Seamlessly take control of your personal information, no matter where the Internet takes you. DuckDuckGo for Windows comes with these best-in-class privacy protections switched on by default, leading to a better everyday user experience.

By blocking trackers before they load, for example, our desktop browsers use about 60% less data than Chrome. Switching is easy, too; you can import passwords and bookmarks from another browser or password manager in just a few clicks.

How does DuckDuckGo Browser protect user privacy?

The browser blocks many third-party trackers and upgrades connections to HTTPS when available, without requiring additional extensions. It also restricts third-party cookies by default and allows users to control site-specific permissions, such as location or camera access, on an individual site basis.

How does DuckDuckGo Browser differ from private or incognito modes in other browsers?

Rather than acting as a temporary mode, the DuckDuckGo Browser applies privacy protections consistently across all browsing sessions by default.

How does Duck Player work with YouTube videos?

Duck Player allows YouTube videos to be viewed in a privacy-focused player that reduces tracking and limits personalized ads. It plays videos without requiring users to be signed into a Google account and minimizes data sharing while watching content.

Does DuckDuckGo Browser store or synchronize browsing data?

The browser does not build user profiles or track browsing behavior by default, and provides a single action to clear tabs, data, and history. Data synchronization across devices is limited compared to some mainstream browsers, reflecting a design choice focused on privacy and reduced data collection.

Can it be used as a primary daily browser?

Yes. DuckDuckGo Browser supports modern web standards and common browsing tasks, including tabs, bookmarks, and password management, making it suitable for everyday use.

Is DuckDuckGo Browser based on Chromium?

On desktop platforms, DuckDuckGo Browser uses system web engines-such as Chromium on Windows-while applying its own interface and privacy controls on top. On mobile devices, it relies on the underlying platform's web engine, using Blink/Chromium on Android and WebKit on iOS, in line with operating system requirements.

Features

Enjoy a better browsing experience on Windows thanks to the DuckDuckGo browser's unique built-in privacy protections:

  • Duck Player, a YouTube player that lets you watch YouTube videos without privacy-invading ads and keeps video views from impacting your recommendations.‌‌
  • Tracker blocking that goes above and beyond what's available from Chrome and other browsers. Our 3rd-party Tracker Loading Protection, for example, blocks the hidden trackers from companies like Google and Facebook lurking on other websites before they get a chance to load. ‌‌‌‌
  • Smarter Encryption to ensure that more of the websites you visit and the links you click are encrypted, relative to other browsers.
  • Cookie Pop-up Management, a tool that automatically selects the most private options available and hides cookie consent pop-ups. ‌‌‌‌
  • The Fire Button, which burns recent browsing data in one click. (There's also a handy "Fireproof" option for any sites you want to stay logged into.) ‌‌‌‌
  • Email Protection, which can hide your email address with unique @duck.com addresses when signing up for things online.
  • Making the switch is easy; new users can import bookmarks and passwords from other browsers and password managers.

DuckDuckGo Browser for Android

  • Tap Fire Button, Burn Data - clear all your tabs and browsing data with one tap.
  • Escape Online Tracking - automatically block hidden third-party trackers we can find lurking on websites you visit, which stops the companies behind those trackers from collecting and selling your data.
  • Search Privately - our private search engine comes built-in so you can search the Internet without being tracked.
  • Enforce Encryption - force sites to use an encrypted (HTTPS) connection where available, protecting your data from prying eyes, like from unwanted snoopers and Internet service providers.
  • Decode Privacy - each site you visit gets a Privacy Grade (A-F) so you can see how protected you are at a glance, and you can even dig into the details to see who we caught trying to track you.
  • Signal Your Privacy Preference with GPC - built into the browser, Global Privacy Control (GPC) intends to help you express your legal opt-out rights automatically. This will tell websites not to sell or share your personal information under future legal frameworks (e.g., CCPA, GDPR) in various states or countries.

What's New

  • DuckDuckGo Browser 0.164.1.0 for Windows
  • Android version updated to 5.282.0
  • DuckDuckGo Browser 1.60.1 for macOS
    • We fixed an issue where clicking a link would open in new window instead of a new tab on macOS Sonoma.
    • We fixed an issue where Duck Player was not loading videos on macOS Big Sur.

Watch YouTube Without Ads on the DuckDuckGo Browser

  • DuckDuckGo now blocks most video ads! Use our free browser to get the full YouTube experience, minus the ads.
  • YouTube Ad Blocking joins our powerful lineup of browsing protections that manage cookie pop-ups, protect you from invasive tracker-based web ads, and more.
  • YouTube Ad Blocking is already on by default for most iPhone, Windows, and Mac users! It will be auto-enabled for Android soon, but users can opt in via browser Settings in the meantime.

Interruption-free YouTube with DuckDuckGo

Tired of ads interrupting your videos? Us, too. The DuckDuckGo browser now blocks most video ads, including on YouTube! This new feature blocks ads that run before and during your videos, letting you watch YouTube without the interruptions.

If you've been here a while, you already know that the DuckDuckGo browser also protects you from invasive ads and annoying pop-ups on multiple fronts. We block tracker-powered web ads before they can load. We have Global Privacy Control enabled by default, expressing your opt-out rights by telling websites not to sell or share your personal information. We can even manage cookie pop-ups behind the scenes, so you don't have to deal with the distraction.

How do I access YouTube Ad Blocking?

YouTube Ad Blocking is on by default for iOS, Windows, and Mac. So, there's no need to adjust your settings, if your app is up to date; just open the browser and start enjoying ad-free videos! The feature will be on by default for Android soon, but in the meantime, turn it on in your browser's Settings > Ad Blocking. If you don't see YouTube Ad Blocking on your device, try updating your app.

On all devices, you can disable or re-enable YouTube Ad Blocking any time from your browser's Settings > Ad Blocking. You can also turn it on and off while you're watching a video. On desktop, click the video icon next to the green shield in your address bar. On mobile, tap ☰ > Disable YouTube Ad Blocking.

When you disable ad blocking mid-video, the browser will prompt you to send an error report, alerting us to any problems. This is completely optional, anonymous, and helps us make our product better…so we appreciate it!

Please note: if you're on a mobile device, links to YouTube videos may open in the YouTube app by default. To enjoy DuckDuckGo's YouTube Ad Blocking, you need to open the YouTube website in the DuckDuckGo browser. It won't work in the YouTube app.

Manage your YouTube Ad Blocking and Duck Player preferences from browser Settings.

Is YouTube Ad Blocking different from Duck Player?

Yes, they're different – but complementary!

Duck Player is the browser's built-in video player that lets you watch YouTube videos in a distraction-free theater mode. It also protects you from tracking cookies and personalized ads by enforcing YouTube's strictest privacy settings for embedded video. This means what you watch in Duck Player won't influence your YouTube recommendations. (It also won't save your place in playlists.) Opt in to Duck Player and adjust your preferences from your browser Settings > Ad Blocking.

YouTube Ad Blocking blocks video ads on the YouTube website, so you can watch without interruption. It's the regular YouTube experience, just without ads. So you're free to take advantage of YouTube features like remembering your viewing history and saving your spot in playlists.

You don't have to pick just one: you can have YouTube Ad Blocking and Duck Player enabled at the same time.

How does YouTube Ad Blocking work?

To detect and block YouTube ads, we use community-driven filter lists sourced from uBlock Origin. These lists are maintained by an active open-source community and are regularly updated to keep up with changes to how ads are served. We may also apply our own rules to improve compatibility and reduce breakage. As with most ad blockers, using our ad blocker can lead to some additional buffering times. But once your video loads, you won't be interrupted with ads.

Previous Release Notes:

DuckDuckGo Browser – now available for Windows

Windows users, this one's for you! Starting today, our desktop browser for Windows is officially in public beta – no invite codes, no waiting list, just a fast, lightweight browser that makes the Internet less creepy and less cluttered. DuckDuckGo for Windows is already equipped with nearly all the privacy protections and everyday features that users know and trust from our iOS, Mac, and Android browsers – and it's getting closer to parity with those browsers every day.

Relative to Mac users, Windows users work across a wider variety of hardware and software configurations. During our brief closed beta period, we've been gathering testers' feedback and making improvements to meet as many of those needs as possible, but we haven't tested every configuration yet, so if you do see any issues, please send feedback!

Extensions and the Windows browser

The browser doesn't have extension support yet, but we plan to add it in the future. In the meantime, we've built the browser to include features that meet the same needs as the most popular extensions: ad-blocking and secure password management.

Secure password management: Our browser includes our own secure and easy-to-use password manager that can automatically remember and fill in login credentials. DuckDuckGo for Windows can now also suggest secure passwords for new logins. This will get even more convenient soon when we roll out private syncing across devices, so you'll be able to sync your bookmarks and saved passwords between different devices, whether you're using a DuckDuckGo browser on Windows, iOS, Android, or Mac. ‌‌‌‌

Ad blocking: DuckDuckGo for Windows is equipped with our privacy-protecting alternative to ad blockers: the browser blocks invasive trackers before they load, effectively eliminating ads that rely on that creepy tracking. (Because so many ads work that way, you'll see way fewer ads – if any at all.) We also remove the whitespace left behind by those ads for a clean, distraction-free look without the need for an outside ad blocker.‌‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌

Duck Player, our browser's more-private way to watch YouTube: This built-in video player protects you from tracking cookies and personalized ads with a distraction-free interface that incorporates YouTube's strictest privacy settings for embedded video. (In our testing, by blocking the trackers behind personalized ads, Duck Player prevented ads from loading on most videos altogether.) YouTube still logs video views, so it's not completely anonymous, but none of the videos you watch in Duck Player contribute to your personalized recommendations or your YouTube advertising profile. You can leave the feature always-on, or opt in on individual videos.