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In this article, we’ll show you how to Use DuckDuckGo Browser on PC and Phone, a private search engine that doesn’t keep track of your search history. Google is the most popular search engine in the world, but when it comes to privacy, it doesn’t have a great track record. DuckDuckGo is a great alternative to Google if you want privacy and don’t want to use Google. The service puts privacy first in everything it does, from surfing the web to forwarding emails. But the results aren’t as accurate or thorough, so you might not always find what you’re looking for.
Thousands of users who care about their privacy have already switched from messaging apps like WhatsApp to ones that seem safer, like Signal and Telegram. At the same time, many people may choose to use DuckDuckGo instead of Google or Bing to search the web. This is likely because the lesser-known search engine does not collect user data or track what you search.
DuckDuckGo Search is a private search engine that doesn’t keep a record of what you look up. Most other search engines keep track of what you look up on the web in a profile, which the company then uses to filter results based on what you do and make ads that are more relevant to you. Even though this is helpful for a lot of people, it is still a way to track people and takes away their privacy. In this article, we’ll show you how to Use DuckDuckGo Browser on PC and Phone.
What is DuckDuckGo?
If you’ve used a web browser like Chrome, you might think that if you delete your browsing history, you’re safe. But when you see ads that look like your recent searches, it’s clear that someone has been keeping track of your search history. This is where DuckDuckGo comes into play. When you use one of DuckDuckGo’s products, your search history and browser history are not saved.
It also stops cookies from following you around the web. All of these things try to keep your privacy as safe as possible when you’re online. The best private search engine on our list is DuckDuckGo. It’s a popular choice for people who want to search privately. Search Engine Journal says that DuckDuckGo had 100 million searches in a single day in early 2021.
Why Use DuckDuckGo?
DuckDuckGo is a search engine that focuses on protecting your privacy. It doesn’t save your search history and blocks cookies that can be used to track what you do online. You can browse the web, use social media, shop online, and do a lot more without being seen. Every time you use the search engine, it’s like the first time—your search history is blank, there are no cookies, and there are no ads based on what you searched for before. It has a Fire button that, with one click, clears all open tabs and their data.
No matter what you search for, how you use a website, or what personal information you put in, your information will never be collected or stored. This is DuckDuckGo’s biggest benefit. When you use a search engine, it will even hide your IP address. You can get DuckDuckGo for free as a desktop browser, a browser extension, and a mobile browser app for iOS and Android. People choose DuckDuckGo as their search engine for more than one reason. Some of the most important ones are:
- Privacy: DuckDuckGo is known for how much it cares about the privacy of its users. It does not track or store your personal information or search history like many other search engines do. This means that your searches won’t be shown to other people, and you won’t be constantly shown ads that are just for you when you’re on the internet.
- Searching the web anonymously: DuckDuckGo does not collect any information that could be used to find out who you are. This can be helpful if you are worried about your online privacy or want to avoid being shown ads based on what you do online.
- No filter bubble: DuckDuckGo tries to avoid the filter bubble effect so that search results are not biased. The filter bubble is made up of the personalized search results that some search engines give you based on what you’ve looked at before. This can make an echo chamber and make it harder to see different points of view. DuckDuckGo tries to give you search results that don’t depend on what you like or how you’ve behaved in the past.
- Fewer ads: DuckDuckGo does show ads, but it tries to show ads that don’t bother you and don’t track you. The ads are based on the search terms you type in instead of your personal information, which makes them less intrusive.
How to Use DuckDuckGo Browser on PC
- DuckDuckGo can be used in Google Chrome.
- Click the “Add DuckDuckGo to Chrome” button to put DuckDuckGo on Chrome. Because of this, you will be sent to the Chrome Web Store.
- Click the “Add to Chrome” button in the upper right corner.
- You will be asked by DuckDuckGo to turn on Privacy Essentials. This lets DuckDuckGo block ad trackers and protect the privacy of your searches. If you agree, click the button that says “Add Extension.”
- You’ll go to a page that says the extension was installed successfully. DuckDuckGo will also have links to download the mobile privacy browser.
- When you are done, click Start Searching to go back to the main search bar on DuckDuckGo.
How to Use DuckDuckGo Browser on Android Phone
- Open the app for the Google Play Store.
- Do a search on DuckDuckGo.
- DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser is the one to use.
- Choose to install.
- Select Open.
- You’ll be asked to choose between Google Chrome and DuckDuckGo as your default browser app when you use DuckDuckGo. Choose the one you want, and then tap Set As Default.
How to Use DuckDuckGo Browser on iPhone
- Find DuckDuckGo in the App Store.
- Choose the DuckDuckGo Browser for Privacy.
- Tap Get.
- You can confirm the download by entering your Apple ID password or by using Face ID or Touch ID.
- DuckDuckGo will ask you if you want to make it your default browser app when you tap Open. Choose “Set As Default” or “Skip.”
DuckDuckGo Features and Benefits
- Smarter Search: DuckDuckGo incorporates smarter search features such as autocompletion, spell checking, and results refinement. This enhances the search experience and helps you find what you’re looking for more efficiently.
- Customization: DuckDuckGo allows users to customize the appearance and functionality of the search engine according to their preferences. You can adjust settings like theme, font size, and even enable dark mode.
- Privacy Essentials: DuckDuckGo offers browser extensions and mobile apps called “Privacy Essentials” that provide additional privacy protection. These tools block hidden trackers, enforce encrypted connections, and offer privacy grades for visited websites.
- No Filter Bubble: DuckDuckGo aims to provide unbiased search results by avoiding personalized search algorithms. This means you’ll see a wider range of perspectives and avoid the “filter bubble” effect.
- Availability: DuckDuckGo is available on multiple platforms, including desktop browsers, mobile browsers, and as a standalone mobile app. You can access it across devices and enjoy the privacy benefits wherever you go.
DuckDuckGo Alternatives
- Startpage: Startpage is a search engine that focuses on privacy and does not track or store user data. It delivers Google search results in a private and anonymous manner.
- Qwant: Qwant is a European search engine that emphasizes user privacy and data protection. It provides search results from its own index and does not track or personalize search results.
- Searx: Searx is an open-source metasearch engine that aggregates search results from various sources. It allows users to customize their search preferences and can be self-hosted for added privacy.
- Ecosia: Ecosia is a search engine that plants trees with its ad revenue. It uses Bing’s search results and focuses on sustainability and environmental causes.
- MetaGer: MetaGer is a German search engine that prioritizes privacy by not storing any personal information. It retrieves search results from various sources and offers advanced privacy features.
- Mojeek: Mojeek is a search engine based in the United Kingdom that aims to provide unbiased and independent search results. It has its own web index and does not track users.
Questions and Answers
The search engine that cares about privacy has made its desktop browser available for Windows. Last year, it was a good thing for Mac users to get a desktop version. Now, people who use Windows can use DuckDuckGo on their computers.
The Privacy Essentials add-on for Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge from DuckDuckGo has also been used a lot. Its reputation is based on the fact that it doesn’t collect information about its users, but it can still give the same search results as those that do.
It gives Chrome privacy settings that Chrome doesn’t already have. When you add the DuckDuckGo extension to your Chrome browser, it stops sites from putting tracking cookies on it. This keeps the sites from keeping track of and selling your personal information and history of how you use the internet.