DuckDuckGo to launch a desktop browser

Duckduckgo, the privacy-focused search engine, is working on a desktop browser, the company announced Tuesday. The browser is currently in closed beta on macOS, according to The Verge, with no official launch date announced.

DuckDuckGo’s browser will have “robust privacy protection that works by default, across search, browsing, email, and more,” according to the announcement. It will also bring the “Fire” button, which erases all browsing history, stored data and tabs, from the mobile app to the desktop.

Why we care

DuckDuckGo now averages more than 100 million searches per day and is the most downloaded browsing app on Android in many markets. Clearly, there’s an audience for privacy-centric search and software and bringing a popular app from the mobile environment over to desktop may help to increase DuckDuckGo’s market share, which it says accounts for 9% of Americans (data from Statista says that figure is closer to 2.5%).

In addition, introducing another browser alternative to Chrome may shrink the user base that’s able to be targeted via Google’s FLoC technology (Chrome is the only browser that supports FLoC).

More about DuckDuckGo

About The Author

George Nguyen is an editor for Search Engine Land, covering organic search, podcasting and e-commerce. His background is in journalism and content marketing. Prior to entering the industry, he worked as a radio personality, writer, podcast host and public school teacher.