Stop Googling, start... DuckDuckGoing?

Is it really Monday already? Well, happy Monday! We’ve got a quick win today—low effort, high impact! Let’s go!

What am I suggesting and why?

Change your default browser search engine to DuckDuckGo. Your search history, even if you delete it, carries breadcrumbs and assumptions used to create a story about you, the user. For example, if you search for baby products, Google might think you’re pregnant. If you search for diabetes symptoms, Google might assume you have diabetes. It’s rarely that explicit, but know that they can infer a lot about you from a series of searches and website visits.

Duration: 5 Minutes
Ease: Very Easy
Cost: Free

Learn more about DuckDuckGo and test out their search engine >

You in? Let’s go:

On Your Computer

General Instructions

1. Open your web browser.
2. Find the browser Settings or Preferences.
3. Find the default search engine dropdown (there is typically a list of options to choose from).
4. Select DuckDuckGo from the list.

The steps are slightly different for every web browser, so here are the steps for a few popular browsers:

Google Chrome

1. Open Chrome.
2. At the top right, click on the three-dot menu (it looks like three dots stacked on top of each other).
3. Click Settings.
4. Click Search engine.
5. Select DuckDuckGo from the list of search engines.

Safari

1. Open Safari.
2. Click the search bar.
3. In the left corner of the search bar, click the magnifying glass.
4. Select DuckDuckGo.

Firefox

1. Open Firefox.
2. In the small search bar in the top right of your browser, click Search.
3. Click Change Search Settings.
4. Under “Default Search Engine,” select DuckDuckGo.

On Your Mobile Device

iPhone / iPad

1. Open Settings > Safari.
2. Under SEARCH, tap Search Engine.
3. Tap DuckDuckGo.

Android

1. Open your browser app—it might be called Internet, Browser, or Chrome.
2. Tap the Menu button on your phone or at the top right of the browser.
3. Tap Settings > Advanced > Set search engine.
4. Tap DuckDuckGo.

Want to take it one step further?

Get the DuckDuckGo browser extension and mobile app to block Google’s trackers across the web.

Dig Deeper

Why DuckDuckGo?

Privacy is key. There are no ad trackers—ever notice how you see the same ads on different websites after you Google something? We’ve talked about cookies before—this is one way they track you.

Also, your Google search results are altered based on your online activity (read: your personal data). You may have heard the term’ filter bubble’—basically, you get different search results depending on things like your location, your demographics, or even your beliefs—whatever Google knows about you. With DuckDuckGo, you get unbiased results for your inquiries.

Lastly, DuckDuckGo is widely available as a built-in option on just about every web browser. It’s an easy and worthwhile change to make.

Are there alternatives?

If you switch to Brave web browser, it has a built-in private search engine that works well and is just as private as their browser.

Learn More

• “The best private search engines for secure browsing” NordVPN (also has great info about search privacy at the end)
• “Measuring the ‘Filter Bubble’: How Google is influencing what you click” DuckDuckGo