DuckDuckGo Browser for Mac Launches in Beta With Emphasis on Privacy and Speed

DuckDuckGo is today launching an all-new browser for macOS in beta that is "an all-in-one privacy solution for everyday browsing with no complicated settings, just a seamless private experience," set to rival Apple's Safari and Google's Chrome on the Mac.

duckduckgo macos browser 2
Building on the success of the DuckDuckGo browser on the iPhone, DuckDuckGo on the Mac includes a number of privacy features. For starters, DuckDuckGo says that its browser on macOS features a "powerful tracker blocker," email protection, and more, all built-in with no strings attached.

On top of privacy, DuckDuckGo for macOS in beta is "really fast." According to tests conducted by DuckDuckGo, it uses 60% less data than Chrome and is faster than Chrome in some graphics performance tests. DuckDuckGo for macOS is still in beta, and interested users can join the private waiting list here.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
30 months ago
Nice! I love the fact their overall goal is “privacy” that’s exactly how it should be. Seriously, can't wait to download this browser.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
30 months ago
DuckDuckGo has amazing features and it’s my go to search engine. But they’re limiting their reach, and I know it’s superficial, but what is holding them back is their amateur look. Yes, the duck is cute and funny but new users see it and don’t give it a chance because it’s hard to take it seriously. Time for a rebrand.

I wish Apple would acquire them and rename it “Search” or “Siri Search”. Integrate it deeply into iOS and macOS and leave the website up to machine learn from users from other operating systems.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
krspkbl Avatar
30 months ago
i use DDG as my main search engine now and have for the last year and a half. i did use their browser on my iphone but it actually doesn't do a good job of blocking trackers. it blocks more trackers than safari but safari is better because you can use extensions.

i used this site to test:

https://d3ward.github.io/toolz/adblock.html

safari (no extension) = ~13% blocked
ddg = ~46% blocked
safari (w/ blockbear [free] extension) = ~65% blocked
safari (w/ wipr [paid] extension) = ~89% blocked

ddg on iOS doesn't seem to be affected by any extensions installed. i wish there was a way to download extensions for browsers like DDG. so that's why i will stick with Safari. also do we know what the DDG mac browser is built on? Please don't tell me chromium...

edit: they don't use chromium! they are basically using the safari engine. i wonder what they will do if they bring the browser to Windows. they should build it on Firefox.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Diamond Dog Avatar
30 months ago

DuckDuckGo has amazing features and it’s my go to search engine. But they’re limiting their reach, and I know it’s superficial, but what is holding them back is their amateur look. Yes, the duck is cute and funny but new users see it and don’t give it a chance because it’s hard to take it seriously. Time for a rebrand.

I wish Apple would acquire them and rename it “Search” or “Siri Search”. Integrate it deeply into iOS and macOS and leave the website up to machine learn from users from other operating systems.
I would venture that calling it "Siri Search" would tarish it even more than its current name, given Siri's reputation for being able to provide accurate and relevant information.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2WheelsGood Avatar
30 months ago
And just like that, macrumors jumped on the censorship bandwagon and whittled my post down to nothing to fit their narrative. ??
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sheepish-Lord Avatar
30 months ago
Let’s be real, unless it’s Tor Browser all these browsers are subjective and data mine at some point while surfing the web. Nice if the browser itself is privacy focused but as soon as you go to a website it’s a coin flip.

Using the most private browser in the world doesn’t mean jack if your first stop is YouTube or Facebook.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)