Seamlessly take control of your personal informationno matter where the Internet takes you. DuckDuckGo for Windows comes with these best-in-class privacy protections switched on by defaultleading to a better everyday user experience.

By blocking trackers before they loadfor exampleour desktop browsers use about 60% less data than Chrome. Switching is easytoo; 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 availablewithout requiring additional extensions. It also restricts third-party cookies by default and allows users to control site-specific permissionssuch as location or camera accesson an individual site basis.

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

Rather than acting as a temporary modethe 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 defaultand provides a single action to clear tabsdataand history. Data synchronization across devices is limited compared to some mainstream browsersreflecting 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 tasksincluding tabsbookmarksand password managementmaking it suitable for everyday use.

Is DuckDuckGo Browser based on Chromium?

On desktop platformsDuckDuckGo Browser uses system web engines-such as Chromium on Windows-while applying its own interface and privacy controls on top. On mobile devicesit relies on the underlying platform's web engineusing Blink/Chromium on Android and WebKit on iOSin 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 Playera 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 Protectionfor exampleblocks 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 encryptedrelative to other browsers.
  • Cookie Pop-up Managementa tool that automatically selects the most private options available and hides cookie consent pop-ups. ‌‌‌‌
  • The Fire Buttonwhich burns recent browsing data in one click. (There's also a handy "Fireproof" option for any sites you want to stay logged into.) ‌‌‌‌
  • Email Protectionwhich 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 ButtonBurn 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 visitwhich 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 availableprotecting your data from prying eyeslike 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 glanceand 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 browserGlobal 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.CCPAGDPR) in various states or countries.

What's New

  • DuckDuckGo Browser 0.154.3 for Windows
  • Android version updated to 5.278.0
  • 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.

Previous Release Notes:

DuckDuckGo Browser – now available for Windows

Windows usersthis one's for you! Starting todayour desktop browser for Windows is officially in public beta – no invite codesno waiting listjust a fastlightweight 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 iOSMacand Android browsers – and it's getting closer to parity with those browsers every day.

Relative to Mac usersWindows users work across a wider variety of hardware and software configurations. During our brief closed beta periodwe've been gathering testers' feedback and making improvements to meet as many of those needs as possiblebut we haven't tested every configuration yetso if you do see any issuesplease send feedback!

Extensions and the Windows browser

The browser doesn't have extension support yetbut we plan to add it in the future. In the meantimewe'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 devicesso you'll be able to sync your bookmarks and saved passwords between different deviceswhether you're using a DuckDuckGo browser on WindowsiOSAndroidor Mac. ‌‌‌‌

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

Duck Playerour 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 testingby blocking the trackers behind personalized adsDuck Player prevented ads from loading on most videos altogether.) YouTube still logs video viewsso it's not completely anonymousbut 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-onor opt in on individual videos.