be used to profile the device or locate the user.

Goal​

Completely blocking these check-ins is not recommended because Android relies on them to detect network connectivity. If the check-in service does not respond, Android may assume there is no Internet connection and restrict network access until a successful check-in occurs.

A safer approach is to limit the data sent to Google by redirecting check-in requests to a self‑hosted or local service that returns neutral responses.

Approach​

  1. Set up a local service (for example Pi‑hole or a custom DNS server) to respond to check-in queries with neutral or empty answers.
  2. Configure the Android device DNS settings to use the local server.
  3. Test the configuration to ensure check-ins are redirected and that Internet connectivity behaves as expected.

References​