DuckDuckGo Working on Privacy-Focused Desktop Browser for Mac - MacRumors
Skip to Content

DuckDuckGo Working on Privacy-Focused Desktop Browser for Mac

Popular privacy-first web browser DuckDuckGo is developing a dedicated desktop browser that will be available on the Mac, the company announced today in a year-end wrap-up article.

duckduckgobrowser
DuckDuckGo already offers a browser option that's available on mobile devices, and when it launches, the desktop browser will offer a similar experience.

The DuckDuckGo desktop browser will have "robust privacy protection" that works by default, without requiring users to adjust privacy settings or deal with different levels of privacy protection.

The app will "redefine user expectations of everyday online privacy, according to DuckDuckGo," and it will work across search, browsing, email, and more. The app is described as cleaner, more private, and faster than Chrome.

DuckDuckGo for desktop is being built around OS-provided rendering engines, which is similar to how the DuckDuckGo mobile apps work, and it will not use a Chromium fork like other browser offerings.

The desktop browser is in closed beta testing for the Mac right now, with a PC version also planned in the future. There's no word on a release date just yet, but DuckDuckGo is currently soliciting beta testers.

Popular Stories

iphone duo

Apple Announces Foldable 'iPhone Duo'

Wednesday September 9, 2026 10:56 am PDT by
Apple today announced the "iPhone Duo," a new kind of iPhone featuring two screens and a foldable inner display. The two halves of the iPhone Duo connect into a single continuous frame with the same aspect ratio across both displays, and Apple said the transition between open and closed is designed to feel fluid. When fully open, Apple says it is the thinnest iPhone ever made, with an...
Surprise and Shine Live Coverage Article

Apple Event Live Blog: iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, and More Expected

Wednesday September 9, 2026 9:10 am PDT by
Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event kicks off today at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, where we're expecting to see the foldable iPhone Duo, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 models, new AirPods 5 earphones, and perhaps some other announcements. Apple is providing a live video stream on its website, on YouTube, and in the company's TV app across various platforms. We...
apple surprise and shine event

Apple Event Today: iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo Cheat Sheet

Tuesday September 8, 2026 10:24 am PDT by
Apple's biggest event of the year is almost here, and all eyes are on Cupertino. With the first foldable iPhone expected to headline Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event on Wednesday, September 9, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, the rumor mill has been running full throttle, fuelled by the biggest single design change in the life of the iPhone. To get you up to speed, here's a quick reference...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️ Avatar
62 months ago
Thank god. We need this. Privacy- the top priority. Duck is a great browser when it comes to privacy.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B4U Avatar
62 months ago
This is going to be big!
Can't wait to get it on the mac!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B4U Avatar
62 months ago

In the meantime, I'm loving their "email protection" feature. Got my @duck.com email address that forwards to my real email address. Good to see that they are removing the email trackers. I look forward to this browser. For compatibility, I hope that it's Chromium based.
"DuckDuckGo for desktop is being built around OS-provided rendering engines, which is similar to how the DuckDuckGo mobile apps work, and it will not use a Chromium fork like other browser offerings."

According to the article.
So, not Chromium based.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sudo-sandwich Avatar
62 months ago

Not to hijack the duckduckgo thread, but any recommendations on chrome extensions for privacy?
AdNauseam is the nuclear option. Simulates clicks on all ads to throw off their metrics. Google banned it from their store, but I think you can still install it, or it's also available for Firefox.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
62 months ago

Knowing nothing about it, why is Brave a scam?

Seconding this question?

How is brave a scam?

'Scam' is a big word, any evidence for your claim? source? otherwise fake news!
I think it may be this from last year

https://www.zdnet.com/article/privacy-browser-brave-busted-for-autocompleting-urls-to-versions-it-profits-from/

https://www.pcmag.com/news/brave-browser-caught-redirecting-users-through-affiliate-links
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jamcgahey Avatar
62 months ago
I love Safari, but this is great! I love DuckDuckGo. Cheers to the hopeful downfall of Google Search/Chrome!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)