You decide what to attach to your ENS name and how public it is. By default an ENS name is public: the records you attach to it live onchain, so anyone can read them. What you link to that name, and how much it points back to you, is your choice.
What's public about my ENS name?
An ENS name is public by design. Anything you set on it — the wallet address it resolves to, your Primary Name, and any text records like a website or social handle — is stored onchain and can be read by anyone. ENS doesn't hide these records, and it can't, because they live on a public blockchain. Privacy with ENS isn't about hiding the name; it's about choosing what you connect to it. Changing or removing a record stops it showing from then on, but earlier values stay visible in the name's public history.
How can I use ENS more privately?
To use ENS more privately, limit how much your name reveals about you. You control every record, so you decide what to publish and what to leave off. A few common approaches:
Point your public ENS name at a wallet you keep separate from your main funds, rather than the wallet that holds everything.
Only set the records you actually want public. You don't have to fill in a website, email, or social handles.
Use a dedicated name for public-facing activity and keep other names unlinked from your identity.
Are there tools that add privacy to an ENS name?
ENS is an open protocol that any project can build on. Some independent teams build tools intended to add privacy on top of ENS — such as receiving payments to your ENS name without linking them to your main wallet.
A few examples include:
Umbra — app.umbra.cash
Cloaked — app.clkd.xyz
Fluidkey — fluidkey.com
Note: Examples, not endorsements. These are independent tools built by independent teams in the ecosystem, shared as a starting point rather than a recommendation. They aren't vetted or supported, so research any third-party tool yourself before connecting a wallet or moving funds.