DuckDuckGo Takes on Google's AI: A Growing Choice

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Key Takeaways

1DuckDuckGo recorded a 21% increase in installations in the United States between May 20 and May 26, with a peak of 37% on Tuesday.

2Interest in DuckDuckGo coincided with Google's I/O conference, where new AI features were unveiled.

3Mentions of DuckDuckGo on social media increased by 500%, reflecting a growing interest in privacy-focused alternatives.

💡Why it matters — This trend shows a growing desire among users for search options that provide more control over AI usage and privacy protection.

A Rise in Popularity for DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo, the search engine that emphasizes privacy, has recently seen a notable increase in its installations. This surge coincided with Google's I/O developer conference. In the United States, installations of DuckDuckGo rose by 21% between May 20 and May 26, compared to the previous week. A particularly high peak of 37% was recorded on Tuesday. On iOS devices, installations jumped by 33%, with a peak of 69% on Memorial Day.

The Impact of Google's Announcements

This increase in interest for DuckDuckGo occurred as Google unveiled new AI-based features during its I/O conference, held on May 19 and 20. Among the announcements was an AI-enhanced search interface capable of providing more detailed answers to complex queries. Additionally, Google introduced a "multimodal" search feature, allowing users to drag videos, images, and files directly into the search bar.

Reactions on Social Media

Meanwhile, DuckDuckGo experienced a 500% increase in mentions of its company on social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, and X. Gabriel Weinberg, founder and CEO of DuckDuckGo, criticized Google for "forcing AI without an option to turn it off." He emphasized that DuckDuckGo allows users to control the amount of AI they wish to incorporate into their searches.

Flexible Search Options

DuckDuckGo offers unique flexibility with its Search Assist feature, which uses AI to enhance search queries. Users can adjust the frequency of this feature's appearance or even disable it entirely. For those who prefer an AI-free experience, the site noai.duckduckgo.com allows for searches without AI assistance and recorded a 23% increase in searches between May 20 and May 25.

Advanced Features and Privacy Respect

DuckDuckGo also offers a chatbot feature, Duck.ai, which allows users to choose from models by OpenAI, Anthropic, and others. The browser includes an Ask AI button to the right of the search bar, providing AI-generated answers. Weinberg clarified that the company does not collect search or chat histories and that "nothing is used for AI training."

Since its launch in 2008, DuckDuckGo has positioned itself as a privacy advocate. Based in Pennsylvania, the company does not track customer data, does not store search histories, and does not log IP addresses, allowing customers to avoid being targeted by ads based on their browsing habits. According to Cloudflare, DuckDuckGo was the second most used search engine on mobile and the third overall in the United States as of December 2025.